How to Safely Clean a TV Screen

Dust. Grime. Smudges. Fingerprints. Any number of accidents, or just the wear of everyday life, can mark up a TV screen over time.

Sometimes these blemishes only become visible in direct light, but to get the best picture from your TV, as well as the cleanest, you should regularly give your TV a good cleaning. It’s not hard to learn the best way to clean a TV screen, and it only takes a minute to get that set looking as good as the day you unboxed it.

Be careful, however, to use the proper tools. Overly harsh chemicals or other materials can seriously damage TV screens, resulting in permanent scratches that end up worse than the fingerprints you were trying to remove! Don’t worry. We’ll teach you how to clean a TV screen.

What Should Never Be Used to Clean an LCD Screen

If you’re old enough, you might remember an old tube TV being cleaned with a paper towel and Windex. Or, maybe you don’t even know what a tube TV is. In any event, the glass in modern TVs is much thinner and more fragile than the panels used in older models. Here’s what NOT to do when deciding how to clean your TV screen:

DON’T use paper towels. It might be tempting to use something disposable, but the fibers in paper towels, tissues, or napkins are too coarse. These coarse fibers could deal permanent scratches to your TV.

DON’T use alcohol, ammonia, window cleaner or other harsh cleaners, which can do serious damage to flat screens. These products are far too powerful for your fragile TV.

DON’T spray anything directly on your TV screen. The liquid can shock the liquid crystals and can wreak total havoc on your display. And, if you’re generous with the spray bottle, liquid can actually seep into the cracks of the TV, frying the whole thing. Avoid at all costs.

So, wondering what to clean your TV with? Read on to find out more.

Best 5 Ways to Clean TV Screen

1. Start Simple and Dry

Often, you might not need any liquids at all to restore your TV to it’s bright, ultra-clean factory finish. A simple microfiber cloth, or even a soft towel or washcloth, might be all it takes to wipe away dust and light smudges. It also poses the smallest threat to your screen, so it’s best to start here. Once again, only use soft fabrics here. Anything that feels scratchy or disposable is a no-go.

2. Step Up to (a bit) of Water

If there are stubborn stains or smudges, you’re probably still asking what to use to clean your TV screen with. Believe it or not, you don’t need to spend any money at all (except on your water bill). That’s because the best solution comes right out of your tap. That’s right: just a slightly damp cloth should do wonders to remove any stubborn stains or sticky messes from your TV. Remember to thoroughly dry the screen after wetting it to prevent any seepage.

3. Graduate to Detergent

If plain water isn’t doing the trick on any stuck-on goop, a small (and we do mean small) amount of dish soap, mixed thoroughly with the water, should be just the thing to break down any further blemishes. A drop of dish soap is also mild enough that you won’t have to worry about damaging your TV set.

4. Go for the Store-Bought Kit

If you feel the need, there are plenty of screen cleaning kits available at most retailers, especially big-box stores. These usually come with a spray bottle of cleaning solution and a microfiber cloth. For the price, you’d do better with a separately-purchased microfiber cloth and a bit of homemade solution (see above), but it’s not a bad idea to have some good ol’ factory-made stuff that you know will be safe on hand. As always, avoid spraying that stuff directly on the screen. Opt to apply it to the cloth, then clean in soft, circular motions

5. Get a Screen Protector

Okay, this isn’t really the best way to clean your TV screen, but rather a way to keep it clean. Forever. A TV screen protector is just what it sounds like: a giant pane of protective material that keeps dust, scratches, and smudges off your TV screen. Of course, you’ll still have to deal with cleaning the protector now and then, but you’ll gain plenty in the peace-of-mind department in knowing that your actual TV screen is perfectly safe behind the protector. We think these nifty products are well worth the price when considering the hefty price of some of today’s sets.

Your TV isn’t the only thing that needs a bit of TLC. Learn how to safely clean your tablet screen, sanitize your germy phone and get the gunk out of your stylus rubber tip.

I Can See Clearly Now the Smudges Are Gone!

We hope this article has given you some tips on how to clean your TV screen. After all, TVs weren’t made to be scrubbed and agonized over. They were made for entertaining and for being enjoyed. So, get that microfiber cloth out, get to business, then get back to Netflix. After all, that’s why you’ve got it, right? Between episodes, check out our store for a whole range of TV screen protectors (and durable gear for all your devices) to keep the tech in your life running smoothly for years to come.