how to clean a lcd screen without streaks brands

When it comes to cleaning, flat-screen TVs and LCD screens require special care and a gentle touch. With the wrong technique, you can easily scratch the screen or damage the surface"s antiglare coating. Even rubbing too hard can cause pixels (the tiny dots that compose images on computer monitors and TV screens) to burn out and stop working permanently. Most household cleaning products are too harsh to use on electronic devices with LCD or OLED screens, so choose your TV cleaning strategy carefully. These tips on how to clean a TV screen will help protect your device while ridding it of dust, smudges, fingerprints, and streaks.

Before you begin cleaning a TV or LCD monitor screen, check the manufacturer"s manual for cleaning instructions. If a computer or electronic wipe is recommended, purchase a container for quick cleanups. Note that using a cleaning product or method not recommended by the manufacturer will likely void a product"s warranty. It"s also important to avoid spraying liquid on the screen when cleaning a TV. Liquids can drip into the frame, get wicked inside the screen, and cause permanent damage.

If streaks or stains remain, wet a microfiber cloth with distilled water and wring the cloth until it"s almost dry. With very little pressure, wipe the cloth across the screen in broad motions, working from the top of the screen to the bottom. If smudges persist, dampen a new microfiber cloth with 50-50 water and vinegar solution, wringing it tightly to keep it slightly damp, and wipe.

To avoid damage to your TV while cleaning, only use gentle products. Never wipe the screen with paper towels, abrasive sponges, or coarsely woven rags, which can cause scratches. Instead, use high-quality, finely woven microfiber cloths to clean TV screens, recommends cleaning expert Leslie Reichert.

You should also avoid cleaning products that contain alcohol or ammonia. These types of cleaners can remove antiglare coatings and cause images to become cloudy or distorted. A simple swipe with a microfiber cloth ($9 for 5, Amazon) is typically all that"s needed to remove dust and other debris from the screen"s surface. When more than a light dusting is required, however, use the guidelines below for the best way to clean a TV.

Practice preventative measures so you won"t have to clean TV screens often. Keep food, drinks, and kids away from TV and computer screens to eradicate risks of messy splatters and fingerprint smudges. During your weekly house cleaning, lightly dust the screens with a microfiber cloth to prevent dust buildup.

How do TVs get so gross? And we"re not just talking about having kids and their inevitable little fingerprints all over the screen — flat screen TVs are just one of those things that you clean time and time again, but for whatever reason, they only look worse with each swipe of a cloth. They"re a major dust magnet, prone to streaks, and a major frustration to clean. It"s not like you"re grabbing your TV hands-on 24-7 — duh, that"s what a remote is for! — so what gives?

Whether you have an LCD or an OLED model, you"ve likely dealt with a few horrible streaks here and there (or honestly, all over) when you sit down to enjoy a night of Netflix and ice cream. As fabulous as these new, ultra HD or 4K TVs look with all the lights shut off, any tiny bit of glare is sure to shine a light on the streaks you"ve been dancing around for months. Don"t press "power off" on tackling this problem just yet, though — we"re here to break down how to clean your finicky flat screen of streaks for good. Here are the tools you"ll need.

Before attempting to clean your TV, you should always take a quick peek at the instruction manual first. If you got rid of the manual or don"t know where it is, a simple online search for the exact model should result in being able to easily download it.

There may very well be important information regarding what you should or should not be using to clean your specific flat screen TV. What can work for a QLED screen may not be the best for a LED, a plasma screen, and so on. So it"s very important to know what the manufacturer instructions are ahead of using anything to clean the screen.

If you"re thinking of skipping this step, you might want to reconsider. According to Better Homes & Gardens, if you attempt to use a product or process that isn"t approved by the manufacturer, then it could make the TV"s warranty invalid.

No matter the method you pick to tackle the streaks on your flat screen TV, this is a crucial step to avoid any streaks. If you use any sort of liquid, even just dampened on a gentle cloth, you"re going to end up with a streaky cleaning job if you keep the TV on.

LCD screens produce heat when turned on. Even though it"s a low level of heat that won"t hurt you, cleaning a warm surface is a recipe for disaster — one wrong swipe or too much pressure in one area over another could leave a mark, and the added heat certainly won"t help get rid of it (via Digital Innovations). Regardless of whether your next step involves a DIY dish soap mixture or just plain old water, always make sure to unplug your TV and let the flat screen cool first to avoid a streaky finish.

This may seem obvious, but it has to be said, since there"s an expensive TV at stake here: Electronics and liquid don"t play too well together. While there are some options that may help you get your screen streak-free, the best place to start is always with a dry, clean cloth.

Even if your TV looks like it needs some major TLC, a lint-free cloth (preferably microfiber) or feather duster may be just enough to do the trick, claims Real Simple. Whatever you do, definitely skip the paper towels, since those might scratch the surface — and the only thing worse than a streak on a TV is a permanent scratch.

Simply unplug the TV and give the screen a gentle wipe down. You don"t want to apply too much pressure, because you"ll risk damaging the hardware. Use just enough force to remove the dust and debris from the screen, and you should be left with a clean, streak-free result that"s ready for your next binge-watching session.

If you"ve already attempted to clean your TV screen with some sort of cleaner, then there are probably some existing streaks you need to take care of. While a dry microfiber cloth is key to regular maintenance, it may not be powerful enough to remove any stubborn streaks from those previous misguided attempts at giving it a good clean. Luckily, you don"t have to go too far — all you need is another cloth and some distilled water.

HelloTech says the key to a flawless flat screen is simple: Start with a dry microfiber cloth, wiping in gentle, circular motions. Then, spray another clean lint-free cloth with water. You don"t want it to be oversaturated, and you definitely don"t want to spray the water directly on the screen, since that could fry the internals of your TV. Get the cloth just damp enough and wipe the streaks away for good, then follow up with the dry cloth again to finish things off.

According to Digital Innovations, ammonia-based cleaners can wreak havoc on your flat screen TV. Ironically enough, people used to regularly use Windex to wipe down their old school TVs back in the day, but the popular window cleaner can actually degrade the protective layer of LCD flat screen TVs. Better to be safe than sorry!

