How to clean your PC monitor

[BrennoARTS]

Dirt, dust, and fingerprint smudges aren't going to do any long-term damage to your monitor, but they certainly might distract you while trying to headshot Tracer in Overwatch. Let's face it, your monitor is filthy—it's time to clean it. 

You might think that cleaning your monitor is easy, and you're right. But the process is slightly more complicated than just wiping it with the corner of your t-shirt—or even worse, a paper towel. Here are a few do's and don'ts:

How not to damage your monitor
 

Before we start, let's go over a few big no-no's, as accidentally damaging your monitor is a pricey mistake we want to avoid. 

First off, avoid corrosive substances! That means no alcohol- or ammonia-based cleaners (like diluted rubbing alcohol or Windex). These cleaners can damage your screen by stripping anti-reflective coatings, cause clouding, or worse. Monitors have come a long way from the giant glass bulbs of old-school CRT screens, but that means they're a lot more sensitive too. 

Next, be careful what you use to wipe the screen. Paper towels might seem like a good option, but at a microscopic level, they're actually quite abrasive. Ditto to t-shirts or other household rags, which might be harboring a stowaway spec of sand, metal, or something else that could scratch up your display in a single wipe. 

Finally, you never want to spray your cleaning agent directly onto your monitor. Excess liquid runs the risk of pooling in the corner of your screen, seeping in through tiny weak spots and wreaking havoc on the sensitive materials inside.