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Cleaning iMac Screen

thechris69

thechris69

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 11, 2005
377
0
Hello all, its time to clean the screen on my imac... i have various dust particles on the screen and its getting anoying... however, I treat my imac screen like delicate china as in, ive never touched it before... so i dont want to use anything that will scratch up the screen or anything... so what can i use to best get the dust off and not have scratches? t-shirt,dish towel, paper towel etc...:apple: :apple: :apple: :apple: :apple:
 
something that i dont have to buy that is lieing around the house is what is prefered
 
If you have any iKlear lying around the house, try that.

Seriously, though, I doubt you already have something that will do the job well and safely. The least you'll want to use is a microfiber lens/screen cloth. Don't use paper towels. Don't use regular drying cloths or towels. Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT use any cleaning products which don't SPECIFICALLY say they can be used to clean LCD displays. The wrong chemical or dilution may permanently scratch or fog your display. There's a reason Apple techs recommend and use iKlear.
 
neven said:
If you have any iKlear lying around the house, try that.

Seriously, though, I doubt you already have something that will do the job well and safely. The least you'll want to use is a microfiber lens/screen cloth. Don't use paper towels. Don't use regular drying cloths or towels. Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT use any cleaning products which don't SPECIFICALLY say they can be used to clean LCD displays. The wrong chemical or dilution may permanently scratch or fog your display. There's a reason Apple techs recommend and use iKlear.
Click to expand...

pfft. ive used windex with ammonia on every lcd screen ive ever owned and nothing bad has ever come of it.. but with that being said, im pretty careless, and just because nothing bad happened with my various LCDs doesnt mean u should try the windex approach
 
thechris69 said:
Hello all, its time to clean the screen on my imac... i have various dust particles on the screen and its getting anoying... however, I treat my imac screen like delicate china as in, ive never touched it before... so i dont want to use anything that will scratch up the screen or anything... so what can i use to best get the dust off and not have scratches? t-shirt,dish towel, paper towel etc...:apple: :apple: :apple: :apple: :apple:
Click to expand...

ive yet to see dish towels and paper towel scratch a screen. this is plastic we're talking about.. not your great grandmother..
 
I line my desk with 5-6 mugs of hot tea (decaf works best) and then aim a hair dryer at the screen for a few minutes. It takes the vapor from the tea and gently but forcefully throws it at the display, then the heat evaporates it off.

I have a friend who swears by Crisco and a cheese cloth, but he has an ACD and I use an iMac - the Crisco color is just enough different than the iMac to be annoying, but that doesn't matter with the silver bezeled ACD.
 
I see smudges, or something like them, on my iMac screen. So I tried to clean them off with Klear Screen spray because the bottle says the spray is say for Apple screens. It's supposed to be anti-static, too. Should I spray the screen and wipe it with the black cloth that came with it?

Thanks.

Bill
 
You screen is covered in a sheet of glass! Just take some soft paper towel and spray a few squirts of Windex on it (not soaked) and wipe off your glass screen.

Do let paranoia destroy your enjoyment!:)
 
Don't use Windex

I used Windex on my iMac screen, and it permanently fogged it. It's not terribly dark, but I can see it, and it bothers me. I recommend iKlear.
 
I've been using mild amounts of windex sprayed onto a soft cloth for initial wiping down, and then finishing the display off with a microfiber for a while now. Never have gotten any sort of clouding of the glass panel. Same can be said for my 40 inch samsung.
 
thechris69 said:
Hello all, its time to clean the screen on my imac... i have various dust particles on the screen and its getting anoying... however, I treat my imac screen like delicate china as in, ive never touched it before... so i dont want to use anything that will scratch up the screen or anything... so what can i use to best get the dust off and not have scratches? t-shirt,dish towel, paper towel etc...:apple: :apple: :apple: :apple: :apple:
Click to expand...

Read the manual, Apple specifically tells you how to clean your Mac! Don't listen to any of the "advice" read what the manufacturer says they generally have a better idea than anyone else. Not trying to anger all the folks that are trying to help but some are simply filling this space with mis information.

Guess it's called MacRumors for a reason.
 
Just water and a microfiber cloth won't get rid of oil left from fingerprints I'm afraid.

Microfiber cloth is clearly the way to go if all you wanna do is remove dust--the iMac even comes with one. Glass is glass, and doesn't scratch unless you take something sharp/hard to it.
 
I just purchased my Imac last month and the salesperson at the apple store said absolutely do not use windex or any product with alcohol. He said to use the microfiber cloth that came with the IMAC and if I needed to, use a little water, but that's it.
 
When transporting my iMac someone who shall remain nameless put the protective plastic back on but when in the process of doing so a sticky/gummy part bumped against the screen and, when pulled away, left gum on the screen.

So, how to clean that off? Provided alcohol didn't get onto the aluminum fascia, wouldn't that be the best way to remove it? Does the iMac's glass have an anti reflective multicoating that would be damaged by alcohol or diluted dishes detergent?
 
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It depends on which iMac you're talking about, but the latest ones have a thick glass panel covering actual lcd panel itself. You'd be hard-pressed to scratch it with anything that isn't a metal, nor would you ruin it with a basic glass cleaner. The only thing I'd worry about would be the aluminum finish.
 
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