How to Clean a Flat Screen TV

By Gissimee Doe

Handle your flat screen TV with care.
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Your flat screen television will require periodic cleaning to ensure that it stays in good working order. Flat screen TVs gather dust particles and lint, and will readily show oil-based soil such as fingerprints and grease stains. Older TVs were easy to clean because they were covered with thick glass screens, but modern flat screen TVs cannot be subjected to regular household cleaning as they have easily damaged, thin, sensitive screens. You can keep most flat screen TVs dust free by cleaning with a soft cloth and compressed air, but some require special cleaning solutions.

General Cleaning

Step 1

Turn the flat screen TV off and disconnect it from the power supply. This will protect you from the danger of electric shock. A darkened flat screen will also readily show up dirt, grease spots and fingerprints.

Step 2

Check whether your flat screen TV has a protective screen shield by either inspecting it for the presence of a plastic shield over the screen or by gently placing a fingertip on the screen and checking to see whether you can touch the screen directly and distort the underlying surface or if a shield is preventing you from doing so.

Step 3

Check the manufacturer’s product guide that came with your flat screen TV to see if there are any special cleaning instructions for that particular model and if a special cleaning solution is required.

Step 4

Dust the screen with the soft lint-free cloth using gentle circular motions and ensuring that you do not press on the surface of the screen.

Step 5

Blast any trapped dirt out of the corners and sides of the screen with compressed air, taking care not to aim the blast directly at the screen but at the crevices between the screen and the frame.

LCD/Plasma TVs

Step 1

Check whether your LCD TV has a glossy or matte screen.

Step 2

Dust your glossy-screened LCD or plasma TV with a soft microfiber cloth to remove dust and fingerprints. Use very gentle pressure and small circular motions.

Step 3

Dampen a clean microfiber cloth with a few drops of distilled water and use it to clean off any fingerprints. Take care not to press on the screen while rubbing.

Step 4

Rub a small amount of dish soap on to a clean microfiber cloth that has been dampened with distilled water as in the previous step and use this to gently clean off grease stains or stubborn fingerprints. Lightly buff the screen with a dry microfiber cloth to remove remaining traces of dish soap.

Step 5

Clean your matte-screened LCD TV with a microfiber cloth and screen-cleaning solution. Do not use distilled water or soap on a matte screen.

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