Is your screen really blurry? Before you make an appointment with your eye specialist, try giving your laptop screen a clean first. Dust, dirt or imprints from your keyboard keys can appear on the screen and look especially bad in the reflection of light. Here’s how you can properly clean your laptop screen.
Cleaning your laptop screen is a quick and easy process. What takes the longest time is actually the preparations. To prevent electric shocks or damage to the device caused by it being short-circuited, you should do the following at least 30 minutes before cleaning:
- Turn off your laptop
- Disconnect the device from the power supply, i.e. pull it out from the outlet
- Remove the battery
You don’t have to be a tech expert to clean your laptop screen properly. But you should bear in mind that the surface of the screen consists of very thin layers. That means you have to be very careful when cleaning it. Make sure you:
- Don’t press hard on the screen when cleaning
- Don’t use harsh, corrosive cleaning agents
- Use a soft, non-scratching cloth, preferably a microfiber one
First, remove any dust, visible streaks and fingerprints. The best way to do this is with a dry, soft microfiber cloth. Use gentle pressure and circular movements over the entire screen. To avoid getting dust under the edges of the screen, clean it from the outside inwards.
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The next step is to deal with the more stubborn dirt. You don’t necessarily need special cleaning agents for this because a good result can be achieved through cheaper methods. Just put a few drops of dishwasher detergent in about one liter of water, dip your microfiber cloth into the water, and wring it out properly so that it is only slightly moist. You only want to wipe your screen and not wash it. Make sure no water runs down the screen and into the interior, otherwise it will damage the electronics. Now repeat the dry cleaning procedure with the damp cloth.
At the end of the cleaning process, carefully wipe your laptop screen dry with a lint-free cloth. This is important to prevent streaks from appearing. Using a damp cloth you might use to clean eyeglasses may not be a good idea as it can leave behind a film that can attract dust.
Is your laptop now shiny and streak-free? To help it stay that way, we have a few additional tips on how to keep your laptop screen clean:
- You can avoid prints from the keyboard keys appearing on your screen by always placing a soft cloth (a kitchen towel will do) between the screen and keyboard when folding the laptop.
- Alcohol-based solvents will ruin your laptop screen, as will sharp objects (fingernails), the scratchy side of a sponge, or paper tissues.
- If your laptop screen is still warm, let it cool down completely before cleaning, otherwise streaks will appear after you’ve done wiping.
- The corners of the laptop screen can be cleaned with cotton swabs.
- Never spray special cleaners directly on the screen – spray first on the cloth.
- Window cleaners almost always contain ammonia, acetone, or alcohol, and are therefore not suitable for cleaning your laptop screen.