Flatscreen TV Cleaning Tips
The flat-screen TV occupies a central place in a huge majority of homes big and small.
The Goldstar team sees TVs used in various settings — not just for watching TV, but for playing games, music, streaming video, and more. Now we offer you the benefit of our professional experience with these simple screen cleaning tips.
The question, then, is how to clean your flat screen effectively without causing any inadvertent damage? It’s not as hard as you might think!
1) Check Your User Manual
Like most appliances and devices, flat-screen TVs still come with manuals and/or instruction sheets. These should give you some basic cleaning guidance. The manufacturer’s preferred cleaning techniques will vary depending on the design of your TV. Scratches are an especially big concern for LCD screens, for instance, obliging you to avoid any abrasive cleaning products.
A lot of people turn to window cleaning products when they’re looking for a TV cleaner. There’s a logic to it, of course: TVs and windows are both sheets of glass, right? It’s true the both share the same basic material, but your TV is set apart by the special coatings applied to it.
The biggest risk of using a window cleaner on a flatscreen TV is that any ammonia in the product will hurt the screen’s anti-glare coating.
You need to consult with the documentation provided with your TV because you may even void your warranty if you clean the device incorrectly. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your TV manufacturer online or via phone if you want additional guidance on cleaning.
2) Use the Right Tools
The single best step you can take to minimize the risk of damaging your flatscreen is to approach the cleaning job with the right materials. We recommend the same key tool that the Goldstar Cleaning Services team uses: A soft-finish microfiber cloth that’s treated to minimize static electricity.
This is the same sort of cloth you’ve probably seen sold for cleaning eyeglasses, camera lenses, and portable electronic devices. Treat your television to the same level of pampering! You wouldn’t clean a high-end camera, a laptop, or a pair of designer glasses with a terrycloth rag, would you? Of course not.
Ideally, you should try cleaning your TV screen without using liquid cleansers or even water.
You can get more debris off than you might think with a dry microfiber cloth! Use a gentle, circular scrubbing motion across the whole screen. You’ll see fingerprints, dust, and other smudges come away easily.
There are, of course, dedicated products and even whole kits sold for cleaning flatscreen TVs. While these can be effective, our advice is to avoid chemical cleansers unless you have no other way to tackle your screen-cleaning job.
3) Clean the Whole TV
The screen is, of course, the “business end” of your television. If the screen gets dirty enough, it will directly impede your enjoyment of your flatscreen. But don’t neglect the other parts of the device when it’s time to clean! You should spare some attention for these components, too:
* Speakers
* Cables
* Ports
* The Remote Control
Your entire TV, and its remote, should be wiped down regularly to keep dust away. The remote deserves some extra attention because our fingers tend to transfer a lot of oil, grease, and bacteria to the device. This isn’t the place for strong chemicals, though. You don’t want to scrub the lettering off your remote’s buttons, and this is a possibility with a lot of cleansers.
To simplify the remote-cleaning job, take the batteries out first. This will make it impossible to accidentally press a button while you’re wiping the remote. You don’t want to inadvertently change your DVR settings when you’re just trying to clean. Make an effort to remove dust from ports and the delicate grillwork of your television’s speakers.
There’s a reason to take extra time with this: Removing surface dust keeps it from working its way into the electronic innards of the device where it can cause real damage.
Safety Tips
Safety is an important concern whenever you’re cleaning something that uses electricity. Most flatscreen TVs are plugged into multiple devices along with a wall outlet or surge protector. When you’re doing a thorough cleaning, don’t just unplug the TV’s power; unplug its other connections, too.
It’s doubly important to power down your TV if you plan on using water or any sort of liquid cleanser on your set.
The shape of the modern flatscreen TV often puts it at risk of tipping and falling, and this risk is greatest when you are cleaning. If you know some of your entertainment devices, or the TV itself, are in especially precarious positions, move them to a more stable location before you clean. Many times, lowering the TV base to the floor is the easiest, safest way to prepare it for cleaning.
Maximizing Your TV’s Lifespan
A thorough cleaning is a great way to keep your television in tip-top condition, but you can take other steps to prolong its lifespan, too. Make a habit of turning your TV off when you’re not watching it. This conserves electricity, and it will even make the screen last longer. It’s also not a good idea to leave your screen paused for too long, as a still image may lead to permanent marks or discoloration.
Trust the Professionals!
Cleaning a TV thoroughly is a rather involved process. A lot of people just don’t have the time or energy to give the job the attention it deserves. You can trust the Goldstar cleaning team to take care of your electronics along with all of your other cleaning tasks, big and small; we’re happy to give you the expert help you need.
