Tips to Help You Clean Your LCD Tv Safely

The screen on an LCD HDTV is not made of glass like in Plasma and CRT sets. Screens on LCD televisions are made of plastic. While most of the time a plastic screen has its advantages like greatly reduced reflections from surroundings and a lighter overall television set, they are even more fragile than glass screens if you take into consideration that glass is very difficult to scratch with pointy objects. A great misconception about LCD Televisions is that they are more resistant to shock compared to a Plasma televisions when in fact the opposite is true. While glass is very easy to break, the thick glass behind a Plasma HDTV is still more resistant to impact than the thin plastic on an LCD HDTV. A simple impact form a pointy object can be more than enough to cause a crack on the plastic screen leaving a huge black stain on the display. I have seen this happen quite a few times and the results are horrendous. So what can you do to clean the screen on your LCD HDTV?

Avoid using dirty clothes. Sometimes as part of our home cleaning routine we start cleaning glass surfaces and other electronic equipment with a piece of old cotton cloth. To get things done faster we use the same cloth to clean a few tables or other household items rinsing it with water or a solvent. Sometimes, particles the size of around one millimeter get trapped in the cleaning cloth we are using to clean the dirt and water stains in the glass objects we are cleaning. These grains of sand or particles are more than enough to cause a noticeable scratch on the surface of your LCD HDTV television. Plastic is very easy to scratch. You should be aware that while glass cannot be scratched by such tiny pebbles, they are a threat to plastic surfaces. Use a clean cloth exclusively to wipe of dust from your set.

Avoid using strong solvents. Use tap water or non plastic safe cleaner. If you are not sure of your cleaners strength, try it in another plastic surface. However, it is advised that even if the surface you tested it on does not show any sign of staining or deformation, you should mix the cleaner with some water to lower the concentration of chemicals in the mixture. Avoid using cleaners that have tend to be sticky or are somehow pasty especially if they are colored. Some of them can leave a stain if not completely removed. Such cleaners are created to be used on hard surfaces and can easily stick to plastic requiring to use more scrubbing to remove them. The best method is to avoid using them entirely. Most of the finger prints\marks or other dust can be cleaned most of the time with a dry and clean cloth.

Beware of the fabric you are using to clean your LCD screen with. Avoid nylon clothes and polyester. Use 100% cotton clothes. Some materials like nylon are very rough and can leave small scratches that are mostly unnoticeable but can accumulate over time as you keep cleaning the screen periodically. The best solution is to buy a cleaning cloth that is designed to clean notebook computer screens or you can also use the little cleaning cloth that comes with sunglasses.

Avoid applying pressure while wiping. LCD screens can crack easily if applied to much pressure especially on very bigger models. Wipe screens gently to avoid bending the plastic and causing possible damage to the inside of the screen were the liquid sits. While this may sound like common sense, one tuff to remove stain may easily tempt you to apply brute force to your LCD HDTV.
In summary the best way to clean your LCD Tv is to use a soft cotton cloth. Avoid using solvents and applying pressure to the plastic outer screen. This will ensure that your screen is in top shape and that it gives you the best possible performance by delivering the image quality you have always expected form your LCD televisions set. Always be sure that the cloth you are using is as clean as possible and that there are no small pebbles or sand particles on the the cleaning cloth you are using.