What Should I Use to Clean My Laptop Screen? While most people today are reliant on their mobile devices, laptops are what people still prefer to use for work — with 49.7% of American households having them. This correlates with how the location where people work is also changing as a new MIT report reveals that 34% of Americans who previously commuted to work are now home-based.
Companies are grappling with transitioning to work-from-home setups, especially those that are unfamiliar with the best practices for telecommuting. One of the biggest factors to consider as an employee is reliable equipment. This is especially true for workers who are used to heavy-duty PCs in an office setting, like data analysts, engineers, and designers. Thankfully, a feature by HP on the best WFH tools points out that higher-end work-at-home laptops can perform just as well or even better than desktop PCs. Investing in one of these laptops can especially help professionals who need to render videos, edit photos, mine data, run complex engineering tasks, and more.
Upkeep is a necessity when investing in powerful laptops, which goes beyond just antivirus programs and regular defragging. Your biggest enemy when it comes to your laptop's hardware? Dust, grime, and even cracks. These can build up over time on your screen and cause some major issues if left unchecked. Don't fret, as in these cases, you usually don't have to call in a professional for help.
Here's how you can clean your dirty laptop screen to give it that fresh-from-the store look:
4 Steps Which I Use to Clean My Laptop Screen
Step 1: Check for cracks and issues
If you find a dark spot or crack on your screen, be careful as you might aggravate it if you clean without checking. If the laptop still has its plastic screen protector intact, then simply remove and replace it! However, if the screen itself is bare and obviously damaged, you'll likely have to bring it to a tech shop and have it replaced. Professionals will be able to assess if it's just the glass that needs replacing, or if you unfortunately need to replace the entire LCD monitor to fix the issue.
Step 2: Find the right cleaning tools
If you decide to clean the screen on your own, it is important to have the right cleaning tool, so you don't damage it. The last thing you want is to scratch your screen and cause more damage to your laptop. For regular cleaning, you can opt for a lint-free cloth like the soft ones used to clean lenses and spectacles. A Magic Eraser sponge with a DIY solution can also do the trick, but if you're using a regular sponge, just make sure you don't use the rough side. A can of compressed air can also help you get into the hard-to-reach crevices like the edge of laptop bezels.
Step 3: Start cleaning
You have to make sure the laptop is turned off before you start cleaning its screen. Not only is this safer, but it can also help you see the dust and grime more clearly against the blacked-out screen. Next, wet the clean side of the lint-free cloth or sponge with just water. Then, wring the excess water to ensure the right amount of dampness — the last thing we want is to get your laptop's keyboard and sensitive parts soaked in water. Gently rub the screen and get it into the corners, then all the way to the center. Now let it air dry. You want all the moisture gone before you put your laptop's lid down.
Step 4: Keeping it clean
One way of keeping your screen unstained and clear of dust is having that dry lint-free cloth with you all the time. You can even put it in between the screen and the keyboard to avoid those annoying keyboard marks on the screen. Liquid screen cleaners are also available but most of the time water as the universal solvent will do the trick. Never use alcohol-based cleaners as they damage the screen and corrode it. However, New York Times reports that some manufacturers say that a 50:50 mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water can be used if it's really hard to clean.