How To: Clean a Tablet or Smartphone

By Scott Younker December 6, 2011

In the last couple of years the touchscreen has become king. Along with that comes the question of how to properly clean a touchscreen device. This is helpful for people with tablets and smartphones, especially those with kids who will probably forget to wash their hands at some point and get something sticky on your iPad or Galaxy tablet. It also helps for the general wear and tear that your devices will go through from use.

A couple of notes:

You’ll want to have a soft, lint free cloth. We recommend microfiber like the kind sold in glasses stores.

We would strongly encourage you to NOT use any type of cleaner during this process. This means no aerosol cleaner, no window cleaner or any other chemical cleaner. We’ll be using a very small amount of water and that’s it. The problem comes in that the cleaner or too much water can reduce the sensitivity of the screen. You don’t want that.

Time to clean:

1. Before you start doing anything its best to make sure that the device to be cleaned is turned off.

2. If you haven’t already make sure that any cords are unplugged from the device and that the case (if you’re using one) is removed.

3. Now take your microfiber cloth and apply a small amount of water to it so that the cloth is damp. It should not be dripping.

4. Take the damp cloth and gently rub all of the exterior surfaces of the device. Do so until you’ve wiped away all of the smudges from the screen and casing.

5. Finally, use a dry microfiber cloth to dry off the device. Although the device shouldn’t be dripping wet, if you don’t wipe it down with a dry cloth the water will leave streaks. You’ll want to make sure that the device is completely dry before turning it back on.

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