Clean a Plasma TV Screen

If you get fingerprints or dust on your screen, you'll want to clean it off. But given the expensive prices of plasma TVs, you need to be careful to treat it right.

Steps

  1. Check the manual. It may recommend a particular product or method that is best suited for your particular TV.
  2. Turn off the plasma display before cleaning it. Doing this is not necessary, but it's preferred, especially if you're going to use a cleaning solution spray. Since Plasma TVs use more power than and generate more heat than LCD TVs, it is best to turn it off AND allow ample time for the unit to cool to the touch before attempting to clean the screen. Failure to do this may cause your cleaning solution to evaporate before it has had enough time to remove any dust, dirt, or contaminants on your screen.[1] Some sources suggest unplugging the TV.
  3. Use a soft, lint-free cloth to remove fingerprints and smudges. Avoid wood-based products (paper towels, toilet paper, tissues) because they can scratch the screen. If stubborn dirty spots persist, go to the next step. However, be advised that some manufacturers, such as Pioneer, recommend no liquid at all on the front of their plasmas, lest it seep into the plasma display.
  4. If you must use a liquid, spray-- a minimal amount of--the cleaning solution on the soft cloth, not on the screen. If the moistened cloth is not cleaning sufficiently, you can spray additional SMALL amounts on the cloth. At no time do you want the cloth wet to the point where the solution drips or runs down the screen! See previous point for the reason why. Use either just distilled water or non-ammonia or non-alcohol-based window cleaner. Ammonia and alcohol are substances which will eventually cloud any plastic with microscopic "crazing," with the effect of hazing and dimming the displayed image. After wiping the screen gently, follow up with a dry cloth.

Dishwashing Soap Method

  1. Mix a couple drops of liquid dishwashing detergent into a lukewarm spray bottle.
  2. Spray a little bit of the liquid onto a microfiber cloth.
  3. Wipe down the plasma screen carefully and gently.

Vacuum Cleaner Method

  1. Attach the hose attachment to your vacuum cleaner.
  2. Turn the vacuum cleaner on as low as it will go.
  3. Smoothly run the hose attachment over the plasma screen to suck up any dirt and dust from the screen.
  4. Be careful not to hold the vacuum cleaner too close to the screen.

Tips

  • When wiping the screen only wipe going from side to side not top to bottom and be gentle. Don't apply a lot of pressure.
  • The reason for turning off the Plasma display is the heat they typically generate. You should also allow ample time for the unit to cool before cleaning the screen Most cleaning solutions will be evaporated on a hot screen before you can go back over the screen with a dry wipe and pickup the dissolved contaminants and suspended dust.
  • When cleaning, you will want to use a single use wet/dry combination product so that in case there are contaminants on the screen you cannot see, you will not move them to other screens by reusing the same wipe. For the price you pay for a Plasma screen, you will want to go to some lengths to avoid damaging the device because of one careless cleaning.
  • Some cleaners made specifically for plasma screens are anti-static so that they prevent dust from adhering to the surface after cleaning. See the wet/dry cleaning product link below in Sources and Citations.
  • The other point for using a single use product is that a reusable cloth could become contaminated while in storage between cleaning and you may not be aware of the contamination. Once again, is the risk of causing permanent damage to your --very expensive--Plasma screen worth saving $25-$55 per year on cleaning supplies for a single screen?

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com/plasma-TV-unit.html
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