Q: How do I remove fingerprints, including old ones, from a flat-screen TV?
A: Back when the only screens in most homes were televisions that showed images projected from the back via cathode-ray tubes, cleaning fingerprints from the glass was easy. Manufacturers coated the back of the glass with tiny phosphor dots that glowed red, green or blue when struck by electron beams from the tube. But they didn’t coat the front of the glass, so you could rub away fingerprints with the help of any window cleaner that worked on glass. You could even use products with ammonia, such as the original Windex formula. And fingerprints weren’t such an issue then; touch screens were yet to come.
Cleaning screens became more complicated beginning in the early aughts, when sales of plasma televisions took off, only to be nudged aside in later years by LCDs, OLEDs and QLEDs. Plasma televisions, the first flat screens, have two glass panels separated by a narrow gap filled with millions of tiny cells filled with gas that reacts when current passes through and causes phosphors on the inside of the glass to light up and create images. Glare from other nearby light sources made images on the screen hard to see, so manufacturers began applying anti-glare coating to the outside face of the glass. Cleaning with ammonia and some other cleaners could strip the coating and leave the screen with visible wipe marks. Improper cleaning can also permanently damage newer types of television screens, as well as computer and gaming screens.
Phone screens are also vulnerable, but they need to stand up to being taken in and out of jeans pockets so they resist abrasion better. Because screen materials vary, it’s always smart to check the manufacturer’s recommendations for your specific product. Search online for terms such as “clean Mac computer screen” or “clean Sony TV screen.”
But in all cases some general guidelines apply:
Have a problem in your home? Send questions to localliving@washpost.com. Put “How To” in the subject line, tell us where you live and try to include a photo.
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