Cleaning a Flat Screen TV

Television sets have evolved over the years and so has the way they are cleaned. The older Television sets used to have glass screens which could be cleaned using a paper towel or using the same cleaning products that were used to clean other glass products in the household. The new television sets however, while giving the whole family a better viewing experience, also have to be handled differently. Here is a guide on what to use to clean your flat screen TV with and how to clean it.

There are several types of flat screen TVs .However, the items used to clean them are more or less the same thus this guide applies to Plasma TVs, LCD screens and also LED TVs.

1. Turn off the Television and all adjoining devices like the set top box. A dark screen enables the cleaner to see how much dust is on the screen as well as where the smidges and fingerprints are on the screen.

2. Use a microfiber cloth to clean the screen. Many Manufacturers are shipping this cloth alongside with the television. However, for those not familiar with a microfiber cloth, it is a piece of cloth with the same texture as the one used to clean a person’s eyeglasses. It has the advantage of not leaving behind any fluff, not scratching the screen as well as trapping dust better than the ordinary cloth.

3. Do not use Paper towels or non-ultra soft materials to clean either an LCD screen or a Plasma screen. This will create scratches on the surface of the LCD screen. Although Plasma screens are made of glass, the antiglare material covering the screen is not and it is prone to scratches.

4. When trying to removing oily stains, do not press on the screen to hard, this can damage the pixels of an LCD screen leading to either a distorted image or pixels that are not working. In such cases, it is advisable to buy a screen cleaning fluid or mix water and vinegar in equal proportions and lightly wipe off the oily smudges with a microfiber cloth moistened with that solution.

5. Clean the air vents and plastic frame with a damp microfiber cloth. This prevents the dust on the frame from entering the television as well as cleaning the frame better than when it is lightly dusted with a dry cloth

6. No solution should be sprayed onto any screen. For LCD screens, the solution may penetrate the screen and cause irreversible damage. Both all types of televisions, the spray may run down the screen and penetrate into the space between the plastic frame and the screen and reach the electronic components, leading to short circuiting and thus extensive damage to the television.

7. In case a scratch does appear on the screen, a scratch repair kit is available at all retail outlets that sell televisions and can be used to cover up the scratch.