Thinkpads Forum

Hello,

I've been wiping on Windex with a soft tissue and then brushing off the lint with a camel hair brush, but this leaves streaks.

Any suggestions on how to get a really clean screen?

Thanks in advance.

50/50 solution of Isopropyl alcohol and distilled water. Use a soft cloth. Do not let the solution drip down into the LCD, and do this with all power (including battery) removed).

Apply tap water to a soft, lint-free rag, rub screen with gentle pressure, and wipe with dry, clean, lint-free rag.

Or get a Clorox wipe from the kitchen. Works like a charm, and streakfree as well.

If you like putting poison on your LCD the above mentioned trick will work fine.

I have an iKlear cloth that works great. Couple that with a 50/50 solution of warm tap water (mine is triple filtered through the whole house) and rubbing alcohol and you should be good to go.

Try not to use anything like 409 or something. Harsh cleaning chemicals can strip the top layer off the LCD. I've been repairing laptops for over 3 years now and I have seen that kind of damage more times than I would have thought possible. I've even seen 'mild' cleaners such as Windex and the like cause permanent damage.

Whatever you doe, do not spray directly onto the LCD. Spray onto a cloth, then wipe and dry with a 2nd cloth. Once you've done it a few times you figure out the right pressure and so on as to not leave streaks. The LCD is arguably one of the most expensive components in a laptop and should be treated with kid gloves.

Try to get the purest isopropyl alcohol. I forget if you need above 91% or 99.9%. The problem is that lower grades have some sort of conditioners or moisturizer or some such added to it that can leave a residue.

I use Office Depot LCD cleaner with a lint-free cloth.

johnisgolden wrote:Any suggestions on how to get a really clean screen?

If you wear eye glasses, use the spray and microfibre cloth that come with the glasses.

If you don't wear glasses, got to an optometric outlet and buy a spray bottle and microfibre cloth. The microfibre cloths for eye glasses are also frequent giveaways at tradeshows (etc), and I have a draw full of them from that source.

Cheers,

Bill B.

SPIT!

(that was a joke by the way..)

I've cleaned dozens of laptop screens with the yellow microfiber cloths you get in the auto section at Costco + 70% rubbing alcohol. The towels work best after being washed once and the $17 bag will last you a lifetime if all you're using it for is LCDs.

bill bolton wrote: If you wear eye glasses, use the spray and microfibre cloth that come with the glasses.

If you don't wear glasses, got to an optometric outlet and buy a spray bottle and microfibre cloth.

Yep, the only thing that works for me. I don't know what variety of lcd is in my R40, but it drives me nuts! It's some kind of strange half-glossy lcd that shows every speck of dust, and it somehow gets fingerprints without any fingers nearby!

bill bolton wrote:If you wear eye glasses, use the spray and microfibre cloth that come with the glasses.

This is probably a very good way to go.

Be careful with strong isopropyl alcohol, a little to much rubbing will damage some LCD bezels and other plastics. Sadly, that is a first hand fact.