A television screen is perhaps the last thing people think about adding to their list of regular cleaning chores. However, the difference between a crisp picture and a smudgy screen when you’re watching your favorite show isn’t something to be taken lightly. Regular cleaning not only ensures a clear image but also increases the lifespan of your television.
To clean your TV screen, take a microfiber cloth and spray some screen-friendly cleaner on it. Wipe the screen thoroughly until all the spots and smudges are gone. Allow the screen to air dry before turning your TV back on. Make sure that you also clean your remote and speakers as needed.
Keeping your television screen dust-, dirt-, and fingerprint-free is essential to enjoying a satisfying cinematic experience. Let’s take a look at the safest and most effective way to clean your screen. We’ll also go over which materials are best for cleaning your television screen — and what to avoid.
What’s the Best Way to Clean a TV Screen?
Cleaning your television screen once a week helps prevent dust buildup, increases its lifespan, and provides you with the clearest picture possible. Removing the smudges, dust, and fingerprints regularly can affect the aesthetics of your television as well as the picture on the screen.
Before we delve into the best way to clean your TV screen, let’s find out which materials are best to use.
Best Materials for Cleaning Your TV Screen
Use only soft, lint-free microfiber cloths — like these ones (on Amazon) — to clean your TV screens. Avoid using anything that’s even slightly rough or abrasive.
Even paper towels should be avoided as they can scratch TV screens. Take special care when cleaning plasma screens; they’re very delicate.
What to Avoid When Cleaning Your TV Screen
When cleaning your TV screens, be sure to avoid the following:
- Standard glass cleaners: Glass cleaners that are commonly available shouldn’t be used to clean LCD or OLED screens. These cleaners contain alcohol and ammonia which can damage your screen panels.
- Using too much cleaner: When cleaning your TV screen, use only a small amount of cleaner to protect it from moisture damage.
- Abrasive cloth or paper towels: TV screens can get easily scratched. That’s why it’s best to avoid tissues that contain fiber, paper towels, and coarse or abrasive cloth to clean them. Always use an anti-static microfiber and wipe in a circular motion.
How to Clean a TV Screen
To clean your TV screen, you’re going to need:
The following steps will help you clean any modern TV screen including a flat plasma, OLED, LED, or LCD TV screen:
1. Turn Off the TV
Before you start cleaning your TV screen, make sure that it’s turned off. You can also unplug your TV as an added precaution; however, this isn’t typically necessary for modern TVs.
2. Remove Dust
The next step is dry dusting so that you don’t accidentally scratch your screen by rubbing a rough piece of dirt into it. For this crucial step, it’s best to use a microfiber cloth.
Gently dust the entire screen to remove all the pet hair, dust, and other loose debris. Make sure you wipe down the cords and speakers as well.
3. Spray a Screen-Safe Cleaner
Take a clean microfiber cloth and spray a little amount of cleaning spray onto it. Always avoid spraying directly onto the screen. Starting from the upper left-hand corner, wipe down the TV screen in a back-and-forth motion.
Repeat if you can still see fingerprint smudges or oily areas on your screen. Wipe the surface thoroughly so that there’s no moisture left on the screen.
Don’t apply too much pressure on your screen if your microfiber cloth is still unable to remove smudges. Wet a corner of your microfiber cloth with warm water and clean the spot with this damp cloth.
4. Air dry
Once your screen is clean, allow it to air dry. Wait for about 15 minutes before turning your TV back on.
Cleaning Tough Spots on Your TV Screen
For cleaning tough spots on your screen, gently rub the screen with a clean cloth slightly dampened with distilled water. Avoid spraying water directly onto the screen as this could result in a shock or component failure if water accidentally seeps inside the TV set.
If you still see smudges on your screen, then a DIY solution of dish soap and water might do the trick. Mix a few drops of very mild dish soap into one liter of water. Spray this solution on a cloth — not on the TV screen — and gently clean the screen.
Be extra careful when cleaning hard-to-remove spots from LCD screens as they’re very sensitive to pressure and prone to scratch easily.
After you’ve cleaned the screen with a dampened cloth, use a dry cloth to clean the screen one more time to remove any streaks or swirls.
How to Maintain Your Sparkling Clean TV Screen
The following tips will help you maintain a sparkling clean TV screen:
- Clean your TV screen once a week to prevent dust, fingerprints, and film buildup; these things get harder to clean over time. Keep a microfiber cloth near your TV so that you can remove the grime and dust when you see it.
- Avoid spraying directly onto your TV screen as the excess spray can get into the inner workings of your set and damage it.
- Remove dust from any ports, vents, and cable connections with the help of your vacuum’s soft dusting brush.
- Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding screen cleaning. Going against the instructions can void your warranty.
- Avoid using cleaning sprays that contain alcohol, acetone, or ammonia as they can damage your TV screen.
How to Clean the Speakers and Remote
Remotes don’t only get very dusty, but they also carry a lot of germs too. That’s why it’s important that you don’t forget to clean your remote regularly.
Here’s how you should go about it:
- Remove the batteries from your television remote before you start cleaning it.
- Turn the remote upside down and tap the remote against your palm. This will help dislodge any debris that might be stuck between the buttons.
- Spray a little amount of rubbing alcohol diluted with water on a soft cloth and wipe the entire remote with it. Make sure that the cloth is damp and not wet.
- Dampen a cotton swab with an alcohol/water solution. Now use this cotton swab to clean in and around the buttons.
- You can also use a wooden toothpick or a dry toothbrush to dislodge any stubborn debris that’s lodged deeper into the keys.
- Use a soft, dry cloth to wipe down the whole remote before reinstalling the batteries.
How to Clean TV Speakers
If you feel that the sound from your speakers is muffled, then it might be time to clean them. Follow the step given below to keep your speaker clean:
- Remove the fabric cover from your speakers and vacuum both sides to remove lint, pet hair, and dust that often sticks to them. Refer to the manual to make sure that your covers are removable.
- In case your speaker covers aren’t removable, then use a lint roller or vacuum to do the job from the front.