Go Ahead, Clean Your TV Screen, But Beware of Using the Wrong Cleaner

If you regularly scrub down your electronics with water or window cleaner, you’re doing it wrong. Drop that bottle of Windex and let’s talk business. You can still give your TV screen the TLC it deserves. But using the wrong type of cleaner will do more damage than good. With that in mind, it’s important to use a bit of caution and avoid using any strong chemicals when you decide to give your display a good scrubdown. 

Here’s the short and sweet version: steer clear of liquids, go easy on the pressure, and say goodbye to traditional cleaners. Instead, reach for a trusty microfiber cloth, but remember to be as gentle as a butterfly’s touch. Modern TVs are primarily made of plastic, making them far more susceptible to scratches than your window or smartphone. 

So when it’s time to remove fingerprints, smudges, or other impurities from your TV, you know exactly what to do. 

Want the longer version? Here’s what the top TV manufacturers say about cleaning their screens: 

Cleaning your 4K, OLED, or LED TV screen with a soft, dry cloth is recommended. The goal here is to avoid scratching the screen. Gentle, circular motions tend to give better results, since the circular motion hits each area from several angles in a single swipe.

Caution: Chemicals such as alcohol, thinners, or benzene should be strictly avoided, as they may damage the protective film covering the panel. 

Caution: Don’t spray water or other liquids directly on the TV, as electric shock could occur.

• Turn the TV off and let it cool down for a few minutes before unplugging it.
• To clean the frame and screen, gently wipe it with a microfiber cleaning cloth. Make sure to wipe the TV frame and screen as gently as possible. TV screens are fragile and can be damaged when pressed too hard.
• If you don’t see results, spray distilled water onto your microfiber cleaning cloth and gently wipe the frame and screen.
• Let the TV dry completely before you plug the TV back in.

Important: Never use any type of window cleaner, soap, scouring powder, wax, or any cleanser with solvents such as alcohol, benzene, ammonia, or acetone. Never use abrasive pads or paper towels. If you do, you can scratch the screen or strip the anti-glare coating off the screen and cause permanent damage. Never spray water directly onto the TV. Make sure to wipe the TV as gently as possible. TV screens are fragile and can be damaged when pressed too hard. 

• Gently wipe the screen or the exterior with a dry, soft cloth, such as an eyeglass cleaner.
• For inks from oil markers on the screen, soak a cloth in a non-soap synthetic cleanser diluted (by less than 1% ) with water. Squeeze the cloth tightly to eliminate excess liquid, then wipe gently to remove the ink.
  • Use non-soap cleansers cautiously because it may cause environmental problems when disposed improperly.
  • Immediately afterwards, gently wipe the screen with a soft, dry cloth.
  • Don’t use detergent with abrasives such as a cleanser.
• The liquid crystal order may collapse if you apply pressure when wiping the TV screen and it may look like dirt. Turn the power off and then back on to recover from this condition.

Should you use TV screen cleaners?

So why not Windex? Regular Windex is formulated for glass windows, plus a few other surfaces. It contains ammonia and alcohol, not the friendliest of chemicals. S. C. Johnson doesn’t explicitly say not to use Windex on TVs, but it offers Windex Electronics wipes and cleaners, so infer what you will. The better screen cleaners will clearly state that they do not contain alcohol or ammonia.

At last count, I found a billion companies making TV screen cleaners. Almost all of these are something like 99 percent water, 1 percent other stuff. Years ago I tested a handful and found them, on average, to work well enough. If you don’t have luck with a simple cloth and possibly distilled water, a screen cleaner is worth a try, and as a bonus you can also use it for your laptop, tablet and cell phone screens. Plus, they come with a microfiber cloth. If they don’t clearly state they don’t contain alcohol and ammonia, however, I would skip them.

Generally speaking, though, don’t use a cleaner unless you absolutely need to. Just use an ultrasoft cloth to gently wipe away any dust.

Bottom line

So yeah, cleaning your TV is a good idea. But just remember that they’re exceptionally fragile. Why risk marring their surface by using cleaning methods the companies themselves don’t advise? If you damage your screen with cleaners, you won’t be able to fix it.

My advice? Get a nice microfiber cloth (if your TV didn’t come with one), and use that. If that doesn’t fix your smudges, try a cloth moist with water. Don’t press too hard. There’s less than a millimeter between your finger and a broken TV.

Screen cleaning kits are fine, though most people won’t need them. Remember, like all TV accessories, the store is selling them because they probably make more profit on that $20 kit than on a $500 TV.

Originally published in 2012. Updated with current information and links.

As well as covering TV and other display tech, Geoff does photo tours of cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, massive aircraft carriers, medieval castles, epic 10,000 mile road trips, and more. Check out Tech Treks for all his tours and adventures.

He wrote a bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines, along with a sequel. You can follow his adventures on Instagram and his YouTube channel.