cleaning a flat screen monitor

melindamusil

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Recently I was given a secondhand LCD monitor. On one corner, there's little bit of gunk - my guess would be some kind of adhesive that was left in contact with the monitor.

Until now, I've only used a dry microfiber cloth to clean monitors, but the dry cloth isn't removing this bit of gunk. Any advice?

Thanks!
 

Caitlin Black

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I've used cloths like that, except the package I got had them slightly moist. Like, if I squeezed them, I don't think any liquid would squeeze out, but there was a definite "liquid chemical" feeling to the (disposable) cloths.

If you can find anything like that, they tended to work well for me. :) A word of warning though: even if you reseal the package really well, the cloths will dry out over time, so I'd recommend buying a small pack and using them whenever you see any little smudges etc., because otherwise they'll dry up and be worthless. I found that out last week - my pack, which had hardly been used, had all dried out.

Oh, and they say to only use those moist cloths when everything is powered OFF. :)
 

Osulagh

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91% isopropyl alcohol, and some smooth cloth that won't leave lint (like an old shirt. Towels no can do, nor paper. Crushed coffee filters if you have to). Eyeglass cloths are the best. Never use chemical cleaners on non-glass monitors.

Turn off, rub lightly, let a drop soak on it, rub until gone.
 

henmatth

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Check from a computer store, there is a right fluid to remove that gunk. I once was able to use it. They even provide a piece of cloth suited for cleaning the monitor including the keyboard. Once used, your comp should look like new. Using isopropyl alcohol is not advisable. It may cause damages.
Back here, what I do with my comp is to clean regularly so it still looks like new.
 

mccardey

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I so want to say baking soda and vinegar.....
 

Forbidden Snowflake

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A friend of mine.. his girlfriend... she wanted to be nice, she cleaned his flatscreen monitor with glass cleaner... I couldn't stop laughing when I was in his apartment next.

Computer stores tend to have special solutions for it. But for mine I just take a micro fibre cloth and make sure it's only lightly damp.
 

robjvargas

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The special solutions are really just isopropyl alcohol in some percentage with water.

This is *not* a situation calling for elbow grease. Damp a lint-free cloth (examples already given) with warm water or screen cleaner. Wipe gently and repeatedly. Keep the cloth slightly damp until you get rid of the gunk.

FWIW, sounds like they used a screen protector or a privacy filter.
 

Reziac

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What Rob said. Water only, or alcohol solution, via damp microfiber cloth. And very very gently. Do not rub, do not apply pressure, do pretend you're polishing a raw egg.

With something that's seriously stuck I've also picked carefully at it with a fingernail, but some surfaces scratch, so...

Paper towels and toilet paper CAN scratch.

I buy microfiber towels by the bale at Costco (it's something like $20 for a bale of 20 or so), and each one starts life as a dedicated monitor cleaner. Once it gets to where it has to be washed, it goes on to other jobs and a new towel takes its place. They're never quite the same again after being washed, and may acquire grit that you can't see or feel but can damage surfaces.

BTW the same applies to glass screens, which usually have an anti-glare coating that is damaged by any other type of cleaning. I was once given a CRT whose coating had gotten so scratched that I wound up having to scrub it off entirely.