How to clean a TFT screen?

CyrixInsteadCyrixInstead Stoke-on-Trent, England Icrontian
edited September 2003 in Hardware
I recently bought a 17" TFT Screen, and it has been getting a bit grubby as of late.

I'd like to clean it but I'm not sure what kind of product to use without damaging it.

Any suggestions?

~Cyrix

Comments

  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    I use a 100% cotton wash rag with no abrasive textures, and spritz windex on the rag itself. Wipe the monitor down with it, then dry it with a dry part of the same rag.

    I have a 10 year old monitor that still works wonderfully using this method.
  • reelbigfishreelbigfish Boston, MA Member
    edited September 2003
    DO NOT USE WINDEX!!! Windex has ammonia in it. Thrax, are you talking about a CRT or a an LCD? I think Cyrix is talking about an LCD. I used this stuff I bought at my local computer store for cleaning lap top screens. If anyone has any other suggestions, let me know.
  • CyrixInsteadCyrixInstead Stoke-on-Trent, England Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    Yes I am talking about an LCD screen.

    So, you can get special stuff for cleaning them can you?

    I'll have a look at my local computer store.

    ~Cyrix
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    Aaah, LCD.

    I use water on my one LCD with the same rag. You don't need much more than water to clean a monitor.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    Office Depot has special TFT cleaning packets, but they are really expensive. I'm not sure that you even have an office depot in the UK or Germany or wherever you are, but the point is that there is a special chemical for cleaning TFT screens. But reelbigfish is right - DO NOT USE WINDEX you will permenantly haze your screen with it.
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    Sam's Club sells Optical lense cleaner for cheap. It is for the following and will work fine:

    Digital and normal cameras.
    Eyeglasses, plastic and glass-- it does not harm the outer UV layer on plastic eyeglass lenses.
    Any anti-reflective coating, and that includes polarized UV coated screen filtering sheets in frames used on monitors and LCDs with glare problems.

    It will cut dirt, and is about 2% ammonia and most of the rest is distilled water. They also sell wipes at about 180 for $4.00 including tax in individual packets for field use. I use them with my Camedia to clean lense and LCD display and they are streakless and remove salt water vapor and residue and fingerprints instantly.

    Use one part Windex and about 9 parts distilled water and you will have a cleaner that with a aoft terry towel will clean just fine-- spray mix on towel. Avoid pure paper towel, I use "Rags In A Box" which are part paper and part artificial fiber and they clean fast for dirty monitors.

    Pure ammonia will decoat LCDs in a single application, tiny amounts of ammonia in distilled water work quickly and wonderfully. One part ammmonia to 50 parts water-- just use sparingly the ammonia. 1 TEASPOON of ammonia per quart pump sprayer from Home Depot also works as does 1 TABLEspoon of Windex per quart sprayer, I got the cleaners from Sams because I sweat on plastic lensed eyeglasses copiously and need portable cleaning that is very safe and need it very often. Florida water is laden with too many chemicals to be safe and leaves streaks out of faucet-- lime content is high, poisonous chemicals are not present. City water is often filtered at home or osmosis processed as it comes from city lines, and Culligan does a box office business in filter mechanisms down here.
  • OuttherOutther Alabamee where family trees dont fork
    edited September 2003
    I know alot of people use rags, paper towels and the like on LCD's but be warned this is not good.

    The Liquid Crystal Display is extremly delicate.

    1.) Never touch the screen for 2 reasons.
    a. You will kill pixels and leave permanent black spots.
    b. You will leave fingerprints

    2.) Never wipe anything across an LCD screen, it will scratch the screen and you are applying pressure to it.

    3.) If you never touch it then the only thing on the screen is dust. If you use canned air and blow it off from the side you should have a clean screen again. NEVER blow on the screem from the front as this will damage the screen.

    4.) Do not use a feather duster or vaccume to dust the LCD screen, this can scratch the screen

    5.) I am sure there is more but I can think right now, my brain hurts. Stupid alcohol
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited September 2003
    The best stuff I've found is Endust for Electronics, which works very well for everything, including LCDs.
  • WuGgaRoOWuGgaRoO Not in the shower Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    gfood to know guys...i just bought a 191t
  • a2jfreaka2jfreak Houston, TX Member
    edited September 2003
    We have a 19" ViewSonic LCD. It came with a thin, albeit sturdy, sheet of transparent plastic. We just taped that around the edges of the monitor . . . doesn't look "tacky" and keeps dust and other nasties away from the screen. If you still have the clear sheet of plastic that came with your LCD (hopefully one did come with it) you might try taping it around the edge of the screen.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited September 2003
    Or just go to a plastic/hardware store and get a 1/8 or 1/16" sheet of lexan and put that on...
  • OuttherOutther Alabamee where family trees dont fork
    edited September 2003
    Or go buy a glare screen cover and hang it on there. Hum noone thought of that one :D

    I did fast as hell as I have a son with sticky candy or jelly covered fingers. :vimp:

    Kids can change your hole idea of a comp.

    No one will stick there fingers in there. (80 MM fan with alien head fan guard) " Insert blanket hear" was the neon sign to my son. :wtf:
  • reelbigfishreelbigfish Boston, MA Member
    edited September 2003
    the specialty wipes are good, especially since on a laptop, the screen touches the keys slightyly and gets crap all over the screen. I'm going to the store tomorrow so I will see what they have and list the contents if it's on the package.
  • DanGDanG I AM CANADIAN Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    I have some gel anti-static cleaner for my lcd. It's made by allsop. It's really nice because it doesn't run and comes off easily. That with a microfiber cloth, and it's better than new.
  • ArmoArmo Mr. Nice Guy Is Dead,Only Aqua Remains Member
    edited September 2003
    take a terry cloth apply vigorus ammounts of fire, and scrub
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