How to Clean a TV Screen in 6 Steps Without Damaging It | Architectural Digest

The TV screen is what everyone sees first, but don’t forget these other key areas, not to mention the area around your device. “It can also help to clean the furniture and carpeting around the TV to keep dust and hair from getting inside,” says Williams.

The remote control is handled regularly. This is the only time when harsh chemicals can be used sparingly. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions in the user guide first, but if disinfection is necessary, use a cleaner that contains at least 70 percent alcohol, per Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations. (Plain isopropyl alcohol from the drugstore works well for this.)

Start cleaning the remote control by removing the batteries. As with the recommendations for TV screens, you should avoid spraying directly onto the surface as this could cause the device to malfunction. Dampen a clean microfiber cloth and gently rub the top and bottom of the remote control. For hard-to-reach messes that are stuck between the buttons, try using a cotton swab dipped in a small amount of the cleaning solution. Allow it to dry thoroughly before replacing and using the batteries again.

What is the safest way to clean a flat screen TV?

When figuring out how to clean a TV screen, choosing the safest cleaning solution is crucial, but knowing which cleaning products to avoid is also important. Remember that not only should you avoid cleaning certain products, but you should also avoid spraying them in close proximity to the TV.

Panasonic and Samsung both have long “avoidance” lists that include harsh chemicals like wax, cleaning fluid, acetone, benzene, alcohol, thinner, mosquito repellent and bug spray (really!), lubricants, solvents, and undiluted mild dish soap. These, as Williams says, “can cause haze and wear down your TV’s anti-glare coating.”

In terms of usage, Samsung recommends “Monitor Cleaner Only” (also called TV Screen Cleaner). Panasonic recommends “one part mild liquid dish soap diluted with 100 times the amount of water”. To make this cleaning solution, add a teaspoon of liquid dish soap to two cups of water and stir well to dissolve.

Williams likes TV cleaning kits for their ease of use. “A TV kit is the safest option for cleaning a TV,” he says. “These kits contain everything you need to keep your TV looking like new, such as: You can find TV cleaning kits and flat screen TV cleaning products at electronics stores or on Amazon.

Some people swear that only distilled water works as a cleaning spray for their delicate electronics. Although Williams doesn’t necessarily recommend using distilled water, if you know for sure that you have hard water in your area, you should try the distilled water route and see if you notice a difference. Hard water, which is high in calcium and magnesium, can leave a film or residue when used for cleaning. Before spraying water to clean TV screens, try experimenting with tap water on a less important screen like an old cell phone to gauge the results.

Can I use Windex on my TV screen?

If you can picture the giant tube TVs (aka CRTVs) of yesteryear, you might also remember how delightfully easy they were to clean—a few squirts of window cleaner and a few cloths with paper towels and you’re good to go—no fancy microfiber cloth necessary. But modern televisions with fancier technologies like LCD, OLED and plasma require gentler techniques. “When cleaning your TV, avoid using chemicals such as alcohol, ammonia or acetone. These cleaners were safe to use on previous generations of glass-panel TVs, but as hardware changes over time, so do cleaning methods,” says Williams. Since some multipurpose and glass cleaners are made with ammonia, skip the Windex.

How do you clean a smart tv screen?

Modern TVs are often smart TVs, but the cleaning tips are the same as for LCD, OLED, and plasma TVs. The microfiber cloth is your TV screen’s best friend. “The majority of TVs you buy today are going to be smart TVs, and the cleaning process is the same as for TVs that don’t have smart capabilities,” says Williams.