How to Clean a Flat Screen TV Safely and Easily

Post Audio Version

Your screens look gross? It’s okay. Mine did, too. I have kids. You have kids. We have valid excuses to give our guests as to why our LED or LCD flat TV or computer screens look like petri dishes. But, when it’s time to snuggle up to your hubby and zone out to some much-needed entertainment, those excuses don’t really cut it. What’s the point in having high definition or higher if your daughter’s primeval greasy-fingered art skills are clouding the screen? Do you wonder how to clean a flat screen TV, both safely and easily with ingredients you most likely have at home? You need an effective and inexpensive screen cleaner for TVs and computers and I’ve got just the one for you!

WHY I CHOSE TO MAKE MY OWN SCREEN CLEANER FOR TVS AND COMPUTERS

Like you, I grew up with glass-screened televisions. I remember dusting the family set on chore day and marveling at my reflection in its black depths. “When I grow up,” I thought to myself, “I’m going to buy an even bigger one!” And, I did! My husband and I purchased one of those 150-lb. glass screen monster TVs. We were quite pleased with ourselves! But, then came the LCD screens and we felt compelled to have one of those, too.

We kept our new LCD in the master bedroom and didn’t notice any difficulties in keeping it clean, aside from the occasional feather dusting. When it was time to upgrade the family set, we donated that glass monster and brought down our LCD flat screen TV for the children to be able to use. Much to our dismay, the screen was perpetually covered in fingerprints and sticky residues after that. Obviously, it was a magnet for inquisitive children.

Even after training the children not to touch it, I noticed that any adjustments I made to it left behind unsightly fingerprints, too—no matter how clean my hands were. Not to mention, the screen collected dust like you wouldn’t believe!

Thinking it couldn’t handle more than a light cleaning, I used very gentle methods and cleaning solutions at first, but the oils from our fingers wouldn’t budge. I was concerned that if I tried anything harsher, it would damage the screen. In fact, I had this very same dilemma with our computer screens.

Checking the TV manual, I read that the suggested cleaning solution was a very particular type that would not only be a bit costly, but it would also require me to make a very inconvenient trip to a specific store with my children in tow. At the time, I only had three of what would later become four children, and with a special needs child and my husband away on business quite often, I really had to be mentally prepared to wander out with them, which is why I didn’t like the idea of making a trip to the store just for a cleaning product. Thus, I decided to do what I always do—I made my own.

I knew that LCD TV screens and computer screens are not only tricky to clean, they are also somewhat frail. If I used the wrong ingredient or the wrong textured material for cleaning, I could very easily damage our devices. I’ve decided to take the guesswork out for you. There’s no reason why both of us should spend precious time researching the DOs and DON’Ts of cleaning LCD TVs and computer screens.

THE DO’S FOR SAFELY CLEANING YOUR LCD SCREENS:

• ONLY use clean soft microfiber cloths on your LCD TV or computer monitor screens – I have a package of microfiber clothes I keep around the house for other cleaning uses that  you can buy here.  The microfiber clothes are washable, soft and safe to use on your screens.
• To clean the edges of your LCD screen use a clean cotton ball or swab.
• ALWAYS clean your screen powered off! I know I said this above, but it is important enough to reiterate
• ALWAYS spray directly onto your cleaning cloth and NEVER directly onto the LCD screen.

THE DON’TS OF CLEANING YOUR LCD SCREENS:

• NEVER use a rough hand towel, toilet paper, dusting cloth, or paper towels to clean your screen, because the roughness can scratch your LCD screen.
• DO NOT touch your LCD screen, because it will shorten the lifespan of your screen.
• NEVER use a window or abrasive cleaner on your TV screen as it can cause the screen to yellow and also damage it.
• If a spot does not come off, do NOT rub harder, because you can kill some of your pixels and ruin your screen.
• NEVER spray any cleaning solution directly onto your screen!  You could damage the inside of the monitor or screen.
• NEVER clean your screen with it powered on, because it can ruin your screen.
• NEVER wash your microfiber cloth (once dirty) in fabric softener or use a dryer sheet.

How to Clean a Flat Screen TV Safely and Easily

After establishing the DOs and DON’Ts, I made my concoction from two very simple, always-on-hand ingredients. I was happy to discover that making my own LCD TV screen cleaner was not only cheaper, but also incredibly effective on both the TVs and our computer screens. The best part is that you probably have these ingredients in your home already!

The Safe and Inexpensive LED or LCD Flat Screen TV Cleaning Mixture:

Ingredients:

• Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol)
• Distilled water

Also needed:

• Spray bottle
• Microfiber cloth

Simple enough, right? Now for the “How!”

My YouTube Video for How to Clean a Flat Screen TV

If you’re more of a visual kind of gal, click on my YouTube video for “How to safely Clean Your LCD or Computer Screens” below. It’s got everything you need to know about the flat screen TV cleaner.

The Safe and Inexpensive LCD TV and Computer Screen Cleaning Mixture Written Instructions:

Ah, there you are! The lady who prefers to read instructions! Here’s what you need to know:

Step 1: The rubbing alcohol to the distilled water is a 1 to 1 ratio. For example, I put 1/4 cup of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol and 1/4 cup of distilled water into a spray bottle because I had several screens to clean and, as you can judge for yourself from the photograph, I had quite a job cut out for me. It doesn’t take much to clean the screens at all so, unless your darling little ones have left you with a project of similar proportions, I suggest no more than 1/4 cup each in your mixture.

Step 2: Spray the solution onto a clean, soft microfiber cloth. Again, NEVER SPRAY DIRECTLY onto your screen.

Step 3: Carefully wipe your screen, but DO NOT press hard—apply only enough pressure to gently remove the grime.

Conclusion

Well, that’s my simple, cheap, but effective way for how to clean a flat screen TV safely and easily. I hope it works as well for you as it continually does for me. I’m still very pleased with it and have yet to discover anything better. It’s really one of those must-haves in my cleaning arsenal. I guarantee you’ll feel the same way about it!

Don’t you just love it when inexpensive products work so effectively? If you’re looking for more ideas, you’ve got to check out my boiling water cleaner, my wall cleaner, and, of course, my urine mattress cleaner posts!

Do you have any fabulous cleaning tips you could share with me? Comment below!