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Safely Cleaning LCD Displays?
An anonymous reader asks: "I own several laptops and one flat-panel LCD display, and I am trying to find a good way to keep them clean without damaging them. Using the alcohol-based cleaning wipes that I normally use for my CRT displays doesn't seem right, and I had an (idiot) friend who shorted out a great many of the transistors on his laptop's LCD by spraying Windex on it. What's the best way to clean these things without damaging them or creating buildup that I'll just have to clean off again separately?"
...just don't be a moron like your friend. Spray it on the cloth.
When cleaning LCD panels, including laptop displays, be very careful. The plastic coating on the front of the display is semi porous, so fluid can run down the front of the display and short out some of the edge transistors, blowing out some of the display elements. Pre-moistened towelettes are the best way to go, but if you prefer a spray on cleaner, use it very sparingly. LCD Cleaning Tips
I think best results are achieved by wiping the screen with an absorbent cotton/flannel cloth dipped into a very dilute soap solution and squeezed until it is moist. Also instead of trying to scrub any dirt build up try rubbing gently in a circular motion. Once done you should wipe any droplets of water off the panel or risk messing it up.
You should get 'Scotch Brite High Performance Cloth'.. this stuff is fantastic.. it's fiber is woven in such a way that it cleans glass with no liquid and dosen't scratch. I use in on my glasses and all of my computer moitors, tv's and any LCD panels I have.. a Newton, PowewBook. You can use it in conjunction with a little bit of cleaner like Windex or even water. They are washable, they cost about $4 a piece - check out your grocery store buy the sponges and stuff or Wal-Mart, etc....
*** I Know Everything, But Can't Remember It All At Once ***
We get a lab of new iMacs into the school.
A week later, we ship them all back.
First it was a rash of cracked screens.
The kids were poking their fingers into them.
Then it was a broken arm.
They both wanted to look at it.
But the children could not match what came next:
They all got washed with whiteboard cleaner.
By the principal.
An hour before open house.
The PHB said "they ARE white."
It turned them blue.
The parents got to see their tax dollars at work.
We traded them for eMacs.
The PHB kept his job.
If voting were effective, it would be illegal by now.
It's sad to see such a well written post destroyed by one bad link.
Excellent post, but I won't be surprised when you're modded down to -1.
Cleaner made for this purpose.
http://www.iKlear.com/
I reccomend the dishwasher. Open the laptop and place in face down on the top rack. Add some Cascade and clean away. I will also get all those crumbs and Mountain Dew spots off the keyboard.
SD
âoeWho knew something as harmless as willful ignorance could end up having real consequences?â
the users manual. They don't expect people to be intelligent or anything...that's why they pack the little manual they send you with information. One of the sections should be called something like Care and maintenance. All laptop manuals I have had tell how to properly clean the screen (lite detergent on a rag). Also, the screen should be covered with a protective coating (they all have a polarized piece of plastic film) that should keep the transistors from being exposed to the outside, so your friend probably dripped water inside or something...unless it ate through the plastic.
Just turn it off and pull the battery when you clean it...if you get water in it, don't worry about it, just wait until you think the water inside is dry before you turn it back on.
The wrong cloth being steel wool?
May we never see th