Instead of harsh cleaners, mix up a 50-50 ratio of distilled water and white vinegar for a deeper clean. The Kitchn recommends combining the two in a spray bottle, then giving a spritz onto a lint-free cloth. Wipe down the flat screen in an S-shaped pattern to avoid any more streaks, then give it another pass with a dry cloth. This will stop the at-home vinegar mixture from sticking behind on the screen, and inevitably forming those unsightly water spots.

A tiny bit of isopropyl alcohol is about as harsh as you should get when it comes time to cleaning your flat screen TV, and that"s saying something, considering it"s not all that heavy-duty.

But if you"re faced with some utterly annoying streaks front and center on your TV before the big game, this easy method may save your viewing party. Start with an equal amount of water and isopropyl alcohol and mix the two, then apply it directly to an anti-static cloth. Be sure to wring out any excess liquid so that you aren"t over-saturating the TV.

If that doesn"t quite do the trick, Techwalla says it"s safe to step up the game a bit and opt for 100% isopropyl alcohol instead — no water necessary to dilute it. It"s a common fix for smudged device screens beyond just the TV: your phone, your laptop, you name it! Once you"re done, give the TV another gentle wipe with the plain water to get rid of any residue from the alcohol, then dry it with a clean cloth. You should be ready to watch kickoff without a single streak in sight!

Believe it or not, but Panasonic, one of the most popular electronics companies out there, used to tout a very interesting recommendation for stuck-on streaks: Dish soap.

According to Consumer Reports, the brand has said that the key to eliminating pesky streaks — after you"ve exhausted all other options — is a 100:1 ratio of water and dish soap. That means barely any soap at all, since the bubbles could get out of hand quickly, and leave you with a damaged device.

Always, always, always apply the cleaning solution to a gentle cloth first, then wipe down the screen. The last thing you want to do is spray the DIY cleaner onto the TV directly, since it"s crucial that you control the amount of soap and water used. Double-check that the dish soap you"re using does not contain ammonia or any abrasive chemicals or particles — if not, you should be in the clear to get cleaning.

Another foolproof way to get your flat screen looking fresh out of the box again is to invest in a specialty cleaning kit. Most TV manufacturers don"t recommend springing for harsh cleaners since they can damage the surface of LCD and OLED TVs, but some maintenance kits are created with those exact TV specs in mind.

ScreenDr is one popular choice among Amazon shoppers, averaging nearly five stars over almost 1,000 reviews. The kit costs just under $20 and comes with a soft microfiber cloth and designated TV screen cleaner. The cleaner is reportedly made from an "advanced, streak-free formula," and shoppers seem to support that claim. The only catch? It"s probably still mostly water — according to HelloTech, most are 99% water, since that"s truly the best thing for the job.

If you spring for a different TV screen cleaner, always double-check the ingredients before applying. HelloTech warns that benzene and acetone can permanently discolor your screen, which is substantially worse to deal with than the average smear or streak.

In lieu of a lint-free cloth, another simple method to try to clean your flat screen TV is using an electrostatic duster. According to Reader"s Digest, dusters are the next best alternative to microfiber cloths. They advise against using paper towels at any cost as they can leave lint behind on the screen.

Electrostatic dusters work the way they sound; they use static electricity to attract dust away from the surface and onto the duster instead. Using one on electronics, such as the TV, can be especially powerful in getting rid of the unwanted dust. Most are easy to wash by stirring the feathers in warm water and letting it dry.

If you don"t currently have a specific electronic duster on hand, a Swiffer duster can serve as an excellent alternative. Be sure to avoid heavy pressure when using either type of duster on your TV screen. Just a light touch should do the trick.

For a particularly tough to get out spot on your flat screen TV, try using a wipe that is designed specifically to be safe for electronics. They"re easy to find, particularly in any office supply or electronics stores and easy to store in your TV console for easy reach.

They might not, however, be the best method for you if you own a plasma TV. Good Housekeeping warns that even though the screen is glass, there is an anti-glare layer that doesn"t do well with wet cleaning products. They advise that you stick to dry methods such as a cloth or a duster to clean a plasma screen TV.

Electronic wipes are not only good for getting smudges off of your TV, but they are also safe to use on most other electronic devices that we touch often. Anything from our phones to our tablets can benefit from using wipes to keep them sanitized and clean.

How do you clean fingerprints from a TV screen? It"s not difficult, but there are a few things to consider. Learn how to clean a flat screen TV without streaks.

Regularly cleaning your TV screen will keep your TV working as well as it can. But, if you don’t clean it correctly, you may scratch the screen or damage the delicate anti-glare coating that many new screens have – which will seriously affect the performance of the TV.

You will see the problem areas much easier when the screen is dark. You may also find it helpful to turn on the main room light, or open the curtains, as a bright light nearby can make it easier to see the problem areas.

Using a microfiber cloth is essential as it will not scratch the screen. A cloth made from a coarse material – even tissues and paper towels – can make things worse.

Please don’t use a cloth that has chemicals applied to it. If you don’t have a microfiber cloth, try using the small cloth that comes with your glasses, phone or tablet.

Wipe with overlapping vertical or horizontal strokes and remove any dust or particles on the screen. Apply minimal pressure to avoid damaging the pixels under the screen surface.

Change the position of the cloth in your hand so you regularly use a clean part. This will ensure you don’t simply move the dust from one part of the screen to another.

Check the screen and see if there are any stubborn problem areas. These might be sticky fingerprints or accumulations of dust that have stuck together.

These problem areas may need the help of a liquid to successfully remove them – but only use liquid on these isolated areas rather than across the whole screen.

Get another clean, dry microfiber cloth and spray the liquid as a fine mist onto the fabric. Whatever you do, don’t be tempted to spray any liquid directly on the screen.

If there is a significant dust accumulation in the TV’s speaker grilles or input and output ports, you can use your vacuum cleaner and a small nozzle tool to quickly clear these areas.

As you can see, the guidelines are similar, regardless of the TV brand. To find the best brand of TV for your room, check out the flat-screen TV buying guide.

If you have access to a microfiber cloth and distilled water at home, you have almost everything you need – or, if not, it is usually much cheaper to purchase these separately.

However, buying a cleaning kit can be easier if you want to get everything all in one go. Just make sure that any cleaning solution doesn’t include harmful chemicals like alcohol and ammonia.

Regular cleaning will make this a relatively small job, but if you wait until dust accumulates on greasy fingerprints, it will be more challenging to clean later on.

