How To Clean A Laptop Screen Properly

Give your laptop the care it deserves by learning how to clean a laptop screen the right way!

In this article:

1. Why You Need to Clean Your Laptop Screen
2. How to Clean a Laptop Screen to Remove Dust
3. How To Clean a Laptop Screen to Remove Sticky Substances
4. How To Clean a Laptop Screen to Remove Grime
5. How To Make Your Own Laptop Screen Cleaning Solution
6. Tips For Keeping A Clean Computer Screen

How To Clean A Laptop Screen Without Damaging It

 

Why You Need to Clean Your Laptop Screen

If you use your laptop on a daily basis, its surface is more prone to accumulating dust and dirt. Come to think of it, even if you leave it closed, it will still gather dust.

Aside from your keyboard, your screen is the other surface that requires extra care and attention when it comes to laptop cleaning.

Dirt on laptop screens can affect their display quality, and improper cleaning procedures can damage them. It’s time to take out (or buy) your laptop cleaning kit and put that laptop screen cleaner to good use!

How to Clean a Laptop Screen to Remove Dust

Step 1: Get Your Own Microfiber Cloth

Even if you will only remove dust from your laptop’s screen, it’s still important to know the proper way to do it.

For dust-cleaning, it is best to use a microfiber cloth. It’s designed to remove dust without leaving behind lint and scratches, unlike cloth-based materials. Don’t use tissue or paper towel to clean dust off your laptop screen, as they are rough against sensitive surfaces such as laptop displays.

Microfiber cloth has many variants, but choose one that you can use as a computer screen cleaner. It will do the job well, and you can also use it to wipe your laptop’s whole surface.

Step 2: Turn Off Your Laptop

Clean your laptop the safe way. Turn it off before you start removing the dust from the screen and other surfaces. This way, you’ll avoid pressing anything that will interrupt your files. A dark or blank display will also allow you to see the dust particles you need to remove from your screen.

Step 3: Clean Laptop Screen by Wiping In One Direction

Gently press the microfiber cloth against your laptop screen and wipe in one direction. Avoid scrubbing your screen using the microfiber cloth as this can damage your laptop’s display. Don’t wipe in circular motions as well because this will only move the dust particles around your screen, not remove them.

Keep on wiping your laptop’s screen in one direction until you remove all the dust. Do the same for your laptop’s other surfaces, particularly the keyboard. Keeping your keyboard dust-free will lessen the dust transfer onto your screen.

How To Clean a Laptop Screen to Remove Sticky Substances

Step 1: Prepare Your Laptop and Cleaning Solution

The first thing you need to do is to turn off your laptop and unplug it from the electrical socket. You can also remove the battery for a safer laptop cleaning experience.

Sticky substances that leave marks are trickier to remove than dust. You’ll need a screen cleaning solution aside from your microfiber cloth so you can effectively wipe them off.

Laptop cleaning kits usually include a microfiber cloth, a small brush, and an LCD screen cleaning solution. You can use this solution to clean sticky substances off your screen.

You can also make your own, which we’ll give you tips on later. Remember to not use glass-cleaning fluids on your laptop screen!

Step 2: Apply The Screen Cleaning Solution Onto Your Microfiber Cloth

Depending on your solution’s container, you can either spray or simply apply it to your microfiber cloth.

Don’t spray the solution directly on your laptop screen! This can damage the display, so you need to use a proper cloth to apply it whenever you have to use a solution for cleaning.

Make sure that your microfiber cloth is damp. Refrain from soaking it in the solution as you do not want your cloth to be wet.

Step 3: Gently Rub Over The Sticky Surface

Since you want to remove something that doesn’t come off easily from your screen, you’ll need to rub your microfiber cloth over the affected area. As always, be gentle in doing so because LCD screens are sensitive.

We know that sticky stains can be tough to remove, but keep yourself from applying heavy pressure while cleaning your screen. Rub the sticky surface in small circles to avoid leaving streaks.

Repeat this step as necessary, and make sure you don’t get any liquid in your laptop’s keyboard or display.

Step 4: Air-Dry Your Laptop Screen

Once you’re satisfied with your cleaning job, let your laptop screen dry first before you close the lid. You also need to wait for it to dry before you fire up your laptop again.

Related: The Best Way To Clean Your Touchscreen Device

How To Clean a Laptop Screen to Remove Grime

Step 1: Take The Necessary Laptop Precautions

Whenever you need to use cleaning solutions on your laptop, make sure you shut it down first, then, unplug it from the electrical socket. You can also remove the battery, if possible, to ensure your safety and to avoid the laptop from being damaged.

Step 2: Prepare A Damp Sponge

Sometimes, dirt gets stuck on a laptop’s screen and it’s difficult to remove if you simply use a microfiber cloth. To clean the grime off your screen, use a damp sponge instead.

For this, you’ll need to use a brand-new sponge and either deionized or distilled water. Any of these two types of water are much preferred because they won’t leave residues of minerals or other impurities on your screen, but you can also use filtered water.

As much as possible, avoid using tap water in cleaning your screen because your display can end up with mineral marks on it.

Wet the sponge with water and wring the excess liquid out until it is only damp. Make sure your sponge doesn’t drip.

Step 3: Wipe Your Laptop Screen With The Damp Sponge

You may need to apply extra pressure to get rid of dirt embedded on your laptop screen. The good news is, modern laptops are now more durable, and they can withstand pressure to a certain point.

For stains that are harder to remove, you can apply a bit of extra pressure so you can chip them off your screen. As much as possible, be gentle in cleaning your screen with the damp sponge.

Watch out for any drips your sponge might produce. If there are any, make sure to clean them up immediately to avoid getting liquid into your keyboard and display.

Step 4: Air-dry Your Laptop Screen

After you finish wiping the grime off your screen, don’t close your laptop immediately or power it on. Wait for the display to dry first before doing any of these.

How To Make Your Own Laptop Screen Cleaning Solution

If you prefer to not buy from the store, you can make your own cleaning solution using household products. Here are the items you’ll need:

• White vinegar OR isopropyl alcohol
• Distilled or deionized water
• Spray bottle

If you will use white vinegar in your cleaning solution, you only need to mix equal amounts of distilled or deionized water and white vinegar. This mixture is also ideal for general cleaning.

If you will use isopropyl alcohol, make a solution that’s 50% alcohol and 50% distilled or deionized water. Check the alcohol volume of the isopropyl you will be using. For example, if it is 70%, 30% of it is water, so you’ll only need to add 20% of water to the solution you will make.

Tips For Keeping A Clean Computer Screen

• Before closing your laptop, put a lint-free cloth between your keyboard and screen. This way, your keyboard won’t leave marks on your laptop screen.
• Refrain from using ammonia-based cleaners on your laptop screen as they can leave a glare-causing film.
• Tissues and other paper products may leave small flakes and even scratches on your laptop screen, so avoid using them.
• If you don’t want to mix or use a solution to clean your laptop, try using a 100% cotton cloth instead.
• You can also use the LCD cleaning solution and a microfiber cloth to clean the rest of your laptop’s surface.
• Don’t rush in cleaning your laptop to avoid accidents that can damage your device. Take the time to do this regularly so your device won’t gather dust and dirt.

 

Best way to clean your notebook in this video from TechSupportDell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vL_s2n0MV8

Learning the proper way of how to clean a laptop screen is important. This will help you take better care of your device so you can use it for a longer time. Keeping a clean laptop screen will also let you enjoy the display more and give you a more pleasant user experience.

Do you know other effective ways of how to clean laptop screens? We’d love to hear from you in the comments section below!

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