Repelling dust from your monitor

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killa62

Banned Abortion Poster Child '07
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Messages
2,685
I hate it, whenever i clean my screen on my laptop or desktop (both lcds) dust seems to be attracted to the screen during the time that i'm cleaning it and after, and therefore are attracted to my monitor. I've used plain water as well as those spray monitor cleaners (plain water seems to clean better....) and dust is attracted to the monitor using either.

so my question is, how do you get your monitor to NOT attract dust within 1/4 a second of cleaning it..
 
what i do is, if use water and special cloth...

First wipe with the wet cloth...then if dust sticks, wait for an hour or then just dry wipe again...

Might work...
 
I have cleaned my laptop screens for years with Windex and two clean soft rags. I lightly spray the cleaner on one rag and wipe the screen clean. Use only enough to keep the screen wet until you can wipe it dry and lightly buff it with the second rag.

Between rounds, I dust with a cloth I got at my optometrist (it is for cleaning lenses, VERY soft!). And my screens have always looked great. One other thing you can get is a tack rag. A friend picked one up for me recently, and it is really nice! It has a slightly tacky feel, and dust sticks to it like a magnet. It is for dusting off a car, and it is designed NOT to scratch surfaces (as long as you keep it clean). You can wash it and it keeps its tackiness/softness.

I keep meaning to ask him where he picked it up as I want to get a bunch of them (got a Mustang to take care of...lol). If I find out I will post what brand it is here, but he lives a couple of hours from us, so it may be a bit.
 
I use some Anti-static screen cleaner once a year. No dust at all....makes me wanna clean the rest of the house with it as I dont have a wife to dust for me. :D
 
Windex may not be a good cleaner to use at all. The chemicals are known to be corrosive, especially to CRT users who have ARAG on their screens. I'd shy away from using it.

I myself use water and a clean, anti-dust rag. On top of that, before cleaning it, I use my vaccum cleaner with a soft brush to get all the dust off the screen; otherwise, it'd be heck trying to clean it.
 
If it is Alcohol base then it is ok but if it has ammonia in it then it is baaaaddddddd.
 
If its just dust on the screen, why not go buy a can of compressed air and blow it off. Works for me. :)
 
lostinms said:
If it is Alcohol base then it is ok but if it has ammonia in it then it is baaaaddddddd.
Click to expand...

Voila. There you have it.

millndbill said:
If its just dust on the screen, why not go buy a can of compressed air and blow it off. Works for me.
Click to expand...

The problem with this is that it compounds the problem. Instead of getting "rid" of the dust, you're just blowing it around. It'll be back with a vengeance. ;)
 
Isnt Windex too abrasive to use on a monitors surface? I know in manuals they usually say not to use the stuff.
 
Windex uses ammonia this is why they say don't use it. I am not sure about the on that uses vinegar cause as you know vinegar is an acid.
 
ajm786 said:
Windex may not be a good cleaner to use at all. The chemicals are known to be corrosive, especially to CRT users who have ARAG on their screens. I'd shy away from using it.

I myself use water and a clean, anti-dust rag. On top of that, before cleaning it, I use my vaccum cleaner with a soft brush to get all the dust off the screen; otherwise, it'd be heck trying to clean it.
Click to expand...

i am sure any soft "brush" would be more abrasive than windex. :rolleyes:
 
It's not so much the abrasiveness of the Windex that is the problem, but rather the ammonia tends to strip off the anti-glare coating that is present on most monitors.

You can get ammonia-free Windex, or just use a specialty monitor cleaning fluid and microfiber cloth (which is what I do).
 
I don't usually get too much dust on my screen so lightly using the end of my sleeve every week or so does the job.
 
Yo best buy sells this stuff that is AWESOME for cleaning off LCDs .. its called MONSTER ScreenClean its in the home theater dept and on LI its only $19.99
Link to the site
 
I live on the Pacific coast, and we have a horrible problem with dust here. You can dust your house spotless and within a week it looks like you have not dusted in a year. I am originally from eastern Washington (state), and you have very little dust to deal with there. Another thing about the coast is the dust is sticky with salts from the ocean. It likes to glue itself to everything. If you clean this with a acid based (vinegar) cleaner, you make a light soap (acid+base=soap) that only gets worse with each cleaning.

