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How to Clean Touchscreen | Guide to Methods That Work In Easy-to-Follow Steps

If you want to clean your touchscreen, follow the set of instructions given below.

  1. Shut down the system, then unplug the power cable from the power source.
  2. Touch a metal component in your casing to remove any static electric charges from your system. This is essential to prevent yourself from getting electrocuted or your device from getting damaged.
  3. Apply your cleaning solution to the rubbing cloth. Note that you're not supposed to apply the cleaning solution to the screen directly. This is essential to prevent the cleaning solution from getting attached between the thin layers of the touchscreen, which can cause black spots to develop on the screen.
  4. Wipe the touchscreen gently in a circular manner from the center of your touchscreen. This will eliminate any dirt or any residual particles in the touchscreen. Stick to the circular motion to prevent the formation of irregular lines and patterns on the touchscreen while cleaning.
  5. Dry off the screen by using an appropriate piece of cloth. We recommend using a dry microfiber piece of fabric. Some materials, such as paper towels, can scratch the touchscreen if used to dry off; therefore, you should avoid them.
  6. If any residues are left between the bezel and the screen, we recommend using a soft brush to wipe them off.
  7. Leave the touchscreen to completely dry before you plug it back to the power source.
  8. You can now turn your device back on.


phone screen

What to Do When Cleaning your Touchscreen

Here is a set of practices you should do when cleaning your touchscreen (see also best touchscreen monitors): 

  • Do clean the touchscreen using a Lint-Free Microfiber piece of cloth. You should gently rub the touchscreen's surface with a lint-free microfiber piece of cloth to remove residual dirt on the touchscreen. Using any other material that isn't lint-free to clean the touchscreen will leave fabric particles on your touchscreen surface. 
  • Do shut down and unplug your touchscreen PC before you start cleaning. This is a safety measure to avoid the electric charges from electrocuting you or the PC. You may end up damaging the internal components of your PC if you proceed without turning it off. 
  • Do apply water in a small amount to remove residual dirt particles. Use water in small amounts to wipe out residual dirt particles from the touchscreen surface only if the lint-free microfiber cloth leaves behind dirt particles. Do not apply the water directly to the screen. Instead, apply it on the microfiber cloth. Proceed to rub the touchscreen surface to remove the dirt gently.
wiping screen

What Not to Do While Cleaning Your Touchscreen

Do not attempt the set of practices listed below when cleaning your touchscreen.

  • Do not clean with rubbing alcohol. You should avoid using rubbing alcohol at any cost to clean your touchscreen. Rubbing alcohol will compromise the oleophobic layer of your touchscreen PC. 
  • Do not use a lot of water. Use water in small amounts only if the microfiber cloth leaves behind residual dirt particles or residues. Exposing your touchscreen to too much water can damage it.
  • Do not apply the cleaning solution directly to the touchscreen. Instead, apply the cleaning solution on a microfiber cloth. 
  • Do not clean the corners of your touchscreen with a moist cloth. It's difficult to wipe out moisture at the corners of the touchscreen. This could compromise the surface integrity of your touchscreen at the corners.
  • Do not clean the touchscreen with corrosive or abrasive solutions. Corrosive solutions will compromise the touchscreen surface integrity, while abrasive materials will scratch the surface.   
How to Clean Touchscreen

Alternative Ways to Cleaning Your Touchscreen

The alternative ways of cleaning your touchscreen, which is a common feature on best portable monitors such as Asus mb168b, are listed below.

  • A clean sponge. You can also go for a sponge to clean your touchscreen. To use it, apply a cleaning solution to the sponge and gently rub the touchscreen surface. 
  • Windex. You can use Windex to clean your touchscreen. However, you can only use it if you're cleaning a touchscreen made of glass. When using it, do not apply directly to the screen; instead, apply it to a microfiber cloth and use the material to wipe the touchscreen surface. 
  • Duster brush. A soft duster brush can be a good alternative if you don't have a sponge or a microfiber cloth. However, not all dusters can be used to clean the touchscreen. The duster you use should be made of polyester fibers to qualify as a touchscreen cleaning alternative.
cleaning

Preventive Measures to Keep Your Touchscreen Clean

The preventive measures to take to keep your touchscreen clean are listed below.

  • Put a microfiber cloth between the keyboard and the screen when you close your PC lid. This ensures that dirt and grime in the keyboard do not contact the screen when you close it.  
  • Wrap your touchscreen with a clean material when you're not planning on using it for an extended period. This ensures that the static charge in the touchscreen does not attract dust particles.  
  • Keep your surroundings clean and dust-free. Your touchscreen will draw dust particles due to its static charges. To prevent this, make sure your surrounding is clean and free from dust particles.
  • Avoid touching your touchscreen with dirty hands. Doing so will cause the dirt particles and debris in your hand to get attached to the touchscreen surface.
  • Keep water and other solvents off the touchscreen. Spilling water on the touchscreen will compromise the touchscreen surface, resulting in damage.
green cloth

How to Care For Your Touchscreen 

You can care for your touchscreen (see Viewsonic TD2230 monitor) by observing the guidelines shown below.