Avoid using chemicals if you can. Use a damp microfiber cloth or disposable antibacterial wipe to clean the remote’s front, sides, and back. Distilled or tap water should work well in most cases – or dilute water and white vinegar solution if you need something a little stronger.

Paul started the Home Cinema Guide to help less-experienced users get the most out of today"s audio-visual technology. He has been a sound, lighting and audio-visual engineer for around 20 years. At home, he has spent more time than is probably healthy installing, configuring, testing, de-rigging, fixing, tweaking, re-installing again (and sometimes using) various pieces of hi-fi and home cinema equipment. You can find out more here.

TVs are a magnet for dust, smudges, and children’s fingerprints. Unfortunately, cleaning plasma, LCD, LED, and OLED screens with glass cleaner causes damage to the TV surface and antiglare coatings. Learn how to clean flat screen TV without streaks to remove everyday dirt and grime.

It’s easy to clean older tube-style TVs with a cleaner such as Windex since these older screens are made of glass. Many commercial cleaning products contain ethyl alcohol or ammonia, and these chemicals wreak havoc on a modern flat screen TV such as an LCD TV, causing clouding, scratches, and liquid damage.

Giving your TV an occasional light dusting is a great way to remove dust, but what about those greasy smudges left behind by dirty hands? It’s easy to use a store-bought screen cleaner, but why not make a cleaning solution at home using a few simple ingredients?

The best way to clean a TV screen or computer monitor is with simple and easy cleaning methods. Avoid using harmful chemicals and skip the expensive cleaning kit. Use a soft, dry cloth and a few mild cleaners you already have in your home to give your new TV a streak-free clean.

There are many ways to clean a TV screen without streaks, whether you have a Samsung, Sony, or another TV brand. Cleaning a screen TV without streaks by performing routine dry cleaning of the surface is the easiest way to remove dirt and dust. The same technique is useful when cleaning a laptop screen.

Never wipe your TV down with paper towels or toilet paper. These materials are mildly abrasive and leave tiny scratches on the surface, which leads to the dulling of the screen.

Make sure the television is turned off while cleaning, and always use a soft, electrostatic cloth or duster. Clean the screen surface weekly using one of these items to remove dust and tiny particles. Dusting ensures that there aren’t any bits of dirt that potentially leave scratches during wet cleaning.

Cleaning a TV screen with plain water works well to remove everyday dirt and is one of the safest solutions. If your TV is heavily soiled, consider using a homemade TV cleaner for tougher jobs. This is also the easiest way to clean eyeglasses and other glass surfaces without streaking.

To clean glass without streaks and to eliminate ugly fingerprint smudges on your television, fill a bottle sprayer with distilled water. Turn the TV off and spray a soft cleaning cloth lightly with the water. Rub the TV screen gently in a circular motion.

Do not spray water directly onto the screen and do not apply too much pressure while cleaning. Use a dry towel to buff the screen gently to ensure all lint and dirt are gone.

If there are smeared stains of fingerprints on your TV screen, adding vinegar to the water loosens greasy residue safely from the screen without leaving streaks. Avoid using a glass cleaning spray on a plasma TV or HDTV to prevent damaging the screen.

Pour equal parts water and vinegar or isopropyl alcohol into a spray bottle and shake well. Use distilled water instead of tap water to prevent leaving a residue on the screen. Spray the solution onto a microfiber cloth. Do not spray it directly on the TV screen.

Turn off the TV so that the cleaning process does not interfere with the pixels. The black screen also helps you see dirt and smears easier. Rub the damp cloth over the entire screen using a gentle circular motion. Buff the screen dry using a microfiber cloth.

Use this simple home remedy to clean mirrors throughout your house, too. These ingredients will leave your mirrors and any glass surface shiny and streak-free.

Sometimes a TV has a little more on it than dust and fingerprints, especially if you have children. Mild dish soap is a safe way for cleaning a flat screen TV to remove tough stains without causing streaks.

Fill a bowl with warm distilled water, add a drop or two of mild dish soap, and mix the water with your fingers. Dunk the corner of a soft cloth into the solution without saturating the material.

Rub the dampened cloth with a gentle motion on the TV screen, paying particular attention to the extra dirty areas. Dry the screen well using a soft, microfiber towel.

After cleaning LCD or plasma screens, it’s easy to notice minor scratches on the clean surface. Not to worry, these scratches are easy to remove using a scratch repair kit or by applying petroleum jelly.

Before repairing scratches on your TV, check the owner manual for warranty information on your television. After cleaning your TV, and allowing it to dry completely, apply about one teaspoon of petroleum jelly to all of the surface scratches.

Smudged fingerprints on the screen of your flat screen TV are annoying. While it’s tempting to grab a bottle of window cleaner for quick cleaning of the TV screen, doing this causes damage to the surface. Simple ingredients such as distilled water or vinegar work best at removing smears without leaving a cloudy residue on the surface.

We are happy that we could show you how to clean flat screen TV without streaks so that you enjoy movie night without peering through a smudged screen, and we’d love it if you’d share our TV screen cleaning tips with your friends and family on Pinterest and Facebook.

Screens can scratch easily, and even paper towels and tissues contain fibers that can do damage. “Your best bet is to use a soft, anti-static microfiber cloth—the kind used to clean eyeglasses and camera lenses—and wipe in a circular motion,” says John Walsh, who cleans more than 250 TVs a year in his role as a CR photographer. (Some TV manufacturers will include a cloth for this purpose.) “Gently wipe the screen with a dry cloth to remove dust and other debris, but don’t press too hard,” he says.

You may also want to wipe down the TV’s cabinet, and make sure dust isn’t clogging the vents that help dissipate heat. If the TV is on a stand and not tethered to the wall, Walsh suggests cleaning with one hand while supporting the TV with the other to prevent the set from tipping over. However, CR strongly recommends anchoring all stand-mounted TVs using anti-tipping straps designed for this purpose.

If there are hard-to-remove stains, you can dampen the cloth slightly with distilled water and gently clean the screen. Don’t spray water directly onto the screen; that could cause a shock or component failure if water seeps into the inner workings of the set.

For the most stubborn stains, you can try using a solution of very mild dish soap highly diluted with water, once again applied to the cloth and not to the TV itself. (As a guideline, Panasonic used to recommend a 100:1 ratio of water to soap.) LCD screens, in particular, are very sensitive to pressure and can scratch easily, so don’t press hard.

