How to Clean Your LCD or Plasma TV

Not sure how to clean your LCD or Plasma TV screen? It's easier than you think, just make sure to follow these steps so you do not damage it.

Some HDTV manufacturers will suggest using LCD/plasma cleaners, but these are often expense and unnecessary. In fact, the main ingredient in most “professional” cleaning solutions on the market is water.  We suggest making your own simple solution with half water and half isopropyl alcohol. This is probably the cheapest solution you can come by, and it works great—very mild, and harmless. The main reason you would need to clean your HDTV screen, whether plasma or LCD, is to getrid of smudges and fingerprints.  Be mindful of your HDTV’s LCD or plasma screen: Try not to touch them that often because the less you have to wash them, the longer they’ll last. Here are our 6 easy steps to cleaning your LCD or plasma TV screen.

What You’ll Need

• Two clean, soft, lint-free cloth
• Distilled water
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Measuring cup

6 Easy Steps to Clean a LCD or Plasma TV

1. Turn TV off and let it cool off. Ensure that your TV has been off long enough that it doesn’t feel warm to the touch. Turn it off and let it cool down before proceeding with cleaning the screen.

2. Dust the screen. Wipe your screen with part of the soft, lint-free cloth to remove dust. If there are no visible smudges after dusting, stop here.

3. Make a mild mixture. There are a lot for cleaning solutions out there, but most HDTV manufacturers say that they best and cheapest cleaning solution for your LCD or plasma screen is to make your own equal-part mixture of isopropyl alcohol and distilled water. Using a measuring cup, make a solution with equal parts of distilled water and isopropyl alcohol.

4. Dip and wipe. Dip the clean end of the same cloth into the solution. Squeeze it to ring out the excess solution—you want the cloth damp, not wet. Then wipe the damp cloth over the LCD or plasma screen very gently.

5. Q-tip the Edges. Dip one end of the Q-tip in your mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water, then press it against the inside of the container holding the cleaning solution to squeeze excess moisture out of the cottony tip. Drag the damp end of the Q-tip along the outside edge of the LCD or plasma screen gently.

6. Dry with second clean, soft cloth. Use the second clean cloth to dry your LCD or plasma screen. Don’t leave any moisture on your screen, especially before turning the TV back on.

Tips

• The less you have to clean your screen, the longer it will last—so be careful with touching your screen
• Always use a clean cloth—tiny hard particles can get trapped in cloth fibers and could scratch your LCD or plasma screen
• Get the cloth damp, not wet, just damp
• Don’t use Windex or other glass cleaners! These contain ammonia and WILL hurt your LCD screen.
• Do not use paper towels