I struggle with having clean screens.
Not the window-kind. (I struggle with simply HAVING those… Thanks to a dog who is petrified of thunderstorms…)
But rather the computer and TV variety.
My house is dusty. I think it’s a side affect of living in a windy climate. (And also probably from pretty much NEVER dusting.)
And, living on a “farm” equals lots of flies in the summer. Which equals flies in my house, no matter how many hours I spend with a swatter in my hand.
The worst part about flies? They poop. Oh yes they do. And fly poop annoys me (much more than dust does).
So this is a very round-about way to say my laptop and TV screens are generally filthy and covered in dust and fly poop. Sorry to be so blunt.
I know you can buy the fancy screen cleaners at the store, but who wants to do that when a DIY solution is so incredibly easy (not to mention cheap!)? Here ya go:
Homemade Computer/TV Screen Cleaner
- 1 part plain white vinegar
- 1 part distilled water (make sure you use distilled only!)
- A clean, lint-free cloth. (I like using old, worn-out t-shirts from my rag collection)
Mix the vinegar and water. Store in a labeled container (I use an small canning jar). A spray bottle would also work.
When you are ready to clean your screens, spray a soft, lint-free cloth with the solution, OR dip the cloth into the jar.
DO NOT spray the solution directly on your screen, as it can drip down into places it shouldn’t go.
Gently, wipe the screen with the damp cloth. It may take more than one application, depending on how dirty things are.
Enjoy your shiny clean screen for as long as you can before the flies land on it again or the kiddos attempt more finger art.
A Few Notes:
- A 1/2 cup of vinegar and a 1/2 cup of distilled water is a good amount to start with.
- You can store this as long as you need to.
- Why distilled water? Distilled water is free from minerals which leave smudgy water spots on your screens. If you wash your screens with tap water, you’ll probably end up with a dirtier screen than what you started with.
- I use this on our flat screen TV and my laptop. I’ve had no trouble with it. However, please use it at your own risk with your own equipment.
- If you have a black kitchen appliances (like me), this solution is a great way to shine them up. (Because of our hard water, wiping things down with regular soapy water leaves lots of spots).
Enjoy those sparkly screens! 😉
I’m reading this, looking at my screen and thinking…hum, perfect timing. My screen is gross…okay, you have given me the motivation and swift kick I needed. 🙂 lol
Be careful with this. Vinegar is acidic, and many of the newer screens have special coating on them to make them resistant to fingerprints, etc. (I think they’re called oleophobic coatings) Alcohol, vinegar, and anything that is acidic will strip that coating off and leave you with a screen that will get dirtier, faster.
The best way is to use distilled water and a microfiber cloth. Spray the cloth and wipe down your screen. Do a final dry with another microfiber cloth used only for that purpose. You should delete this advice or add a red flag warning!
Thank you!!
You can buy a kit to fix that, no problem! 🙂
Vinegar is acidic even the distilled stuff may continue to ferment it may leave residue on the screen after it has dried I’d just stick to distilled water, by the way distilled water without any residue is available in 10 liter bottles at your supermarket for drinking just read the label to see how pure it is and if it is distilled filtered is no good still has crud in it
most times you have to clean the screen several times to get it thoroughly clean start with dusting with a static duster then wipe the frame front sides and top with damp sponge then cotton buds moistened with distilled water to remove each fly shit to reduce wiping that dirt all over the screen then your moistened microfiber cloth be gentle light strokes now biff that first cloth in the washing machine get another clean fresh one dampen with distilled water and do your second wipe repeat till it looks perfect (make sure it’s off first step sorry) most times it takes about 3 or 4 goes till you cant see any smears that’s why you need about 4 clean microfiber cloths brand new ones don’t work well I always wash mine in liquid detergent first then rince several times before line drying just my ten cents worth the glossy screens are much easier to clean than the Matt ones but be aware if it has a coating if you are not really careful you may end up with a blotchy mess where parts of the coating come off. Just my ten cents worth
Thank you so much! I have been staring at fly poop on my computer screen for several months. I now have the ammunition to get rid of it! THANK YOU!
this may sound crazy but it really works get a small plastic sandwich bag fill it half way with water and drop a few pennies in the water seal the bag and hang it up somewhere in the room I promise you there will be no more flies in the room again my husband’shop was loaded with flies after he did this he never saw another one. all of our friends are doing this and it works for them anyplace they don’t wan’t flies.
You don’t even need water or sandwich bag. Just got Penny is all over. We did that on our deck. No more flies
You will ruin your screen like. better to use the things that you use to clean eyeglasse with.
For your flies get a liter coke bottle cause it is clear, take the label off and sit one one each side of the frontdoor and the back door, make sure to take the labels off. the flies for some reason are afraid of the water. It works I do it all the time cause I live in Florida
I’ve been using it for a while on mine and haven’t ruined anything. Although, please exercise caution before using anything on your screens.
I have used this on my computer and after getting our flat screen TVs for years and it has never bothered either one of them. It cleans great!
Thanks for the great tip. This will help me keep stuff clean and save some money, too 🙂 🙂 Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 🙂
Oh thanks for the tip!! I hate a dirty computer or tv screen but it’s always so hard to get them streak free! Thanks for sharing today. I found your site through Better Mom link up and I’m glad I stopped by. I’m off to go look around your site some more and “get to know you” . Happy Monday! 🙂
Thanks for the tip, I shall certainly give it a try.