Televisions are the center of entertainment in most homes, so we tend to take good care of them. However, cleaning the screen is always a head-scratcher as it’s often a coin toss on whether you’ll have streaks across the flat screen or not. What can you do about this universal problem?

To clean a flat screen TV without streaks, you need to avoid using ammonia-based cleaning products and go with distilled water or a 50/50 solution of vinegar and tap water. The cleaning agent should ideally go on a microfiber cloth for the best result.

Using anything you can find to clean your TV screen is a sure way to generate random results. This article will cover everything you need to know about getting a streak-free result every time.

Just like your PC screens, TV screens are a dust magnet. Going over it with a feather duster reduces the amount of dirt you have to work against when it’s time to clean it. It also reduces the number of times you have to clean (and worry about streaks) a great deal. The duster also gets rid of particles that can get stuck in when cleaning and cause scratches.

The best dusters are black male ostrich feather dusters. Many people agree that they are not just softer but also very good at trapping dust. If that sounds too exotic for you, any other decent dusters can do the job.

Microfiber cloth is great for cleaning TVs because it’s soft and non-abrasive. It’s also lint-free, which allows it to easily pick up any dust on your screen with a few wipes.

You need to get two pieces of these to use in the cleaning process. One should be damp enough to clean the screen properly, while the completely dry one will work as the shine. Most consumer electronics of today often come with one of these in the box. Check your TV’s packaging, and you’ll probably find one in the box.

The factory-added options are usually small and thin, though, so you should think of getting a few bigger ones the next time you’re at the store or shopping online. These

When you get these, don’t reuse a dirty one as many people do. Trapped grit or dirt is bad for your TV screen. Dirt buildup also makes the cloth less useful, so it’s important you only use clean ones for every cleaning. Fortunately, these clothes are easy to wash. You can throw them into the washing machine when you’re done cleaning.

This is an optional item for your TV-cleaning “toolbox.” You may not need it if you don’t get a lot of dust on your TV screen. They are excellent dust magnets, which means that one sweep over the screen is enough to get rid of dust. You can find these in supermarkets easily as well.

There’s a lot of argument on whether you need a cleaning solution for your TV screen, especially when some of them are just overpriced distilled water. On their part, most TV manufacturers often recommend cleaning with only a dry cloth in user guides. A few of them will recommend using a slightly damp cloth only when necessary.

However, the reality is that your flat TV screen will never truly be streak-free if you don’t use some dampness. In the early days after getting the TV out of the box, you’ll get by with cleaning the screen by just dusting it. As soon as more fingers touch the screen or some bits get blown onto it, the streaks will begin to appear if you only clean it with a dry cloth.

There are lots of TV (and computer) screen cleaning solutions in the market today. You can get any of them that appeal to you as long as they don’t contain acetate, acetone, ammonia, or alcohol. Such cleaning agents will deteriorate the coating in the TV that is useful for reducing screen reflection.

If you’d rather not buy any screen cleaning products off the shelf, you can use a balanced mix of water and vinegar or plain distilled water, as we mentioned above. A container of distilled water is cheap, so you can get a can or two to use for this purpose only.

Remember, you only need to get the micro-fiber cloth damp so you won’t spend much on replenishing the stock — if you buy the distilled water for this purpose alone. If you always have vinegar at home, you can save your pennies.

This method involves using distilled water or your water and vinegar mix. Follow the steps below:Get your bottle of distilled water or vinegar solution (don’t use plain tap water).

Fill up the spray bottle with some distilled water, and spray some on the micro-fiber cloth. Don’t spray water directly at the screen, or you’ll have it too wet and increase the chances of streaks. Spray only very little water on the cloth and re-spray if necessary instead of flooding the screen.

Wipe the screen gently, in a circular motion until it’s clean and dry. Use a dry microfiber cloth to dry off the screen — also maintaining a circular motion. You shouldn’t have any streaks if you do everything correctly.

Dust off the screen to eliminate large dust particles to avoid causing scratches when you start cleaning. A can of compressed air can also get the job done.

If streaks form, get rid of them by using a mix of vinegar and water. Some people also use a solution of isopropyl alcohol at this stage. Make your microfiber cloth damp with the solution.

Rub the cloth lightly over the streaks on the screen to get rid of them. You should consider using a stronger concentration of isopropyl alcohol and vinegar for stubborn streaks.

If you use isopropyl alcohol at any stage of this process, you have to ensure there’s no alcohol residue on the surface of the screen. Wipe it off properly, or you risk damaging the screen if it’s allowed to stay for long on the screen. This is why most people avoid using any kind of alcohol in the first place.

Tap water can work well for cleaning your flat screen TV, but it has a few disadvantages. It is known to leave streaks and will not provide some anti-static protection for your screen. Other mixtures we’ve recommended thus far or distilled water will give your screen some anti-static properties, which means that it will be harder for dust and fiber to gather on the screen after you’ve cleaned it.

When the screen is damaged due to using such cleaning agents, most manufacturers will not honor the warranty agreement. Stick with distilled water or a vinegar solution as the main cleaning agent. If you need to use isopropyl alcohol, as we covered in the second method above, use it sparingly and make sure you don’t leave any residue.

Just as water evaporates from your car windscreen on a sunny day, cleaning your TV screen with a damp cloth while it’s working will cause evaporation and ultimately leave lots of streaks. You should clean your screen when the TV has cooled down.

You need to allow at least half an hour after turning it off for most flat screen TVs to cool down properly. Also, cleaning the TV while on means you may get distracted and lose track of where you’re at with the cleaning process. If you wait too long to dry the screen or get distracted into breaking from the circular cleaning motion, you’ll be left with streaks on your screen.

Whether you’re using some distilled water or a cleaning agent, it’s a bad idea to use too much liquid when cleaning your TV screen. Apart from the fact that it will almost always lead to some streaking, excessive moisture can seep into parts of the TV and cause damage.

If you still have some streak after your best efforts, you should use your dry microfiber cloth to gently polish it out. Be careful not to apply too much force on the screen at this stage. Pressing too hard on the screen can damage the set. If the streak has settled in too deeply and can’t be removed with gentle buffing, repeat the cleaning process.

