A gamer wanted to clean his dirty monitor and used high-proof alcohol for it. Not a good idea, as he realized afterwards.
Dust, fingerprints, pet hair. A monitor can get dirty quite quickly in everyday life if you’re not careful. Therefore, it’s not surprising that many users want to clean their system thoroughly from time to time.
However, some people resort to particularly drastic measures to clean their display. A gamer tried it with high-proof alcohol, but that was not a good idea.
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The community explains why his approach was not a good idea
What did the user do? The user u/STANERZ15 had a dirty monitor and wanted to clean it. He writes on reddit:
I cleaned my monitor with 90% alcohol, is that okay? Finally no longer shiny and dirty.
At first glance, the monitor looks nice and shiny. But after the first comments under his post, he realizes that it might not have been such a good idea after all.
How does the community react? They “congratulate” him for the idea of cleaning his monitor with alcohol. Someone comments sarcastically:
Alcohol is a good choice, but nothing is better than a sander to completely destroy your monitor.
Alcohol attacks the protective layer of the monitor
Why is this not a good idea? Alcohol is a harsh cleaning agent and attacks the protective layer and materials of the monitor. In the worst case, you could destroy your expensive device. A reddit user writes (via reddit.com):
As far as I know, it is always said that you should clean monitors/screens without chemicals and only with a nearly dry cloth and water. Since some chemicals can react and ruin the materials used to make the screen.
In general, you should avoid certain agents when cleaning televisions and display units:
- Cleaners based on alcohol or ammonia are not a good idea.
- Glass cleaners and abrasive agents are also far too aggressive.
- Tap water can cause a short circuit.
Avoid items like kitchen towels, cleaning cloths, or even sponges as well, because you can also scratch the surface with them. Damages cannot easily be removed afterwards.
What can you use to clean your monitor? Many recommend distilled water and a microfiber cloth for cleaning. Because distilled water contains no minerals anymore. The fewer minerals and salts are in the water, the less conductive the liquid is and could cause less damage to electronics if water happens to get inside.
Another alternative is special cleaning kits or screen cleaning sprays that you can purchase for a few euros in the supermarket or specialist store. You should also combine these with a microfiber cloth and never spray directly on the display, as the special cleaning kits can still be very strong.
Are you still looking for a suitable gaming monitor for your setup? Then take a look at our detailed buying guide here at MeinMMO:
