How To Clean Plasma Screen?

[Sir Burr]

What is the best way to clean finger-prints off of my plasma screen on my lap-top computer?

[BambinA]

try

1(rubbing) alcohol

2glass/mirror cleansing solution ( num ya ched gra chock)

[Tywais]

Use a soft dry cotton cloth to remove fingerprints and smudges from the screen. If this does not completely remove the dirt and splotches, use a small amount of isopropyl alcohol on the cleaning cloth that has been dampened with water. (A small amount of vinegar can be substituted for the isopropyl alcohol.) Again, spray the liquid on the cloth and never directly onto the screen. Do not use paper towels on an LCD screen as they can scratch the screen. Never use ammonia, ammonia-based cleaners (example Windex), or strong cleaners which can cause the surface to yellow and become brittle. This is due to the fact the screen is not glass but a plastic compound.

It is good to have a special clean cloth that is dedicated to use on the LCD screen. Don’t pick up any old rag, as dirt particles in the rag can scratch the surface of the screen. Special LCD cleaning cloths are available and can be an excellent investment.

The best cleaning method is to stroke the cloth across the display in one direction, moving from the top of the display to the bottom.

Be careful with the fingernails also and best to have the monitor turned off when cleaning it, easier to see the smudges.

Edited June 14, 2006 by tywais

[Sir Burr]

Thanks a lot Tywais.

No way was I going to use glass cleaner as I know the screen isn't made of glass (take note BambinA).

[Meerkat]

Not specifically about the plastic screen, but another caveat with plasmas.

I was a (fairly) early adopter - bought a 42" Fujitsu for my place in HK about 5 years ago. Was about HKD 45k/THB 225k at the time. Everything was fine for about 3 years, then it refused to turn on.

Called out the Fujitsu engineers who opened it up and told me that the grilles covering the cooling fans had clogged up (household dust/3 years of cigarette smoke!) and the entire innards had cooked.

Would have cost over HKD 25k to replace the bits (including the plasma-screen itself) so was cheaper just to buy a completely new one as prices had obviously dropped in that time. Called out 2 more sets of engineers who told me exactly the same thing. I ended up leaving the screen in that apartment when I left...

The Fujitsu guys said that they saw it all the time, and customers should be told when buying a screen that it is critical to keep the vents clear, but of course the retailers aren't doing it. It's not so important if your screen is simply kept on a stand, as it's easy to access the grilles to dust them from behind, but if it's wall-mounted flat, as mine was, it is almost impossible to get to them.

Fujitsu offer a service in HK (can't remember how much but it wasn't huge) whereby they come once a year, unmount it, open it up and give it a thorough going over. Doesn't void the warranty of course, and so less risky than trying to unmount/fiddle with it yourself. Wish I'd known that at the time...

[h90]

Thanks a lot Tywais.

No way was I going to use glass cleaner as I know the screen isn't made of glass (take note BambinA).

glass cleaner and toilett paper works perfect I do for years on flat screens and laptop, exactly the ones beautifull BambinA recommends and there are no problems or scratches, they all look like new.

[Tywais]

Thanks a lot Tywais.

No way was I going to use glass cleaner as I know the screen isn't made of glass (take note BambinA).

glass cleaner and toilett paper works perfect I do for years on flat screens and laptop, exactly the ones beautifull BambinA recommends and there are no problems or scratches, they all look like new.

Some glass cleaners are alcohol based (isopropyl) and some are ammonia based (even under the Windex brand name) so need to check the label. The latter really is a bad idea to use. Also tissue paper and paper towels are two different things, the former being much less abrasive. The ammonia based systems can cause yellowing of the plastic over extended periods of use.

[britmaveric]

Ditto alcohol based cleaners - never use glass cleaners. If I recall correctly says as much in the care instructions.

[penzman]

Some kinds of papers are very abrasive. Try wiping yourself first, you'll see, or rather feel it.

[Firefoxx]

Actually, plasma screens are not like LCD screens... plasma screens are made of glass, like CRTs. However, like CRTs, some plasma screens can have an anti-glare coating. Abrasives or certain chemicals can harm that coating. If you're unsure of whether it has a coating, then use a mild detergent. If not, then a normal glass cleaner will do.

Thing is, the OP mistakenly referred to his laptop screen as a "plasma" screen. No laptops have plasma screens, since the smallest palsma screen is around 30+ inches. You'd have one *really* large laptop that would probably crush your lap if it had a plasma screen. Laptops have LCD screens. Take note, OP. Now, for LCD screens, use a mild detergent and a soft cloth. Microfiber cloths are good for this.

[h90]

Some kinds of papers are very abrasive. Try wiping yourself first, you'll see, or rather feel it.

I didn't consider that, yet, but doesn't it make the screen smelling?

I clean all 2 month with glass cleaners, the contact time with the screen is just seconds, and everything looks still perfect.

But it might make a difference from brand to brand.

There are also special Monitor/LCD sprays (very cheap) they also work well.

[solo siam]

I had a laptop once with a plasma screen, indeed at one point all high-end laptops sported plasma screens.

[Firefoxx]

Those were mono plasma screens... a far far cry from today's plasmas. Really bad resolution, bad response times, and mono to boot. At one point, all mankind had were rock slates to write on...

[solo siam]

Yeah, they were brown screen to boot, although actually the resolutions haven't changed that much.

If the OP has an lcd screen then the best piece of advice would be to wipe it gently with a clean non-abrasive, slightly damp cloth.