Don't clean your HDTV with Windex

When your flat-panel TV gets a little dusty, here’s how to give it a facelift:

First, check the manual for cleaning instructions.  Older CRT sets had glass screens that were more forgiving. LCD and plasma screens may not be. The set’s user manual may warn against using products with certain chemicals. (And doing something the owner’s manual forbids is a good way to void your warranty.)

Avoid commercial cleaners. Alcohol and ammonia, found in window cleaners, can wreak havoc on your expensive flat-screen. Don’t use cleaners that have them.

The best method: Use a damp, soft cloth – that’s it.  Screens scratch easily, and even paper towels can do damage. Your best bet is a microfiber cloth—the kind uses to clean eyeglasses and camera lenses. Dampen it slightly and gently clean your screen. LCD screens, including laptop screens, are very sensitive to pressure and can scratch easily, so don’t press too hard.

Don’t buy a “cleaning kit.” Some stores, like Best Buy, shamelessly charge $20 for a kit that includes just a microfiber cloth and a small bottle of cleaning solution. Instead, buy the cloth at a office supply store (or online) and use water.

For more on this and other great stories, see the June 2009 issue of Consumer Reports online.

[Photo: Francois Schnell/Flickr]

Comments

[Mike]

Thanks for the tip. I bought one of those supposed Plasma screen cleaning kits and it just left my t.v. covered in streaks. The damp microfiber cloth saved me a nervous breakdown.

[rdt]

This is amazing. I have been cleaning my older tvs with windex for years. My mother and father have flat screens so now I will be using the microfibre clothes that my mom swears by.

[Elaine Lake]

Since I am purchasing a new LCD flat screen TV in 3 weeks this is great to know. All I use to clean with are the micro-fiber cloths but we have used "glass" cleaner with the other TV's in the house so I will no longer purchase them since the TV's are about the only thing in the house that needed them.

[Natalie]

Interesting...the owner's manual for my Olevia HDTV specifically says to use the original blue WIndex to clean the screen. It does caution about using any other versions or any other cleaning products. Maybe the original does not contain those ingredients that will destroy the screen. I am going to cal and double check in case something has changed. Thanks for the heads up.

[Patrick]

Many window cleaners contain ammonia which reacts chemically with the plastics to form micro-cracks in the surface. If the cracks are tiny they will make the plastic look foggy, but in certain plastics the cracks can grow much larger. In fact, polycarbonates (Lexan, Perspex, etc) can fail catastrophically if exposed to ammonia.

[twf]

I've often wondered what harm a cleaning solution like windex can do. The warnings never seem to specify what damage can occur. Can you say more other than 'wreak havoc'? It would be helpful and informative.