Is your computer monitor covered with dust and fingerprints? If it is, you shouldn’t feel bad about it. I think it’s pretty common for people to have dirty computer monitors. (Mine is filthy!) And it’s certainly nothing to be concerned about. Your computer monitor doesn’t mind being dirty. But if it bothers you, then it’s time to clean it. You just want to make sure that you clean it the right way.

Let’s start by going over some of the things that you shouldn’t do:

  • Don’t spray any kind of liquid directly onto your computer monitor. It could run down the screen, pool in the edges, and cause damage.
  • Don’t use rubbing alcohol, Windex, or any other kind of ammonia- or alcohol-based cleaners. They’re too corrosive.
  • Don’t wipe your monitor with a paper towel, t-shirt, or rag. They’re too abrasive and you could end up scratching your screen.

So how should you clean your monitor? Author Bo Moore recommends that you follow these steps:

  • Use compressed air to blow off dust and dirt.
  • Wipe your monitor gently with a clean microfiber cloth.
  • If your monitor still looks dirty, dampen your microfiber cloth with a little bit of distilled water. Then wipe the screen gently in a side-to-side or up-and-down motion. Avoid circular motions. Don’t scrub at a certain spot. And don’t put too much water on your cloth. You don’t want liquid to run down your screen as you’re wiping it.
  • If your monitor STILL looks dirty, repeat the previous step but use a solution of 50% distilled water and 50% white household vinegar. And once again, be careful not to use too much of this solution. You just want to slightly dampen your microfiber cloth.

And that’s it. Just follow these steps and those fingerprints on your monitor will be a thing of the past! Enjoy your clean computer screen!

Moore, B. (2018, October 31). How to clean your computer screen. PC Gamer. Retrieved from: https://www.pcgamer.com/how-to-clean-your-pc-monitor/