Cleaning a computer (LCD) screen

[Martin963]

I've just bought a large pack of Maplins screen wipes,   and they're as bad as any other method I've ever used,  in that I now have a smeary finish to my screens  (desk and laptop),  albeit that the screen is cleaner as such.

OK, it's not visible on bright areas,  and of course one can ignore it,  but I've just paid £3 for something that blatantly doesn't do the job properly.

A bit like the "VU" spectacle cleaning wipes I once bought,   which were less than useless.    As far as I could see they just stirred the dirt and crud round and round rather than removing it.

Am I much grubbier than anyone else?   Am I doing something wrong?

Please can someone advise how to restore a screen to pristine non-smeary condition.

Thanks.

[tel]

Hi,

What works for me is a damp clean cloth rubbed with ordinary toilet soap (only a light coating) then before dry wipe over with dry clean cloth.  To be honest instead of a cloth I use sheets of 'Plenty' the kitchen roll advertised as not disintegrating when wet.  Cleans the screens a treat with no smears.

 

Regards

[Quillan]

Two sheets of paper kitchen towel and squirt them a couple of times with window cleaner (you know the blue stuff in a bottle) then wipe the screen, magic.

[Martin963]

Thanks folks.  

And are these methods really OK on LCD screens  (which aren't glass as far as I can see)?

[f1steveuk]

As long as you spray the cleaner on the cloth/paper, and not directly on to the screen (because it WILL go in places you don't want!!), and don't press to hard!!!!

[AnOther]

First rule is of course, don't get it dirty, keepa da fingers off it and turn away when you cough or put your hand over your mouth, those are really the only two things which should make a screen dirty, apart from cigarette smoke that is but least said about that better [+o(]

All I ever do, the three or 4 times a year it becomes mildly necessary, is breathe on the screen and wipe it with toilet tissue. In extreme cases, other peoples machines for instance, for stubborn muck I use slightly dampened toilet tissue and any lint like residue that leaves behind is easily dusted off with a soft paintbrush.

Just take care though because most screens have some sort of coating on them and once you've damaged that it's very difficult to get the marks off. I've seen screens which have been utterly ruined by well meaning cleaners spraying them with alien substances such as silicon based furniture polish and the likes !

[bubbles]

That's screens sorted.

How about cleaning the keyboard area on my laptop?

Do i turn it upside down and shake it?

I say this because, when I had to open my laptop at airport security, I was ashamed to see black smeary bits all over the inside - presumably loosened in transit.

And, while I'm at it, does anyone know why the surface is coming off keys E and N but none of the others?

Now, I know E is the most used letter in the English language but N ??????

[AnOther]

Funnily enough, looking at my keyboard in response to your question, I notice that my N key is rather worn.

But then again I see that there are 14 n's in this post [blink]

Regarding cleaning the keyboard, for the more technically competant most laptop keyboards are easily removed for a good shake down but failing that what you suggest is probably the best you can do.

I will paraphrase my earlier comment about screens though, the best way to keep things clean is to not get them dirty in the first place [;-)]

And thats another 17 n's [:D]. including this line but that's another 3 n's which makes 20..........!

My E, O, A, S, D, and H also seem to be more worn as well.

[Martin963]

Going back to screens,   just a big thank you as I now have pristine non-smeary surfaces.

I've always thought that - apart from cleaning sordid things (such as other people's loos) - lingettes were a complete rip off,   and my experience above with "VU"  (widely advertised for years on French TV,  not recently though) and these screep wipes have convinced me that they really are the WASTE OF MONEY I always thought they were.

Thank you for the tips,  I'm very grateful.

[Âme]

Bubbles, I hoover my laptop keyboard to remove all sorts of things like poppy seeds, toast crumbs, cat hair... I use an attachment with a little brush, that way the suction is not  ferocious enough to strip the keys. I also hoover out the fan periodically, as it gathers a ball of fluff that eventually stops the fan turning & the laptop doesn't respond well to that at all.  [Www]

There are dents in S, K, L, I & O where my ring-finger nails have worn the plastic away. The print on L, O & S is wearing off a bit too... and only the right hand side of the space bar seems to be used!

[cooperlola]

[quote user="Martin963"]these screep wipes have convinced me that they really are the WASTE OF MONEY I always thought they were.

[/quote]I couldn't agree more.  What's wrong with a good old-fashioned cloth which you can put in the washing machine?  Since the advent of the dishwasher, I have tons of perfectly serviceable cotton and linen drying-up cloths which I use to clean these kinds of surfaces. 

Persuading my o/h, however, not to buy these daft bits of impregnated paper is virtually impossible....

[Martin963]

Absolutely cooperbola.

Once every six months or so we do a machine "clothes wash" of our sullied collection of old Spontex's,  sponge scourers,  etc etc.   We have a "seconds" basket of the resulting clean ones,   and a bag of "sullied" ones,   and they are used for all manner of sordid purposes and jobs, often involving crises perpetrated by one or other cat.   Some date back to the 1980's I expect.

A pack of lingettes do have their place,   but need only sparing occasional use.

[bubbles]

Just noticed that S is beginning to go as well.

(3 in that line)

[Suze01]

I use a microfibre cloth with window cleaner sprayed onto the cloth. The microfibre doesn't give off bits like kitchen roll or some other fabrics, and it leaves the screen sparkling.