If you find some scratch on your TV screen while cleaning, you can solve the problem using scratch removal kits sold at stores. However, petroleum jelly can achieve the same thing. Apply a little bit of it to the area and rub it in gently. Clean off any excess jelly. Leaving the scratches unattended can lead to caked dirt around the area.

Using jelly works as well as the scratch removal kits because the latter doesn’t actually remove the scratch. They work by covering up the dent and diffusing light, thus making the scratch harder to notice. If the scratch can ruin the viewing experience, check to see if your warranty covers this scenario and consider going for a replacement.

A lot of the grime that gets on your TV screen comes from grabbing the grimy TV remote and touching the TV screen with the same fingers (or palms in the case of children). There’s also the little matter of the

If you need to get into the space between buttons better, a cotton swab dampened with the water mix will work. For caked dirt, use a toothpick or a dry toothbrush. With the debris removed, wipe the remote down again with a dry microfiber cloth and put back your batteries.

Cleaning your flat TV screen without streaks is often as simple as using the right cleaning cloth and cleaning agent. Avoid using window cleaners or any other harsh mixtures, and use distilled water or a vinegar solution for the best results. Don’t forget to gently clean your TV and don’t get it too wet to avoid causing damage to the screen.

To catch every second of your favorite show and keep your TV in excellent condition, you"ll need to clean your television screen regularly so it remains dust-, dirt- and fingerprint-free. But using the wrong cleaning method like spraying your TV directly with harsh chemicals can cause permanent damage and negate any warranty that may still be in effect.

That’s why the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Cleaning and Media and Tech Labs have joined forces to recommend the safest, most effective methods and household products to clean your television screenand reveal a picture that’s brilliant to watch and totally streak-free.

No matter what type of television you have, our recommended cleaning method remains the same. All you"ll need to clean your TV screen is a dry microfiber cloth that’s designed to gently clean and remove smudges from eyeglasses, cell phones and camera lenses. Though there are thousands of microfiber cloths to choose from, our experts like Elite Tech Gear"s oversized option. It"s twelve inches square, so it’s easier to use on a large TV screen than a smaller cloth and helps you can zap away fingerprints quickly. And since it"s designed for delicate surfaces and electronics you can use it to clean your laptop and iPad once you"re done with your TV.

Here"s the best way to clean a flat-screen TV without ruining it or ending up pesky little streaks, along with some useful tips on how to scrub down all the accessories that go along with it:

As the weather warms, it"s time for everyone"s "favorite" pastime: spring cleaning. While you"re dusting off the shelves and shoveling out a winter"s worth of detritus, spare a moment to check your TV. Dust and grime can accumulate there, and over time it can become more and more noticeable. And if you have children, there may be an array of fingerprints and other smears on the screen.

The short version? Don"t use liquids, don"t press too hard, don"t use any traditional cleaners. Microfiber cloths are good, but be gentle. Modern TVs are predominantly plastic and therefore far easier to scratch than windows or your phone.

Want the longer version? Here"s what the top TV manufacturers say about cleaning their screens:Cleaning your 4K, OLED, or LED TV screen with a soft, dry cloth is recommended. The goal here is to avoid scratching the screen. Gentle, circular motions tend to give better results, since the circular motion hits each area from several angles in a single swipe.

Caution: Don"t spray water or other liquids directly on the TV, as electric shock could occur.Turn the TV off and let it cool down for a few minutes before unplugging it.

To clean the frame and screen, gently wipe it with a microfiber cleaning cloth. Make sure to wipe the TV frame and screen as gently as possible. TV screens are fragile and can be damaged when pressed too hard.

Important: Never use any type of window cleaner, soap, scouring powder, wax, or any cleanser with solvents such as alcohol, benzene, ammonia, or acetone. Never use abrasive pads or paper towels. If you do, you can scratch the screen or strip the anti-glare coating off the screen and cause permanent damage. Never spray water directly onto the TV. Make sure to wipe the TV as gently as possible. TV screens are fragile and can be damaged when pressed too hard.Gently wipe the screen or the exterior with a dry, soft cloth, such as an eyeglass cleaner.

For inks from oil markers on the screen, soak a cloth in a non-soap synthetic cleanser diluted (by less than 1% ) with water. Squeeze the cloth tightly to eliminate excess liquid, then wipe gently to remove the ink. Use non-soap cleansers cautiously because it may cause environmental problems when disposed improperly.

So why not Windex? Regular Windex is formulated for glass windows, plus a few other surfaces. It contains ammonia and alcohol, not the friendliest of chemicals. S. C. Johnson doesn"t explicitly say not to use Windex on TVs, but it offers Windex Electronics wipes and cleaners, so infer what you will. The better screen cleaners will clearly state that they do not contain alcohol or ammonia.

At last count, I found a billion companies making TV screen cleaners. Almost all of these are something like 99 percent water, 1 percent other stuff. Years ago I tested a handful and found them, on average, to work well enough. If you don"t have luck with a simple cloth and possibly distilled water, a screen cleaner is worth a try, and as a bonus you can also use it for your laptop, tablet and cell phone screens. Plus, they come with a microfiber cloth. If they don"t clearly state they don"t contain alcohol and ammonia, however, I would skip them.

So yeah, cleaning your TV is a good idea. But just remember that they"re exceptionally fragile. Why risk marring their surface by using cleaning methods the companies themselves don"t advise? If you damage your screen with cleaners, you won"t be able to fix it.

My advice? Get a nice microfiber cloth (if your TV didn"t come with one), and use that. If that doesn"t fix your smudges, try a cloth moist with water. Don"t press too hard. There"s less than a millimeter between your finger and a broken TV.

Screen cleaning kits are fine, though most people won"t need them. Remember, like all TV accessories, the store is selling them because they probably make more profit on that $20 kit than on a $500 TV.

As well as covering TV and other display tech, Geoff does photo tours of cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, massive aircraft carriers, medieval castles, epic 10,000 mile road trips, and more. Check out Tech Treks for all his tours and adventures.

He wrote a bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines, along with a sequel. You can follow his adventures on Instagram and his YouTube channel.

Chemicals used to clean glass, such as ammonia, as well as scratchy cloths, towels, and paper towels, cancause damage to the soft plastic of an LCD screen.