I have been cleaning computer screens with Windex since my IBM pcjr and Commodore 64 monitors in the early '80's and I have never ruined a monitor yet. I have had laptops and plenty of CRT's, and I build/repair pc's for a living. I have not ruined one yet. Ever try to clean off kids fingerprints with water or just a cloth? I have never sprayed the Windex on a screen, but rather spritz a little bit on one cloth, and I buff it off with another.

Another thing about our dust problem here, I tear down our electronics (TV, amps, VCR's, DVD, computers, etc) every six months and I clean the dust out of them. It is a messy job, but I quit frying TV's every three years. Salt + dust + humidity can make for some nasty conductive dust. It is not fun to do, but when you have invested $$$ in this stuff, you do what you can to care for it. Having an air compressor in the garage helps too!

This is only my experience with dusting, and it works for me...
 
Windex = The lose!

I have a Dell 2405, after a windhax treatment to it, the anti glare was gone and it only left me with swirly marks.

My friend brought over a shammy and that with a little elbow grease made it better but anti glare stuff is definitley gone.

Go ahead use windhax if you like to ruin your LCD!
 
JonDoms said:
Windex = The lose!

I have a Dell 2405, after a windhax treatment to it, the anti glare was gone and it only left me with swirly marks.

My friend brought over a shammy and that with a little elbow grease made it better but anti glare stuff is definitley gone.

Go ahead use windhax if you like to ruin your LCD!
Click to expand...
windex works for me like a charm and my LCD is not ruined at all. it might be the 2405 having weak anti glare coating
 
DrDoug said:
I have cleaned my laptop screens for years with Windex and two clean soft rags. I lightly spray the cleaner on one rag and wipe the screen clean. Use only enough to keep the screen wet until you can wipe it dry and lightly buff it with the second rag.

Between rounds, I dust with a cloth I got at my optometrist (it is for cleaning lenses, VERY soft!). And my screens have always looked great. One other thing you can get is a tack rag. A friend picked one up for me recently, and it is really nice! It has a slightly tacky feel, and dust sticks to it like a magnet. It is for dusting off a car, and it is designed NOT to scratch surfaces (as long as you keep it clean). You can wash it and it keeps its tackiness/softness.

I keep meaning to ask him where he picked it up as I want to get a bunch of them (got a Mustang to take care of...lol). If I find out I will post what brand it is here, but he lives a couple of hours from us, so it may be a bit.
Click to expand...
ok for all that post windex is ok, please ignore them. for any people who decide to use windex, do at your own risk, since this stuff is bad on monitors/lcd. you cant even use this stuff on special tinted car windows, lens, screens, etc.

the soft cloth you are referring to is called a microfiber cloth. this stuff feels tacky and soft like you said. it isnt cheap either, try your local car shop or just buy them online. i'm not sure i would use them on screens either. i use them to polish/wax my car. they are like super tiny sand paper. - 0000 grade sort of.
 
Use this on my laptop and it both repels dust and cleans the screen. My only gripe is that you have to buff the screen for what seems like an hour to get a smooth, non-streaked surface. However, much like RainX for your car, you're essentially rubbing in the compound to get the anti-static cling surface, which makes dry dusting very easy after the first or second application. Seems to work as advertised if you're willing to use a bit of elbow grease now and then.

http://iklear.klearscreen.com/

http://iklear.klearscreen.com/faq.php
 
I am not recommending anyone use Windex! I am only saying that I do. And I have never ruined a monitor or LCD yet. No scratches, no smearing, nothing. And in over twenty years of use, not one destroyed display. I am sure my eyes are still working...lol

But this is only my choice. When I get my new LCD, I will evaluate it again. Things can change, and I am aware of that. Being I work on pc's, and have been building systems since the early '90's, I have cleaned hundreds of monitors and laptop screens. As I said, not one damaged. Not one customer complaint either. Also, although WIndex has ammonia in it, it is not the same as pure ammonia and the precentage present is very little. Anyone who has taken any chemistry classes knows that it is ionically bonded with the other cleaners/surfactants in solution.

Awhile back, I had one customer bring in his monitor as his kid had taken a key to the screen. He was hoping I had some trick to revive it. Not pretty, and I told him that it was time for a new monitor. It looked like the Interstate road system map of the US...lol. Good thing it was a cheap monitor! So do not clean your monitor with your keys! ;)

As I said, I am only relating my experience here. A question was asked, and I answered it to the best of my experience. That does not make it right.
 
if that steven guy isn't just trying to get people to screw up their monitors, something's wrong...

WIndex and monitors should never go together... The stuff is meant to get rid of bird crap... not fingerprints!
 
