How to a Clean a Flat Screen TV

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By Daniel J. Gansle
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Cleaning a flat screen television set, particularly a newer model HDTV, is quite different from the cleaning procedure for older CRT TV sets. Here's how to properly clean your flat screen TV in order to avoid damage to the unit.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

2 Cotton or microfiber cloths
Vinegar
Distilled water

Step 1

Turn off your flat screen TV. This will allow you to see areas that need special attention.
Step 2

Use a cotton or microfiber cloth to dust off the television set. Microfiber is preferred because it is softer and less apt to scratch the surface of the screen.
Step 3

Mix together a 1:1 solution of vinegar and distilled water. Tap water is not recommended because it contains minerals such as dissolved salts, which could leave white streaks on the TV screen.
Step 4

Moisten cloth with vinegar and water solution, but do not get it too soaked.
Step 5

Using moistened cloth, gently clean the TV screen by rubbing in a circular motion.
Step 6

Now grab your second cloth and quickly wipe the television screen dry. Buff gently, and enjoy the clearer picture.

Tips & Warnings

Using a 1:1 mixture of vinegar and distilled water to clean your flat screen TV is sufficient.
Use distilled water instead of tap water.
Do not use paper towels or bath towels to clean your flat screen television. These could scratch the TV.
Do not use cleaning solutions containing the following chemicals: ammonia, acetone, or ethyl alcohol.
Do not spray cleaner directly on the TV screen; instead, moisten cloth with vinegar/water mixture first.
Some plasma television sets recommend avoiding any cleaning liquids on the surface of the screen. If you have a plasma TV, check the manufacturer's instructions before cleaning the unit.

Comments

upittwoman said

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on 6/4/2009 Thank you so much for posting this article! I cleaned my flat screen with lukewarm tap water and a microfiber cloth as recommended and had awful streaks! The more I gently cleaned the screen, the worse the streaks became!!! I was panicked and trying to find a solution before my husband came home and killed me. The tap water WAS what was making the streaks - the salts did appear as white streaks upon closer investigation. I didn't have distilled water, so I used bottled water. I made a solution of 1/2 cup bottled water and 1/2 cup white vinegar and soaked a microfiber cloth. I wrung it out well so that it was just damp and the streaks were gone - phew! I was pretty panicked there for a while. Thanks again!