Question Do you cover your monitor?

[Borealis7]

I recently got a new monitor, I installed it and I kept the protective foam-like cover that came with it. I use it to cover the monitor while i'm not using the computer to prevent the monitor from gathering dust since the window in the room is open most of the day. Back in the CRT era, i used to have this big plastic curtain like cover for the monitor, alsmost like a car cover, but for years i didnt bother covering up my LCD monitor.

do you cover your monitor? is there like a special cover i should buy to keep it clean? i was thinking i can even make one with some sheets of Nylon.

 

[UsandThem]

Kind of the modern-day version of grandma putting plastic covers on all of the furniture.

But to answer you question, no I don't ever cover my monitor. I guess you could (it wouldn't hurt anything) if the room it's in will be very dusty, but if that's the case, you'll have dust all over everything anyways.

 

[mikeymikec]

I've never covered my monitor. I'd probably do it if I was about to create a load of dust through say home improvement to try and save myself the effort of additional cleanup.

 

[Mantrid-Drone]

I cover my biggest, newest monitor with that thin, foamy envelope a lot of IT stuff is packaged with. Keeps it dust and scratch free.

A smaller monitor, used on my daily desktop, was bought used and the screen surface clearly shows what happen when you do not use a cover. I do not cover that but it does get cleaned and dusted at least once a week.

I have a spare monitor of exactly the same size and make as that which I picked up for less than a £1 ($1.3) a few years ago. Works perfectly but the screen and most of the rest was speckled with paint spray. My guess somebody was doing some decorating in the same room with a paint roller brush and had not covered the monitor. Result: I got a very cheap monitor but had to clean it very carefully to make it usable.

So my throughts are this: if you think you might be going to upgrade to a better monitor you're going to get more for your old one the better the condition it is in. Therefore covering it makes good sense.

 

[mnewsham]

No, I do regularly clean my panels, but I see no reason to bother covering them considering how much dust they'll accumulate during normal usage anyway.

 

[willyryan20102010]

I have never covered the monitor but dust always there so I have to clean it ever week .

 

[msbettyhunt]

I've never covered my monitor. I'd probably do it if I was about to create a load of dust through say home improvement to try and save myself the effort of additional cleanup.

Indeed, in that case, we can cover our monitor not only with the specialized cover but with anything that protects our monitor

 

[aigomorla]

guess you could (it wouldn't hurt anything

Actually it can.
Ive face palmed at my cousins because they did this down to covering Vent holes on the monitor, telling me why cant they do this if they can on a cell phone (she was talking about this ziplock bags for water proofing).

Then trying to explain to them vent holes on a cell phone is speaker holes and not vent holes, was a whole other experience.

Just dont cover vent holes, and locations where the surface feels warm to the touch, as it will be insulating that area more, and warm will turn into hot.

 

[UsandThem]

Just dont cover vent holes, and locations where the surface feels warm to the touch, as it will be insulating that area more, and warm will turn into hot.

I meant covering the monitors when they are off. I would never recommend to insulate them with something while they are on. The person would eventually have a bad time if they did that.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I meant covering the monitors when they are off. I would never recommend to insulate them with something while they are on. The person would eventually have a bad time if they did that.

Thing is, most modern monitors with sleep / deep-sleep modes, are never truly "Off", unless unplugged completely from the wall.

 

[UsandThem]

Thing is, most modern monitors with sleep / deep-sleep modes, are never truly "Off", unless unplugged completely from the wall.

True, but they're not putting off heat like they do when they are turned on, aka using them.

They basically want a modern version of the plastic bags some people used to put over CRT monitors when not in use.

 

[VirtualLarry]

They basically want a modern version of the plastic bags some people used to put over CRT monitors when not in use.

Which killed many a CRT, or at least, shortened the lifespan of their electronic components, IMHO.

I'm not a fan of covers, due to the "heat issues".

 

[aigomorla]

well it also helped that electronics were built like tanks and brute force, in the old days.

now they are so fragile you could sneeze on it by accident get dust on something and then there goes the entire wafer.

 

[Mantrid-Drone]

I still use CRT 32" WS TVs for console gaming and as they're not used daily I do cover them, one with an old bed sheet the other with the plastic bag it came in. That prevents dust ingress which with a CRT TV is a significant cause of over-heating problems.

I've not found doing this has reduced their life at all: one is now 15 years old and whilst heavily used in the past maybe only a couple of times a week now. The other is 16 years old although less used both are still as good as they always were and have never required repair.

I do wait for the CRT TV to cool down before covering it again. My LCD monitor, which I said earlier in this thread I also cover, likewise.

 

[bigboxes]

So, that's one tuck and one no-tuck. You got that?

 

[bigboxes]

But seriously, no cover.

 

[Halka]

I cover my biggest, newest monitor with that thin, foamy envelope a lot of IT stuff is packaged with. Keeps it dust and scratch free.

A smaller monitor, used on my daily desktop, was bought used and the screen surface clearly shows what happen when you do not use a cover. I do not cover that but it does get cleaned and dusted at least once a week.

I have a spare monitor of exactly the same size and make as that which I picked up for less than a £1 ($1.3) a few years ago. Works perfectly but the screen and most of the rest was speckled with paint spray. My guess somebody was doing some decorating in the same room with a paint roller brush and had not covered the monitor. Result: I got a very cheap monitor but had to clean it very carefully to make it usable.

So my throughts are this: if you think you might be going to upgrade to a better monitor you're going to get more for your old one the better the condition it is in. Therefore covering it makes good sense.

You cover your newest monitor with a thin foamy cover wow you've got me thinking here.

Honestly, I have never covered my monitor ever. There is a big window in my roam that brings in some dust everyday but I still never cover my monitor. Once in every 3 days, I just clean off the dust from my monitor with a dusty-pup kind of a thing, it is small (very small) stuff toy kind of a thing that my friend got me and said that it is used for cleaning monitors, TV screen, phones etc. and it actually does a pretty good job.

 

[Mantrid-Drone]

The more cleaning you need to do the more risk there is you'll scratch the surface, get finger prints on it or do other damage. Women or men who wear diamond rings or rings in general when cleaning monitor screens are asking for trouble. Kids in the house? Then I'd cover it in Kevlar.

Covering a switched off monitor = less chance of damage, less dust and less work needed to keep it clean; all pretty good reasons for doing that.

 

[sdifox]

I have never covered the monitor but dust always there so I have to clean it ever week .

You need to clean your house...

 

[Exterous]

The more cleaning you need to do the more risk there is you'll scratch the surface, get finger prints on it or do other damage. Women or men who wear diamond rings or rings in general when cleaning monitor screens are asking for trouble. Kids in the house? Then I'd cover it in Kevlar.

Covering a switched off monitor = less chance of damage, less dust and less work needed to keep it clean; all pretty good reasons for doing that.

I mean a basic microfiber cloth should be fine for 99% of people

 

[thesmokingman]

I have this thing called a datavac, dust's #1 enemy.

 

[eek2121]

Oddly enough, I don't have issues with dust on my monitors. I do get it on my TVs though.

 

[mopardude87]

Not a bad idea,i live in a area where i would almost consider it a dust bowl. Must likely doing this when i purchase a new monitor soon. I wipe the front of my tower daily and always have to dust my keyboard its annoying.

Not gonna bother doing this to my 40'' 4k though, even if i still wipe the top and front occasionally. Its my tower that collects dust. Its why i can't even bother with dust filters,i would be cleaning it almost weekly ha. Not to mention dust filters on a Antec 900 would be a riot.