  • Clean your touchscreen more often. You're supposed to clean your touchscreen more often. The touchscreen has a layer coating that makes cleaning easier. Use a non-abrasive material to clean the touchscreen. Also, rub the touchscreen surface gently. Do not apply excess force, as you can distort or break the touchscreen. Do not use Rubbing alcohol when cleaning the touchscreen. You also need to avoid other alcohol cleaning solutions with a 70% or more concentration. 
  • Do not leave the touchscreen exposed to direct sunlight for an extended period. Leaving your touchscreen exposed to sunlight for too long will expose the touchscreen surface to UV light that can distort the display interface of your touchscreen.
  • Always cover your touchscreen. Cover the touchscreen with a clean piece of cloth to keep off dust particles and dirt that may be attracted to the touchscreen due to the static charges. 
  • Use clean hands when typing on the touchscreen. Dirty hands will cause dirt to get attached to the touchscreen. 
tablet

How Frequently Should I Clean My Touchscreen?

You're supposed to clean your touchscreen more frequently. However, the cleaning frequency will depend on your traits. Due to the Covid-19 requirements, you're supposed to clean and disinfect your touchscreen even more often. Clean the touchscreen immediately if you've been with someone who's coughing or someone showing Covid-19 symptoms. Failing to clean the touchscreen immediately may result in germ accumulation on the surface of the touchscreen. 

You're also expected to clean your POS touchscreen immediately after any user has finished using them. This has also been among the measures taken to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. Clean the POS touchscreen with a non-abrasive material that will;l not scratch or distort the display surface of your POS touchscreen. 

You should also clean your touchscreen when you feel resistance while hovering over it. Resistance while hovering over a touchscreen implies the presence of dirt particles and debris on the touchscreen surface. 

Your touchscreen has static charges that tend to attract dust particles. The dust particles get attached to the touchscreen surface. You're supposed to clean it frequently to keep the dust particles and dirt debris off.

monitor

How to Clean Your Elo Device Touchscreen

You can clean your Elo device touchscreen by following the guidelines shown below.

  1. Shut down your Elo device before you begin cleaning it. If not, ensure the on-screen software you're using on your Elo device can support virtual touching without initiating a command.
  2. Apply an appropriate cleaning solution to a non-abrasive cloth and gently wipe the Elo device touchscreen. Circularly wipe the touchscreen to prevent the formation of irregular patterns on the Elo device touchscreen. Also, apply a small force, just enough to wipe out the dirt. Applying too much force can damage or break the touchscreen.
  3. Do not use abrasive material and Rubbing alcohol to clean the Elo device touchscreen. Abrasive materials scratch the Elo device touchscreen causing its surface to distort or get damaged. Rubbing alcohol and other alcohol cleaning solutions may discolor the Elo device touchscreen.
  4. Using a dry non-abrasive cloth, wipe dry the screen.
  5. Leave the Elo device touchscreen to dry before you can power it back on. 
elo screen

How to Clean Your Car Touchscreen

You can clean your car touchscreen by following the set of instructions given below.

  1. Turn off your car screen. This will give you a clear view of dirt and grime.
  2. Use a dry microfiber cloth to wipe all dirt and dust particles from the car screen. Rub gently not to distort the screen. Also, avoid using non-abrasive materials as they scratch the display interface of your car touchscreen. 
  3. Gently rub against the touchscreen display interface circularly to avoid irregular patterns on the screen. 
  4. If dirt particles are left on the touchscreen surface, apply the little cleaning solution to the microfiber cloth and gently wipe the touchscreen. 
  5. Dry the car touchscreen by wiping it using a dry, non-abrasive cloth before powering it back on.
touch screen in car

Precautions to Take When Cleaning Your Car Touchscreen

The precautions to take when cleaning your car touchscreen are listed below.

  • Do not spill the cleaning solution on the ports found on the dashboard of your car. Also, ensure you wipe out all the cleaning solutions immediately after cleaning. Leaving the cleaning solution on the touchscreen interface for an extended period may compromise the touchscreen surface.
  • Do not use rubbing alcohol and all other alcoholic cleaning solution. Using these solutions will compromise the protective layer of the touchscreen, which may further damage your car's touchscreen. 
  • You should not use any other material other than the microfiber cloth to clean the car touchscreen. Abrasive materials scratch the touchscreen interface, distorting them in the process.

Do I Need to Clean My Touchscreen Device Keyboard?

Yes, you need to clean the keyboard of your touchscreen device. The touchscreen device keyboard contains specks of dirt and debris coming from your hands when you type in the keyboard. This dirt gets attached to the screen when you close your PC. As a result, the touchscreen interface becomes dirty. 

How to Clean Your Touchscreen Device Keyboard

To clean your touchscreen device keyboard, follow the instructions given below.

  1. Position your keyboard to stand on its side. Slightly knock it to loosen debris and dirt particles. Take care not to apply too much force. Doing so may break the keyboard or damage its internal components. 
  2. Use a microfiber cloth to remove all the debris loosened. In its natural orientation, the keyboard dust off all dirt and debris sideways and collect the dirt into trash. 
  3. Use compressed air to drive off debris and dirt particles that remain between keys. 
  4. Use a damp, lint-free material to wipe out liquid spills from the keyboard keys. You may need to use water and a little soap to remove dried spillage or stain from the keyboard. 


clean keyboard

Conclusion

Use the set of instructions listed in this article to clean your touchscreen (see also 'Clean Monitor' post). Whenever cleaning the touchscreen, be sure to use a non-abrasive material so as not to damage the touchscreen surface. Also, ensure you clean your touchscreen regularly. 

About Dusan Stanar

I'm the founder of VSS Monitoring. I have been both writing and working in technology in a number of roles for dozens of years and wanted to bring my experience online to make it publicly available. Visit https://www.vssmonitoring.com/about-us/ to read more about myself and the rest of the team.

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