Before you start cleaning, it’s a good idea to read through the user manual for your specific television to ensure that you don’t accidentally void your warranty by doing so.

Although they are effective at cleaning spills from ceramic floors, harsh chemicals such as these can cause long-term damage to your television screen.

Thepaper towels, rags, sponges, and brushesthat you would normally use to clean things around the house are simply insufficient for cleaning television screens.

Paper towels, washcloths, and even coffee filters can contain minute fragments of rough wood or fibers, which can scratch your screen or leave minor scratches on the surface of your computer.

The distillation process will filter out all of those minerals and sediments, leaving you with pure water that is free of impurities and imperfections.

If distilled water is unable to completely clean your smart TV screen, you will need to use an electronics cleaner designed specifically for this purpose.

Both of these chemicals can be damaging to your LCD television screen, so make sure to use an all-natural cleaner that does not contain ammonia or alcohol.

When the screen is cool to the touch, dust it to remove any dirt particles, and then wipe it down with a soft, lint-free cloth to remove any remaining dust particles.

However, be careful not to overdo it with the alcohol — the final solution should not contain more than half alcohol, or else it will tarnish the display and cause it to malfunction.

However, it turns out that most of us make the process far more difficult than it needs to be, and in the process, we end up damaging our televisions.

is. Because it is capable of picking up both dirt and oil, the cloth will most likely pick up the majority of the smudges on your screen. If it isn’t working, you may need to add more water at this point.

When used as a cleaning cloth, amicrofiber cloth is soft enoughnot to scratch the surface, but it also has the ability to hold water and capture oil, which are both desirable characteristics in a cleaning cloth.

Make sure you don’t use fabric softener on the cloths, as this can cause a layer to form on the cloth that will make it difficult to clean effectively.

Pour some solution on one corner of your cotton cloth and squeeze out any excess liquid before wiping down your television screen, paying particular attention to the smudges.

If they’re removable, remove them and use a vacuum extension to remove any dust, dirt, or lintthat may have gotten stuck inside of them before replacing them.

In order to clean your speakers that are made of a nonporous material (such as plastic or varnished wood), wipe them down with a damp cloth while wiping in the direction of the grain, regardless of whether they are made of real wood or wood veneer.

Cleaning your home entertainment system on a regular basis is an excellent way to ensure that all of your components are operating at peak performance.

We are delighted that we were able to demonstrate how to clean a flat screen television without streaks so that you can enjoy movie night without having to peer through a smudged screen, and we would greatly appreciate it if you would pass along our TV screen cleaning tips to your friends and family.

To clean them, simply wipe them down with soft cloths and distilled water. It is not necessary to have a modern, smart television in order to clean it properly.

Modern LCD screens, in contrast to the glass television screens we grew up with, are extremely sensitive and are particularly susceptible to scratches and chemical warping.

This can be accomplished by wiping the screen with a clean, dry cloth on a weekly basis, as described above. After that, if there are still smudges or dirt on your TV screen, you can use distilled water for a more thorough clean. On a monthly or bi-monthly basis, this should be accomplished.

If you notice a lot of grime or oily buildup on your TV screen, try to clean it as soon as possible to avoid it sticking or drying to the screen’s surface.

The dish soap will aid in the removal of any oil-based smudges and grime, and it is most effective when cleaning up after food, beverages, pets, or children.

Modern TVs are becoming clearer and crisper every day. That means that in order to get the most out of your TV, you’ll want to keep it as clean as possible. But flat screen TVs are notoriously difficult to keep clean.

If you’re looking to find a way to clean your flat screen TV without streaks, then keep reading. We’ll cover all the dos and don’ts of streak-free TV screen cleaning.

You’re looking to clean your TV and leave it streak-free. But before we get into cleaning a TV, we should go over some things you should avoid when cleaning your TV.

As tempted as you may be to spray LCD cleaning spray or distilled water directly on the screen, you should avoid doing this. Spraying liquid at a TV can cause the liquid to run down and get trapped in the bezel of the TV.

This can allow moisture to reach critical components inside the TV, or become trapped in between layers of the screen, resulting in embedded marks in the screen or electrical component damage.

If you have to resort to using liquids to clean your TV, you might have a bit of a mess. However, no matter what substance is on your TV, you’ll want to take care not to press too hard when you’re cleaning it. Pressing too hard on a TV screen can cause anything from temporary distortion to broken LCD cells.

Instead, continue to apply even pressure and continue to buff out stubborn spots until you’ve conquered the mess. And remember, you may need extra microfiber cloths to help wipe away residue while there is still moisture on the screen’s surface.

You might be tempted to reach for the Windex, or whatever other cleaner you have on hand. But household cleaners often contain alcohol, ammonia, and other harmful chemicals that can damage your screen.

The damage may not be apparent immediately, and if you’ve accidentally cleaned the TV with these types of cleaners, you should be alright. However, repeated use can cause damage to the screen’s anti-reflective layer and other coatings on the screen.

Depending on whom you ask, vinegar could be lumped in with household cleaners. But we make special mention of this because the Internet seems infatuated with vinegar. From cleaning nearly every surface in your home, to purportedly being able to bust drain clogs, this mild acid is treated as a panacea for all things cleaning.

However, because vinegar is an acid, it could cause long-term damage to your TV screen, particularly the anti-reflective layer of your screen. Unless your TV manufacturer recommends using vinegar to clean your screen, then it’s best to just avoid it and use distilled water or screen cleaner.

With household chemicals and the Internet’s favorite natural cleaner scratched off the list, you’re left with water. But as innocuous as it may seem, you should avoid using regular tap water to clean your screen as well.

Thanks to the minerals in tap water, using it can lead to streaking and micro scratches on your screen that can cause long-term damage. Instead, use distilled water, since it’s devoid of anything but pure, unadulterated water.

Products like paper towels and tissues should also be avoided, since they contain tiny wood fibers that can create micro scratches. And while they may not be immediately visible, these scratches can cause surface damage over time, leaving dull spots and permanent streaks.

If you want to clean your flat screen TV without leaving any streaks behind, then you’ll want to keep things simple. We’ll cover different ways to clean it based on different levels of mess, from simple dust to stuck-on grime.

If your TV is just a little dusty, then good news! A can of compressed air and a microfiber duster or cloth should be more than sufficient for getting your TV clean again.

