What is the best way to clean your screens?

Technology has come a long way over the past few years and along with the changes comes the care and maintenance required. 

So many of our devices are touch compatible. With touch comes dirt, grime and germs. How many times have you seen someone eat their food then scroll on their touch devices? We all see the fingerprints and smudges on our devices and those of others. It is unavoidable these days, the only thing you can do is be vigilant in cleaning your devices. 

Two main reasons to keep your touch screens clean, germs and overall protection of your glass surface on your device. I hear some of you saying, I wipe it down with my sleeve all the time. That’s great but did you know that you are potentially damaging your actual screen in doing this. 

Device manufactures are constantly developing screen technology to help combat wear and tear. Most of us are unaware that our devices actually have a protection layer on the glass when they leave the factories. So giving it a quick wipe with your sleeve can compromise this protective layer. Here are a few things to avoid when next cleaning your touch screens: 

1. Don’t use a paper towel/ serviette or clothing, they are abrasive and will leave fine scratches 

2. Don’t use window cleaner. This will definitely remove the protective layer on newer phones 

3. Don’t use your makeup remover as most are chemical based 

4. Rubbing alcohol is also not recommended, Apple actually states not to use this on their devices. 

5. Soap should also be avoided as they generally require water to rinse off and some soaps have a moisturizer mixed in to keep your hands soft therefore leaving a film on your screen 

6. Android recommends that users avoid vinegar as it leaves an oil repellant coating on your glass, which can affect your screen over time 

7. Disinfectant wipes should also be avoided as they can strip off the water repellent coatings on your touch screens 

So what are we supposed to us to clean our touch screens if we shouldn’t use any of the above methods (which to be honest I have used a few over the years) 

Well the best way to clean your touch screen is to simply use a microfibre cloth. You can use it dry or dampen with distilled water to give a deeper clean if needed. We recommend you avoid spraying anything on your device directly as you don’t want to have any liquid to penetrate your ports. There are also some products you can buy that are made specifically for electronic devices. Generally the manufacturer will provide a cleaning cloth with your device, use this. 

If you have sand or dust residue on your device you can suck this out with a soft brush on your vacuum cleaner or use scotch tape to capture the dirt. Do not blow out your ports though as you may lodge particles further internally and compromise the integrity of the device further.