In order to safely and effectively clean your laptop screen it is best to use a microfiber cloth with distilled water or a mild detergent such as white vinegar mixed with water. It is important to avoid using harsh chemicals such as alcohol or bleach, as these can strip away essential coatings and cause lasting damage.
Your best choice is isopropyl alcohol and the clean, soft, lint-free cloth. Packaged screen cleaner wipes are also good (since they're basically a convenient disposable version of this).
Instead, use a gentle cleaning solution, such as a mixture of distilled water and white vinegar or specially designed cleaning wipes, to ensure thorough cleaning without causing harm.
Please hold off on using alcohol on your laptop screen. While alcohol might have been a decent option for screens in the past, most new displays have coatings that will not do well with any alcohol-based or ammonia-based detergents. That means NO WINDEX, RUBBING ALCOHOL, ISOPROPANOL, NAIL POLISH REMOVER, OR SKOL VODKA.
Make a cleaning solution.
If your screen needs something stronger, mix ¼ cup distilled water and ¼ cup white vinegar in a spray bottle. If you don't have white vinegar, a ¼ cup of distilled water and a ¼ of rubbing alcohol will do the trick, too.
Wash screens and frames with a solution of warm water and dish detergent. (A mixture of one part vinegar to three parts water will also do the trick.) With a soft-bristled brush, scrub both sides of the screen.
Don't use window cleaners, household cleaners, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide to clean the screen. WARNING: Never spray cleaner directly on the screen. It may drip inside the display and cause damage.
To clean your screen, use a screen cleaning wipe or a soft, dry, lint-free cloth. When necessary, you can dampen the cloth with one of the following: water, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) solution 70% or less, or eyeglass cleaner. Never use glass cleaner or other chemical cleaners.
The main difference between isopropyl alcohol and rubbing alcohol is the concentration. The concentration of isopropyl alcohol is 100%, while the concentration of rubbing alcohol is less because of the addition of water. Otherwise, the two liquids have similar properties.
Making this screen-cleaning spray couldn't be easier. Simply combine one part alcohol and one part distilled water in the spray bottle. Cap it, give it a quick shake, and it's ready for use. Variation: If you don't have isopropyl alcohol handy, you may substitute plain vinegar.
It's not recommended to use eyeglass cleaner on your monitor screen. Some eyeglass cleaners have chemicals that may harm the screen coatings or anti-glare properties. Stick to using a microfiber cloth with water or a water-alcohol mixture for safe and effective cleaning.
Can I use disposable wet wipes made specifically for cleaning eyeglasses or camera lenses to clean my computer screen? Those should be perfectly okay to use on your glass-coated computer screens. Note that they're usually alcohol wipes containing other chemicals, so don't use these on your LCD screens.
For fingerprints and smudges, spray 70% isopropyl alcohol onto a cloth, or use a pre-moistened alcohol wipe or a Clorox Disinfecting Wipe, to clean non-porous surfaces like the screen; do not use bleach. Wipe the glass surface and corners, being careful not to let any excess moisture wick from the wipe or cloth.
Alcohol or cleaning products may strip away screen's anti-reflective or anti-glare coatings, leading to permanent clouding on the screen.
Dampen a new clean, non-abrasive cloth with a disinfectant recommended by the CDC: a household bleach solution (1/3 cup of bleach per gallon of water) or Isopropyl alcohol ( 71% to 85% alcohol). Be sure to squeeze any excess liquid off of the cloth. Do not spray the solution directly onto the touch screen.
Vinegar is acidic and may damage the screen's protective layers or anti-glare coating. Stick to using a microfiber cloth with water or a water-alcohol mixture for the safest cleaning process.
Avoid using an alcohol-based cleaner on your device, as these will damage the protective coating on most touch screens and ruin your device. Do not use regular cleaning supplies on your screen. The only cleaners safe for your screen are the water based or a lab tested cleaner meant for LCD screens.
While sanitizers are commonly used on hands and other surfaces to kill germs, they are typically alcohol-based, containing ingredients that might harm your screen's protective coating if applied improperly.
That being said, Forté says most Apple laptops and monitors — or any laptop with a glass-protected screen — can be wiped down with either Lysol or Clorox disinfecting wipes. Since laptops are routinely handled, Forté says even if you disinfect your device, it won't stay disinfected for long.
Damage from glass cleaners often appears gradually as a yellow tint or fogging on the screen and can make the screen more brittle. Instead, use a soft, lint-free cloth with distilled water or a 50 percent water-vinegar mixture, and always check the manufacturer's cleaning recommendations.
Don't use window cleaners, household cleaners, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide to clean the display. Don't clean the screen of your display with a cleaner containing acetone. Use a cleaner intended for use with a screen or display.