Start with the compressed air first, as you’ll want to avoid physical contact with the TV as much as possible to prevent accidental scratches or fingerprints. If compressed air isn’t enough alone, then use a microfiber duster (or cloth, if you don’t have a duster on hand) to wipe any remaining dust off the TV.

Ideally, the only thing you should have to clean off of your TV is dust. But sometimes, you need something more than air and a dry cloth. In that case, try using distilled water and a microfiber cloth.

Start by spraying the microfiber cloth lightly enough to only slightly dampen it. If you can wring liquid out of the cloth, then you’re using too much water.

With your lightly-dampened microfiber cloth, gently wipe or buff the dirty spots you’re trying to clean. Then you’ll want to follow up with dry cloth in order to dry any excess moisture on the screen.

Whether you have kids at home, or you just had a messy and unfortunate accident, sometimes TV screens can end up with things on them that really don’t belong. And if you’ve tried distilled water, and you still can’t get the mess off your screen, then you may need to resort to using an LCD screen cleaning kit.

Sure, you could try other at-home remedies you find on the Internet to combat sticky, greasy grime on a TV screen. But you also run the risk of damaging your TV.

Instead, buying a quality screen cleaning kit is the way to go. Companies that make these kits have a vested interest in not ruining your TV, and you have the benefit of online reviews to help you avoid potentially harmful products.

Want to know how to clean a TV screen? It’s a much used appliance in every home, and an investment, too, so knowing how to clean it the right way is vital. Who wants dust or smudges on the screen, compromising the picture? Yep, that’s nobody.

We’ve put together a step-by-step guide to how to clean a TV screen so you can enjoy a great picture and avoid causing harm. There are tips from the experts, too, to make the job easy.

Why you can trust Real HomesOur expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Ready to learn how to clean a TV screen? Bear in mind that it is important to do it right because modern TV screens have coatings that you can damage if you use inappropriate cleaning products.

But don’t worry, these steps will give you the inside track on how to clean a flat screen TV. And if you’ve got another type, we’ve got the lowdown on caring for those, too.

How often do you need to take on this chore? ‘TV screens are all about that incredible high definition picture to watch your favorite shows, movies or sporting events on,’ says Leanne Stapf, chief operating officer of The Cleaning Authority(opens in new tab).

‘As dust builds up, it can distort the quality of the picture. To keep the TV screen and picture as crisp as it was the day it was purchased, a weekly cleaning is best. Over the course of a week dust, fingerprints and film are bound to build up and the longer these remain on the screen, the harder to remove.’

Before you clean your TV screen, turn the television off and unplug it, too. This allows it to cool before you clean it, it’s safer for the TV (and you, to a degree).

The other benefit? ‘It"s easier to see smudges when the screen is dark,’ says Dorothea Hudson, an appliance expert with USInsuranceAgents(opens in new tab).

‘Use circular, gentle motions to get rid of any handprints or streaks,’ advises Jen Stark, founder of Happy DIY Home(opens in new tab). ‘Don’t press down too hard on the screen itself when you"re trying to get rid of stubborn spots because this can cause damage.’

Never substitute paper towels or (and we probably don’t need to say this, but for the avoidance of expensive errors) an abrasive pad for a microfiber cloth. These can all scratch the coating of a modern TV screen, causing permanent damage.

If any marks remain on the TV screen after your work with the microfiber cloth, slightly dampen a clean microfiber cloth with distilled water and use this cloth to tackle the problem area. ‘It"s important to use distilled water because tap water is filled with minerals and small particles that will scratch your screen,’ cautions Danielle Zierk of Palm Coast Handyman(opens in new tab).

Don’t ever spray the water or any other sort of liquid on to the screen. ‘A sudden burst of water could seep into the set’s inner workings and cause a component failure,’ warns Dorothea Hudson.

Owner of a tube TV (CRTV)? These haven’t been manufactured for many years now, but it’s worth knowing how to clean a TV screen if you have one of these that’s still going strong. In fact, these have glass screens that can be cleaned like any other glass in your house – for instance with a window cleaning spray. Don’t do this with any other type of TV, though.

If yours is an LCD or OLED TV, the steps above are the ones to use to keep the screen damage-free. They’re the route to follow if yours is a plasma TV, too. Although these haven’t been manufactured since 2014, the screens often have a coating that could be compromised otherwise.

Dust accumulates on the TV, so clean the body in addition to the screen. A slightly damp microfiber cloth is perfect, and make sure you use it gently. Again, do not spray anything on to the TV.

As for the speakers, again, use a microfiber cloth to remove dust from the surface. If yours have become very dusty, you can use your vacuum cleaner’s upholstery tool to carefully remove dust from the front of the speakers.

Clean the remote control, too, as they’re one of the places we recommend you tackle to get rid of germs in your home. Take out the batteries, hold the remote so that the buttons are face down, and tap it to remove dust and crumbs. Next wipe the whole thing with a microfiber cloth dampened with water or with TV screen wipes.

If the buttons are really grimy, use dampened cotton wool buds to get into them, or use a dry toothbrush to carefully dislodge crumbs or dirt that has become stuck around the buttons. Finally, wipe the remote down with a dry, lint-free cloth and replace the batteries.Today"s best Televisions deals

The key when it comes to knowing how to clean a TV screen is using the correct cloths. These need to be soft and mustn’t leave behind a lot of debris, explains Christen Costa, CEO, Gadget Review(opens in new tab).

‘Cleaning products such as Windex may contain harsh ingredients including alcohol and ammonia, which can be damaging to the LCD panels of the screen,’ says Leanne Stapf.

‘For the latest OLED and LCD TV screens, it is best to steer clear of Windex or other glass cleaners. With the sensitivity of the latest screen technology, a dry method of cleaning would be best.’

Regularly cleaning your LCD monitor keeps it free of dust, smudges, and germs. Wiping with a dry microfiber cloth is the safest cleaning option and is surprisingly effective at removing germs. You may need to use a dampened microfiber cloth to get rid of stubborn smudges and stuck-on debris, though. If you"re worried about germs, consider using a vinegar and water solution or a Lysol wipe on the screen. Be sure to check the device’s user manual first to make sure it’s okay to use liquids!

See you later, dirty television screens. Whether your TV screens are challenged by dust or inconvenient smudges that seem to appear from nowhere, it’s time to adopt a simple cleaning routine that takes care of all that. Get your screen clean pronto, and then kick back and enjoy the show.