Guys, plain and simple. Say NO to Windex with AMMONIA. Without may be a different story.

Honestly, for all the investment you put into your LCD, you owe it to yourself to get it cleaned correctly. And Windex will not do that.
 
islndrs22 said:
Yo best buy sells this stuff that is AWESOME for cleaning off LCDs .. its called MONSTER ScreenClean its in the home theater dept and on LI its only $19.99
Link to the site
Click to expand...
Too bad it is just diluted isopropyl alcohol + purified water. Best Buy makes a ton of money on stuff like this, especially anything with the MONSTER name on it.
 
This stuff is the best!
I had a can of it left over when I sold my CJ-7.
I bought it when I bought a new top.
Plexo™ Plastic Window Cleaner, 20 oz.
I gave it a shot and have been using it on my LCDs ever since.
It's great when your mounting touch panels because it keeps the dust out.
It's cheap and it smells good too. :p
 
I thought I would do some digging, and one thing I find interesting is all of the various manufacturers having different recommendations. Here are a few:

Dell, you can use benzene, Isopropol Alcohol, Hexane - No ethanol

Envision, Windex sprayed on cloth. Buff dry

Gateway, water only & buff dry with cloth

Hitachi, dry cloth or cloth with a few drops of distilled water

HP, alcohol (Iso or ethanol) with water (1:1) and cloth (And Dell says no ethanol...lol)

Hyundai, Windex or other glass cleaner and soft cloth

IBM, soft cloth and mild detergent

Mag Innovosion, Windex sprayed on soft cloth & buff dry

Viewsonic, non-ammonia or non-alcohol cleaner & soft cloth

And these are just a few I found. One thing I have not seen is a definitive test on any of these. I checked photography sites, and Windex is just as loved and hated as here...lol

I even went to the MythBusters site and suggested this as a myth to put to the test. I told them that every hard core computer nut would watch the show (and probably fight about the results afterwards...lol)

I will stick with what I know works. Every place I heard about warning of Windex, not one had a person there who had screwed up their monitor/camera/laptop using Windex. As far as streaking goes, if a sparse amount of Windex is used and the LCD is warm (or it is a warm day), if it dries before you buff it off it will streak. And every recommendation in using Windex says to spray it on the cloth, not the screen.

I wonder if MythBusters will bite on this idea. That show is a blast to watch. Oh well, back to waiting for my new LCD...

Oh, and the SC Johnson web site says Windex Blue can be used on plasma screens and monitors. And it is not ammonia, it is ammonia hydroxide (or as they call it, ammonium). Their MSDS lists:

Ethylene Glycol n-hexyl ether - 0.1-1.0%
Isopropanol - 1-5%
Water - 90-95%

And that is it. MSDS dated last summer. And Johnson recommends it for plastics...lol. As I said, someone needs to do a definitive test on the stuff. I hope Adam & Jamie bite on the idea.
 
Man I hate the company and I hate the high price.
BUT
monster cleaner is the best thing I have ever seen.
AND I AINT SEEN MUCH LOL

really its great at cleaning everything and it looks like new
afterwords....too bad they can't include some kind of dust repellent
(anti static) in it.

Sparks
 
steveng said:
i use windex
Click to expand...

lol i cringed when I read this.. using any type of strong cleaning agents on CRTs or LCDs is just plain foolish. I wouldn't use anything but a slighty damp lint-free towel
 
I use a very special cloth..

A used dryer sheet ;) Not only do they make good monitor wipes they also make good disposible fan filters :D
 
Cheap noname orange cleaner. not the all purpose stuff. Some has an oil based agent. I think the best stuff is water based. No residue left over. this orange clean is non toxic. Doesnt grey lexan. environmentally freindly. So all good. Cleans plastic so its like new aswell. smoker's best friend. Truely the best stuff iv ever used to clean LCD or CRT displays.
 
I use "Klearscreen". The $20 kit comes with a spray bottle (2oz) and a special cleaning and polishing cloth for my Dell 2001 lcd. Works well and is alcohol ammonia free. Just checked out the ingredient list on my spray bottle of Windex and it has among other things BOTH ammonia and alcohol listed. DANGER Will Robinson, DANGER. :)
 
I use a dampen soft cloth. and if I really have to I will use a very small quantity of mild soap. this works very well and 99.9% of the manufactures say this is ok... I use no cleaners, Windex or any other chemicals. that can effect or damage the display.
 
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