In the good old days, cleaning a computer screen was dead easy. The glass front of your monitor could just be wiped over with a bit of window cleaner and an old rag. You could give it a bit of elbow grease if there where any persistent finger prints, and in a couple of minutes it was as good as new.

But what is the best way to clean a LCD/TFT type of screen? They are not made from glass, but plastic, and it is very fussy plastic at that. Window cleaner would probably be a bad idea since it has things in it that can eat plastic. Instead, I often use a little cotton wool which has been very slightly dampened with a drop of pure water. This is a good way to get of the dust that seems to always end up on my screen. Perhaps it is static electricity or something, but there is always fluff, hairs, and dust on my laptop screen.

Cotton wool is better than using a rag because not only is ultra clean, but it is the least abrasive substance I know of. Soft tissue paper might seem like a good idea, but I tried that and it left lots of little fibres behind. Dampening the wool shouldn't be overdone because you don't want water getting on your screen. Not only is it very bad if it seeps into the electronics, but it also is more likely to leave streaks.

The Dreaded Fingerprint

Dust is least difficult to remove from your screen, whereas finger prints are probably the hardest. A fingerprint seems to have an oily quality that just refuses to breakdown with water alone. Soap and hot water would get rid of the mark, but would also ruin your computer. The best solution to this problem is specially made screen wipes. These are cloths that are soaked in special cleaning agent and they come in boxes of individual sachets. Reassuringly it normally says on the front, ?Safe for TFT Screens?.

When your computer screen is operating at full brightness in a dimly lit room, your screen will show little or no signs of dirt. In order to clean the screen properly you first need to be able to see where the dust and stains are. For best results, I recommend looking at your screen at an angle in bright daylight with the screen turned off.

Dust Busting

To prevent your screen from getting dirty in the first place I have a few tips. Firstly, if you have a laptop, close the screen when it is not in use. Not only does this prevent dust from landing on the screen but it also switches the screen off, which I think has to extend the life of the display. Secondly, try to avoid touching the screen with your fingers. I find that when discussing directions or a photograph people can't help but point at something by touching the screen. This makes me wince, because I know just how long it is going to take before I can completely remove those fingerprints. Instead it is best to use the mouse pointer, the end of a pen, or anything except those darn grubby fingers.