Can You Use Window Cleaner on a TV?

Most people have at least one TV in their homes, and if you’re like everyone else, you probably have a few. TVs collect fingerprints, they gather dust, and eventually, they stop looking clear. When your screen becomes filthy, it’s tempting to reach for a window cleaner to wipe it down with. The screen is made from glass after all, so a window cleaner seems logical. However, this is not a good idea.

If you use a window cleaner on a TV screen, you can seriously damage the screen. A window cleaner can cloud your screen, can leave water spots, and can damage the delicate internals of your screen. All these potential issues can occur from improperly cleaning your screen, which is why it’s essential to learn the right way to clean it. Fortunately, it’s simpler than you probably realize. 

What Are the Best Ways to Clean a TV Screen?

So many people suffer from a damaged TV screen from cleaning its surface improperly. That’s because people spray on Windex or another harsh cleaner and wipe it around. Doing this can cause clouds or worse–it can lead to moisture inside your television that may lead to serious damage. 

If your TV screen has fingerprints, dust, and other contaminants you want to clean off, you must do so very carefully. Fortunately, you never need more than a cloth for cleaning a TV screen and maybe a bit of distilled water and a spray bottle. 

When equipped with those items, you can effectively clean your screen and make it look like new. You may have to be patient when going through the cleaning process, though. Let’s go through the steps to properly clean a television. 

Always Unplug Your Television

Before you begin cleaning your TV, take a moment to unplug it and let it sit for a few minutes to ensure no power is going to the screen. This is simply a precaution that helps reduce the chance your television will take damage as you clean it, but a dark screen is also easier to clean effectively. 

Begin with a Dry Cloth and Gentle Pressure

The best cloth for cleaning a TV screen is a plain microfiber cloth or towel. Examine the cloth to ensure no dirt or dust is on the cloth, and wipe the screen gently to remove any fingerprints, dust, and other contaminants. Wiping with a dry cloth is often all that’s required to get your screen looking good. 

Move on to a Slightly Damp Cloth

If you have a stubborn spot on your screen, spray distilled water onto a microfiber cloth and gently wipe it with the damp cloth. Continue spraying the cloth in different spots and wiping the screen gently to try and remove any stains or spots that remain. 

Dry the Screen Thoroughly

Once you remove all the spots with your damp cloth, use a new microfiber towel to dry your screen. Be careful to ensure the screen is fully dry before you turn your television on. Also, be careful to avoid letting moisture sit on your screen for too long. It’s best to wipe away any water right after it’s applied to keep it from seeping into your screen. 

Be Careful to Always Use a Clean Microfiber Towel

While cleaning your TV screen, you need to be careful to only use clean microfiber towels. If you wipe off your screen with a towel that has dust or dirt on it, you could scratch the surface of your screen. It’s easy to leave little scratches without realizing what you’re doing, so only use perfectly clean cloths for your screen. 

What Is the Best TV Screen Cleaner Spray?

There are many different LCD screen cleaner products available for purchase today, but they should all be avoided. While some cleaners won’t harm your screen, they also won’t deliver a superior clean to what you can achieve without them either. Some screen cleaners, especially an isopropyl alcohol screen cleaner, can actually harm your television screen or leave a cloudy finish after an application. 

Avoid any commercial cleaners, and instead, make a homemade screen cleaner from pure distilled water in a spray bottle. Set the bottle to mist and apply slight moisture to a microfiber cloth to wipe stains off your screen. 

Even moisture from pure water isn’t necessary to clean a TV screen in many instances, and we recommend you begin cleaning your screen with a dry microfiber cloth first before moving to a slightly damp one. 

There is no need to waste money on a TV screen cleaner spray, and you should avoid most of them, because many can be harmful to your television.

You Clean the TV and Leave Your Home Windows to S&K Building Services

After a bit of reading, you should know exactly how to clean your TV screen safely. It’s simple and requires very few tools and little training. The same isn’t true for your home’s windows. Your windows must be cleaned using the right solution and tools, and exterior windows are challenging to reach in many homes. If this all sounds like a lot, consider talking with S&K Building Services about how our team can clean your windows for you and leave the rest to us. We’ll clean your windows and help them last for many more years to come!