How to clean a computer monitor

We’re bringing you our instructions for how to clean a computer monitor, so you can keep your gaming experience smudge-free.

Monitors now have higher specs and performance than ever before. This means crisp and more vibrant images. However, it’s not just a question of buying the best 4K monitor but of looking after it as well. After all, there’s no point in getting access to the deep contrast that the best OLED monitor can offer you if you’re just going to burry beneath fingerprints and dust.

Cleaning your monitor is therefore not only hygienic but can increase your immersion in the game too. While it is easy to do, you need to make sure you are following a good procedure, and using the right materials to avoid damaging the monitor screen itself.

Here is the method that we think works best to keep your screen spic and span without damaging the display.

How to clean a gaming monitor

If you’ve got one of the best gaming monitors, you don’t want a dirty screen undermining its performance. Instead, keep it in tip-top condition with the help of our top tips.

• Turn off and unplug your gaming monitor. If you had been using it for an extended period of time give it around 15-20 minutes to fully cool down before going to the next step.
• Start by wiping down the monitor with a dry microfibre cloth. This will remove excess dust and some fingerprints.
• Wet your cloth. For the best results use distilled water, either by itself or in a 50/50 mix with white vinegar. Wring out firmly before applying to the screen to make sure there is no excess liquid.
• Wipe down the monitor again gently and without pressing down too hard. If there are some stains that are not moving, go back and forth over them, still without pressing down too hard.
• Leave the monitor to fully dry before plugging it back in and turning it on.

As you can see this whole process shouldn’t take more than around half an hour. Though, with the sheer screen size of the best ultrawide monitors, you might have to add on another minute or two!

Frequently asked questions

To make things easy for you, we’ve tried to answer some of the most common questions about cleaning computer screens.

What is the best thing to clean monitors with?

You definitely want to use a microfibre cloth to clean your computer monitor. We find dipping it in distilled water gets good results. If you have tough stains you can mix the water with white vinegar too.

Can I use alcohol wipes to clean my monitor?

Rubbing alcohol can be used to clean a monitor screen but it is better to use it with a microfibre cloth rather than alcohol wipes.