by Erik Tollefsrud | erik@fndtn.com
A dirty computer screen is an inevitable occurrence, but do you clean your screen properly? Not cleaning your screen properly can cause annoying damage to the surface that you cannot fix any other way but replacing the entire screen.
I classify screen contaminants into two categories: wet and dry. Dry contaminants are things like dust which can easily come off with a dry, dust attracting/grabbing cloth. Wet contaminants however, such as oily finger prints, require a microfiber cloth and a cleaning solution to remove the grime.
For all users with a glossy screen – do NOT use any cleaning solution that has ammonia or alcohol in it as this will eat away the special film that makes your screen glossy. A damp, wet cloth also works but this method usually leaves equally annoying streaks.
I recommend using a product called iKlear, by a company called Klear Screen (http://www.klearscreen.com/iKlear.aspx). iKlear is sold in different combination packages, but I recommend getting the “iKlear – The Complete Cleaning Kit” to get yourself started because it comes with both a full size and travel size microfiber cloths and spray bottles. It also comes with a cloth that grabs dust from your screen better than a traditional cloth.
As with any screen cleaning solution, remember to follow the directions on the label. The most instruction to remember, though, is not to spray the iKlear solution directly on the screen. It is far too easy to spray too much solution on the screen, which will allow the liquid to leak down & into the display bezel, which in turn causes all sorts of damage.
It depends on your computer’s make and model, but a damaged screen is a costly repair no matter what. A rough ball park estimate of a screen replacement is anywhere from $500 to $1000, so avoid this costly repair by simply cleaning your screen properly with the right tools.
If you would like a walk-through on computer cleaning best practices, feel free to swing by The Depot or give us a call at (612) 465-0700.
