How To Clean Your Laptop Screen Without Damaging It

Things You Need to Clean Your Laptop Screen

Before we jump straight into cleaning our laptops, let’s take a quick look at the things we need to do so in the first place:

Microfiber cloth Water (Distilled) Screen cleaning spray (optional)

For the dedicated screen cleaning solution, we use the Gizga Premium Nano cleaner (Rs 569) at Beebom. But, you can also use the Eveo ($19.97), Welkin ($16.99), or WHOOSH! ($19.99) screen cleaners. With that out of the way, let’s take a look at how to use these to clean your laptop screen.

Cleaning Your Laptop Display

Whether you have an LCD glass or a plastic OLED display, the items we have listed in the previous section are all you need to clean it. Here are the steps:

First things first, switch off your laptop and unplug it entirely. Then, use a dry microfiber cloth to gently swipe through the screen and get rid of the dust. When doing so, use your other hand to give the laptop display some support at the back to keep the display from going back. Next, use some distilled water to dampen the microfiber cloth and gently rub the display in a circular motion.

To get rid of those additional stains, pour or spray a bit of screen cleaning solution onto the microfiber cloth, and again, in a circular motion, gently rub your laptop screen. Wait for the screen to dry a bit. Then, use the dry end of the microfiber cloth to slowly and gently swipe through the laptop screen a couple of times.

Now, while this is the simplest way to go about it, some stubborn stains may require additional brute force. For LCD displays or displays made out of glass, you can use an isopropyl alcohol solution to get the job done. Do dilute it a bit with distilled water before doing so. On the other hand, if you are on a plastic OLED, you can take some white vinegar for the same effect. The reason you should use vinegar for plastic displays instead is that they don’t have that extra layer of protection on top and isopropyl may be too harsh for them, thereby damaging the screen.
Since we are on the topic of what not to do when cleaning your laptop screen, we made a dedicated section for the same.

Things to Not Do When Cleaning Laptop Display

When using a microfiber cloth to get rid of the dirt, ensure that the cloth isn’t dirty in the first place. You will just make things worse, as the dust particles from the cloth will rub against the screen and leave micro scratches. Don’t use your fingers to get rid of dust. The force from your fingers can also be too harsh for the screen. Besides, your fingernails can accidentally leave dead pixels on the display as well. Use a circular motion to rub the microfiber cloth against the laptop display, as it’s more effective and gentle. Don’t use too much force or aggressive motion on the screen. Use only distilled water and not unfiltered water to clean the display. Unfiltered water can have many harmful minerals that pose a threat to your display. Don’t pour or spray either water or a cleaning solution directly onto the display. This will cause the liquid to enter sensitive components and possibly damage them. Your laptop is not waterproof, remember that. Always dampen the solution on a microfiber cloth and use it instead.