Cleaning an HDTV Screen

Over time our fancy HDTVs tend to collect streaks, fingerprints, and even dust.  We’re all tempted to use glass cleaner to clean the screens, but because of the unique coatings on the display glass, glass cleaner can damage the screen.

We also need to be careful about the cloth used to clean the screen.  Paper towels, for example, are really made of small bits of wood fibers, and they will permanently scratch the display.  Household towels contain a large amount of lint that can also do damage to the glass. 

So what should you use?

For the cloth, pick something made of a microfiber.  And preferably brand new, or at a minimum one that has been washed with nothing but other microfiber cloths.

For the cleaning solution, use a 50/50 mix of rubbing alcohol and distilled water.  Do not use tap or filtered water; both contain minerals that will be left behind on your screen.  And I’d have to recommend avoid using anything else, including electronics cleaning products.  Few are designed to be safe for HDTV coatings.

When cleaning, don’t apply a lot of pressure.  If something on the screen is reluctant to come off it’s better to make multiple passes than to rub vigorously. 

To keep it clean, try not to touch the screen. And remind others to do the same.  Fingerprints are very distracting on TV screens, and can be hard to remove.