How do I clean the glass on MY CRT monitor without leaving streaks or wrecking the coating?

[Salvador]

I just tried two different things on my new flat screen 21" CRT and I can't get it close to being streak free. First I tried a lens cleaning formula with a microfiber cloth that I use for cleaning multicoated camera lenses. I've never had a single problem with streaks using this combo on any of my lenses, filters or even eye glasses. For some reason, I can't get the monitor streak free though.

The other thing that I tried was a monitor glass cleaning kit from Fellowes.. What a joke! This stuff is crap. I would be better off just licking my monitor glass clean than using this stuff.

What can I use on the glass to get it streak free? I obviously need something that will not hurt the anti-glare coating.

Frustrated..

Sal

 

[Gosharkss]

Go down to your local auto supply store, (not kidding) and buy a small chamois (lambskin), yes the kind you use to wipe the water off your car after you wash it. Find the softest one they have. You do not need to wet it, just rub the face of the monitor gently, this will remove dust, dirt and those annoying fingerprints and will not harm the face of the screen.

Do not use the one you used on your car, it could have picked up a small particle that will scratch the face of the monitor.

 

[BD231]

Regular window cleaner, it takes practice to get rid of the streaks. What you do is use a "DRY" towel/washcloth to....., "DRY" the monitor...., no streaks will be there if you do this. I suggest practicing on a window first

 

[cjsketchy]

windex & paper towel works for me. Might get the occasional streak left behind, but when the monitor's on, it's very hard to see them.

no idea what it does to the coating though, but my 17" dell trinitron monitor still looks good after 3 years

 

[Salvador]

Thanks! Does it have to be a real chamois or can it be a synthetic chamois? What If I rinse it really well? Is it still not worth the risk that by using it on your car, that you could've picked up something?

As far as window cleaner goes, I thought it was bad for the coating?

I'm usually pretty darn good with cleaning camera lenses and filters.. I just can't seem to get this thing streak free.

Anyway.. Thanks again for the suggestions.. If anybody has any others, please pass them on.

Sal

 

[Gosharkss]

Use the real one. And NO! DONT USE THE ONE YOU USE ON YOUR CAR.

 

[Amused]

<<How do I clean the glass on your CRT monitor without leaving streaks or wrecking the coating?>>

Cool, you're coming over to clean my monitors?

I've used windex and paper towels for years on my Sonys. No problems whatsoever.

 

[BadThad]

hummmm...I never use any kind of cleaner on monitors. I've found a lightly, moist paper towel and a dry one to finish the job work great.

 

[Salvador]

I just tried the absorant towels that came with the Fellowes kit. I wetted one with plain water and used the other to dry. Now, I have a complete mess.. It sucks that I can't even get this thing remotely streak free. I've had the monitor for a few months now and avoided touching it with anything, but someone came over with greazy mits and smeared up my screen..

I'm getting frustrated here!!

Thanks again,

Sal

 

[Antoneo]

<< Regular window cleaner, it takes practice to get rid of the streaks. What you do is use a "DRY" towel/washcloth to....., "DRY" the monitor...., no streaks will be there if you do this. I suggest practicing on a window first >>

Hmm... I have seen some users on this board recommending NOT to use window cleaner solutions ie. Windex because it will damage the anti-glare coating on the screen. I usually just use a slghtly moist, clean, cotton towel and wipe the screen. This should work unless your screen has oil residue from "potato chip fingers".

 

[SniperWulf]

You'd be amazed at what dry Charmin TeePee can do. try it!

 

[thorin]

OMG there was a thread about this like 2 days ago. See that little link/button up and to the right slightly that says "Search" it works wonders, you should try it sometime.

Thorin

PS > Use vinegar and a lint free cloth, that'll get the oil off, and it won't streak or hurt the antiglare coating.

 

[Salvador]

Well.. I can't figure out why the hell this lens cleaning solution and the microfiber cloth will not take care of it.

BTW.. Teepee and tissue is a no-no for camera optics because it contains wood fibers that will scratch a lens.

Well.. Look like I have to go get a chamois now.. I really hope that this works now that my screen is so screwed up.

Thanks again..

Sal

 

[Salvador]

You know what?? I tried a search with several key words and I pulled up nothing! The only thing that did pull up something was when I put in the word Monitor, but who the h@ll wants to go through a gazillion monitor threads just to look for the one on cleaning the screen..

Sal

 

[pm]

For dust, I agree with gosharkss.

For fingerprints or some other type of grease, I recommend wiping the screen with denatured alcohol first. That cuts through grease - and whatever else my daughter manages to smear across the screen when she tries to give Barnie a kiss or something. Windex might do this too, but vinegar didn't... and neither did water.

 

[thorin]

Please don't take my post personally I'm in a bad mood (work not AnandTech issue), and I've been noticing alot of duplicate requests recently that's all.....

Try searching for "clean your monitor" (without quotes).

Thorin

 

[jaggrey]

Make sure that whatever you use has no alcohol in it. I learned this the hard way with my 19" FD Trinitron. The streaks are awful.

 

[resinboy]

In my owners manual that came with my $1000 Hitachi, it said to make sure you DO NOT use any ammonia based cleaners, as this will REMOVE the anti-glare coating.


Resinboy

 

[bearmeat]

i find that an artichoke/avocado/cucumber/egg mixture applied evenly across the surface and wiped off after 30 min, creates a nice protective coating.

 

[WarCon]

I won't even begin to imagine what you were doing to figure out that the aforemention concoction actually does anything but act as a party mix. (I hope you was joking)

I use eyeglass cleaning solution and I find lots of little circles works better than long wipes. And most of the time, less is more. (In other words, use less cleaner and more circles to be streak free)

 

[Salvador]

And the winner is...... Straight Vineager with a half of box of Kleenex. My monitor is absolutely perfect now thanks to thorin.

I tried everything.. I mean everything mentioned here including Windex and that did the worst job. The second best thing by a longshot was the multi coat cleaning fluid with a microfiber cloth that I use on expensive camera optics. As a matter of fact, my dad wears glasses and has a coating on them. He used to use all sorts of different optical sprays and everything streaked them. He used to curse on a regular basis about it. I got tired of hearing about it, so I gave him a bottle of the stuff that I use for camera optics and a nice microfiber cloth and it works perfectly.

I don't know what was up to make cleaning this monitor so tough. It's like it had some sort of crap on the glass. I'm not talking about the anti-glare coating either. Some sort of film. I first tried a cloth with the straight Vineager and it worked, but still streaked. I then tried TP and it didn't hold together worth a damn. I then tried Kleenex and it worked perfectly. I had to change the Kleenex quite often though because it didn't hold together all that well either and my monitor is 21", so I had a lot of surface area to clean.

Now.. All greazy mits must stay away from my monitor! I'll probably end up getting a Chamois too though because it gets dusty quite often and I needed a way to keep the dust off without scratching the glass, smearing or taking off the coating. But.. If someone ever smears their greasy fingers on it again, I'll know what will work.

Anyway.. I just thought I'd share what worked for me.

Thanks again for the replies.

Sal

 

[thorin]

" I had to change the Kleenex quite often though because it didn't hold together all that well either and my monitor is 21", so I had a lot of surface area to clean."

Try paper towel next time. Some people feel kleenex and paper towel are linty but it's not that bad. (I suppose you could always dust with a lint free cloth after you use vinegar and paper towel, if you see any paper towel lint ).

Thorin

 

[Howard]

Do NOT use Windex! Do NOT use anything that either has alcohol in it or ammonia! They will dissolve your anti-static coating and/or anti-glare coating!