How To Clean Digital Signage LCD Screens

by | Oct 7, 2014

cleanHow many times have you witnessed someone cleaning the screen on their smartphone by wiping it off with a napkin, their shirt tail, pant leg, neck tie, pretty much any cloth type material they can get their hands on?

This approach does not bode well for cleaning the LCD screens of you digital signage system, though. And yes, the screens will need cleaned. One of the first responses users have when they see a new signage screen installed is to check if it is a touch screen. Whether it is or not, the finger prints are just the same. There also is a significant portion of the population that can not point to something on a screen without touching the screen with their finger.

A great way to see how much of a cleaning your screen requires is to turn it off. The light reflecting off the surface will highlight all of the smudges, fingerprints, and smears, usually in alarming quantities.

The first inclination to eradicate the grime is to grab the closest bottle of Windex and roll of paper towels and scrub like there is no tomorrow.

This is exactly what NOT to do. Ammonia based cleaners can damage any special coating that is on the screen. Depending on the brand, paper towels are fairly abrasive, to go along with the amount of lint debris they tend to leave behind.

Another tendency is to put some elbow grease into those tough to remove smudges. If they don’t rub off at first, you may be inclined to scrub harder. Doing so can damage the pixels in the screen.

LCD screens are designed to be cleaned with a delicate touch. Most light marks can be removed by gently wiping the screen with a dry microfiber cloth. For more stubborn smudges, you may need to dampen the cloth.  There are several cleaning solutions you can purchase, or for the Do-It-Yourselfer, use a 50/50 mixture of distilled water and vinegar. Do not spray the solution directly on the surface of the display. It could run down inside the display and cause damage to the electrical components. A good rule of thumb is liquid and electricity do not mix. It is best to spray the solution lightly onto the microfiber cloth and then wipe the screen. Repeat if necessary.

By taking good care of your digital signage screens, your message will be able to shine bright and clear for years to come.

 

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