Before you start guessing at what will work for your home’s needs, refer to the owner"s manual that came with your television. It’s always best to get advice from the manufacturer, especially if there’s a warranty involved; however, if that document has long since hit the recycling bin, follow these tips and take necessary precautions so you don’t cause permanent damage to the pixels and electrical components.

Different screens require different cleaning agents, and though we address how to clean old school glass-screen tube TVs and glass-coated iPad screens below, we know it’s more likely that you’re dealing with a flatscreen LCD or plasma television. TL;DR: Avoid abrasion. Avoid excess moisture. Avoid harsh chemicals.

Use soft, lint-free microfiber cloths and nothing rough or abrasive. Even paper towels can scratch a television, and plasma screens in particular are very delicate.

Always refer to manufacturer guidelines for cleaning and play it safe if there’s any doubt, especially if the only cleaners you have on hand are harsh chemicals with a bad reputation.

Remove dust with a dry microfiber cloth. Wipe around all edges of the screen too, because dust buildup on ports and speakers can negatively affect performance over time.

Mist a formulated cleaning spray onto a clean microfiber cloth; you can opt for store-bought or try an easy DIY solution, such as 1:1 parts of white vinegar and distilled water, or 1:4 parts distilled water to 70% isopropyl alcohol. These formulas may dry at different rates, so be sure that you don’t oversaturate your cloth.

If you’re using a vinegar- or alcohol-based cleaner, thoroughly wipe down the remote with the damp microfiber cloth you used to clean the television screen.

Big tip: Remove the batteries first so you don’t accidentally turn on the TV (and undoubtedly, push the magic combination of buttons that turns on subtitles and changes your settings to German … you know how it is).

Don’t let a dirty flat-screen steal the show! Read this post to find out how to safely clean your flat screen tv so that you can get back to the regularly scheduled program. What to do, what not to do and everything in between.

What the heck is THAT on the tv? Unfortunately, once you’ve seen *it* you can’t unsee it. So what’s the best way to clean your tv – and be sure you’re not left with buzz-killing streaks? Or lint. No matter what kind of TV you have, scroll through this post and how to clean your flat screen tv in a way that works for you – and uhhh, doesn’t void your warranty.

There’s nothing worse than going to clean something and it actually looking worse than when you started. So before you find out how to actually clean your tv (explained in the collection of paragraphs below this one), I want to spill the tea on the secret to a streak-free tv. Hint: It’s not about your products.

Whether you’re team green or simply praying that you have something under the kitchen sink that can double as a tv screen cleaner, if you’ve got the mighty V-warrior – the street name for vinegar – you’re in luck!

According to Shifrah Combiths over TheKitchn, while old school televisions were made with glass screens that could be cleaned with anything that made glass streak-free, using harsh chemicals on LCD screens can cause permanent damage because they’re made from a special kind of flexible plastic.

Dust your TV with a dry microfiber cloth: Use one microfiber cloth to gently dust the surface of your TV screen. Don’t forget to dust the frame and the base.

Make your cleaning solution: Mix a solution of half white vinegar, half distilled water. This cleaning solution is effective yet gentle. Using distilled water prevents hard water residue from making your screen look dirty.

Dip a microfiber cloth into the solution: Never spray any cleaning solution directly onto your screen. Dip your cleaning rag instead. If you’d rather use a spray bottle, that’s fine, but again, spray the cloth, not the screen.

Gently wipe down your TV screen and the frame: Wipe down your TV screen with your damp microfiber cloth. Start from the top and work your way down, using an S pattern. Don’t forget to wipe the frame and the base of the TV.

We used three microfiber cloths here to show the three main stages, but you really just need two. Use the first one to dust the screen, then rinse it and wring it out and use that same one to dip into the solution. Then, just used a second one to buff and dry the screen at the end.

Plasma screens, while made of glass, have anti-glare coatings that can be damaged by traditional cleaning products. It’s best to follow the same dry cleaning methods you’d use for cleaning LED, LCD and OLED TVs.

Dust the tv screen with a soft, dry microfiber cloth. Spot-clean stubborn smudges with a pre-moistened wipe designed for electronics. With your microfiber cloth, go over buttons and the back of the TV to nab dust in the vents.

Talk about a relic from the past. When I see a box tv it takes me straight back to my Nintendo and Saturday mornings framed with a bowl of fruit loops and Darkwing Duck! With that being said, if you’re still pushing a box tv, it is a total act of rebellion at this point. But whatever the reason you’ve got one plugged up, these bad boys don’t need much special attention.

Wipe them with a microfiber cleaning cloth dampened with a little water – just the corner of the towel – or with your favorite window cleaning spray. For tough, stuck-on bits, let your fingernail do the work. As a finishing touch, use the dry side of the towel to buff the screen.

How often do you look at the remote control? And no, I’m not asking how often do you lose your remote. Seriously, using a remote is an eyes-off adventure thanks to muscle memory. This means you may have a serious yuck fest in the palm of your hand and not even notice. So let’s give the remote some love while we’re taking care of the TV.

First things first, take the batteries out. Then loosely wrap the remote in a towel and lightly tap it, button side down, on a table to dislodge any loose crumbs or debris stuck in the crevices. Tap from a few different angles.

Grab a barely damp towel or a pre-moistened wipe (to get that sticky off) and give the remote a good wipe down. Good ol’ baby wipes will work fabulously for this one.

The spaces around the buttons can become a situation. Use a bobby pin, safety pin or even a toothpick, wrapped in a thin tissue, to easily flick out the gross.

What’s a tv without it’s speakers. Act like you care and be sure to clean the speakers when you dust your home or whenever you spruce the tv up a bit.

Make cleaning your tv a regular thing even if for no reason but to make it easier to keep it clean. A wipe today equals one less wipe tomorrow,or some proverbial wisdom along those lines.

Depending on your current living situation – aka kids with grimy paws or pets that sneeze on the tv unapologetically or a mix of both – you’re going to want to clean your TV every 7 days to keep crud like phlegm, food, fingerprints and dust from building up and becoming harder to remove.

Keep a clean, chemical-free microfiber or tv screen wipes nearby so you don’t have to go looking for your cleaning supplies. Dust the frame, the back and the wir