What a great tip! I had to chuckle a little about the “window screen” comment. We, too, have a dog that is terrified of thunderstorms AND we live near a wildlife reserve where people hunt and our poor dog hates the sound of guns. I feel you pain on the window screens!
Ha! Glad I’m not the only one! 🙂 Mine doesn’t like guns, either…
thanks for the tip!
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I have been looking for something to keep screens clean. Had no idea about distilled water. Pinning this! Thanks so much! I am a new Fb fan visiting from We are that family. Vicky from Mess For Less
Thanks for the pin Vicky!
Congrats! You are featured on New Nostalgia’s Anti-Procrastination Tuesday. Thanks for linking up!
Whoo hoo! Thank you so much! 🙂
PS – I just had to Pin this!!
Thank you Ashley! 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipe. It worked beautifully!
I so need this. Been trying to figure out what to use on my screen. I tried a novelty screen wipe and it did nothing. Going to try this tomorrow. Thanks!
Think you’ll like it Crystal! 🙂
I would be careful using something acidic like vinegar on your electronics. I just use rubbing alcohol on my phone screen and a slightly damp cloth or a micofiber cloth (if it’s only dusty) for my computer monitor screens. I have a bottle of wipes made for monitor screens if I really feel they are getting too gunky.
Since this is diluted with water the acidic content of the vinegar doesn’t hurt the screens at all. Been using it for years! NO problems!
While this is a great way to clean your computer screen, I don’t know many people that carry around distilled water and making it on your own is more work than it’s worth. Honestly, just go buy a cleaning product and cloth. It’ll cost you less than 10 bucks and you’ll get your moneys worth out of it.
Exactly the wrong thing to do. Most cleaning products will ruin your screen. Never ‘spray’ anything on your screens, most of them are multilayered and if anything liquid gets down into the bottom of the frame it gets pulled up into the layers of the screen. Great way to end up with either a totally ruined item or at the very least one with horrendous looking ‘marks’ inside the screen…know this from experience as Grandson (while Mom wasn’t watching him) sprayed an organic cleaner all over our tv screen, it ran down got soaked up and we’ve had dark spots in our screen ever since (tv was only 3 months old and this voided the warranty.) Even plain water will cause issues if it gets in there.
The first line of my previous comment was meant for the suggestion to just go buy a cleaner and use it, not for the main article about vinigar and destilled water. I use WD-40 (fish oil) to cut greasy finger prints and then clean that off with vinegar myself, so know that vinegar works well.
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I just tried it, and it works great! I just so happen to have plenty of distilled vinegar, and water around the house. I use both of them for many other uses all the time. Who knew? Thanks for the info. 🙂
You’re welcome Lynn!
Thanks for another informative blog. The place else may just
I am getting that kind of information written in such an ideal manner?
I have a undertaking that I’m just now running on, and I have been at the look out for such info.
Thanks for the hint….I just mixed up a batch and cleaned my laptop; it works great. Now onto my Kindle…I won’t say how bad that screen is..
Works like a charm! My laptop and Iphone screens are shiny and pretty! Thanks!!
Isn’t it great?! 😀
I just paid 12 Euros (about 15 dollars) for a cup of “computer screen cleaner” and a cloth. I now feel like an idiot, having read your recipe and cross-checked it with other sites.
At least now I have a spray bottle. I could have got one for about 50 cents at the dollar store, but hey, live and learn.
Well, now you know and you never have to buy it again! 🙂
What is fly poop??
The little black dots left on your walls, computers, and furniture after a fly has sat on them for a while. 🙂
Vinegar and water also work great to clean counters and surfaces, vinegar is a great disinfectant without all the fumes. Beverly
Thanks for the recipe for cleaning those dirty screens, pc and tv. I am sure it will work as well or better than the kind I bought at Wally World for over $9.00.
I will be trying it out soon, but I actually just cleaned both of my screens today.
Such good timing. LOL
Thanks again!
to keep flies out, fill a zip-top bag with water,hang it at the doorway, flies will not come in
But where get destilled water??
At the grocery store.
Thanks for the part about why you use distilled water I’ve used it for for years with newspaper for my windows, hade problems with smudging though on screens now I know why.
My LCD TV manufacturer says not to use vinegar based cleaning products on the TV’S screen. You may want to check with the manufacturer before using vinegar on your screen.
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What’s the vinegar actually do besides possibly take off the screens protective coating I get the distilled water cause of less minerals left behind on the screen and less likely to cause scratching but yeah don’t see why vinegar was chosen as a special ingredient I know it works good to remove really tough odors and stains like piss off cement or that’s seeped into hardwood and some cases removes stains cause the acidics in it peel away food and drink stains along with potentially a small spot of the carpet but didn’t read a single reason why it’s good for tv screen cleaning to make me risk my nice tvs over
I just want to ask will it create any smell? Because I read somewhere vinegar can create a nasty smell.
“side effect” (not “side affect”)
Thankyou
A bit short on the bottom to fully cover my iMac, but it covers the screen portion. Easy to pull on and off with a soft, cushiony interior that makes me comfortable using it on my computer. Would buy again when I get another monitor.
can you suggest nowadays which cleaner is best for clean the computer thanks
I use Fresh Tech Cleaner from BestBuy.com. Used it for years because it is all natural and it has always worked great.
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Hey i am confusing when choosing a cleaner for my tv and computer. Please help me to choose a cleaner. Good luck