For so many people, the holidays have begun and so many computers and tablets have been abandoned waiting for the resumption of work. It is not known what percentage they were left with the screen clean of fingerprints and dust, but it would be nice if they were clean when they returned from vacation. For this reason, for those who have not done it before leaving the office, we have put together a small guide to clean screens correctly, without causing damage.
What to do to clean the screens
Dirt on computer and tablet screens is less noticeable than on eyeglass lenses, but it would still be good to avoid it: given that we touch them often and, in the case of mobile devices, we carry them around, they are full of bacteria, as various studies have found. A few years ago Dubert Guerrero, an American infectious disease expert and author of an article on the presence of bacteria on iPads, told the New York Times that a damp microfiber cloth is enough to kill most common bacteria.
For a more thorough cleaning you would need a sterilizing substance, such as alcohol, only some electronic device manufacturers, such as Apple, recommend not using cleaners that contain it on their product screens, but only dry “lint-free” cloths. . Also speaking to the New York Times, a technician from the repair and service section of the Best Buy electronics chain explained that, if you ignore the strict recommendations, you can clean the screens with a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol solution. of concentration and distilled water (to avoid impurities): just mix it in equal parts, put the result in a spray container and then spray the solution on a cloth. The important thing is never to spray directly on the screens. And do not use detergents to clean the windows.
Microfibre cloths for screens
Computer, tablet and smartphone screens can also be cleaned with wipes for eyeglass lenses, but especially for computers , this is done much earlier with larger microfiber cloths. We tested three types among those for sale on Amazon: these 30 by 30 centimeters sold in a pack of 5, Eco-Fused brand, these other 30 by 40 sold in a pack of 2, Edison King brand, and finally these even larger, 40 by 40 centimeters, sold in a pack of 3, Charm & Magic brand.
They all do their job well, so you can't make a real ranking, but since the dimensions are more or less equivalent, you can make a choice based on the price: the cloths that cost less, taken individually, are the first, the ones by Eco-Fused. They are also sold in the most practical packaging: made of resistant and easily resealable plastic, less disposable, even if a little bulky if you want to carry around a single cloth. They are also very well reviewed on Amazon: they have an average of 4.7 out of 5 stars, for more than 400 reviews.
How to wash microfiber cloths
The best method is to wash them by hand using only cold or lukewarm water: if you only use them to clean the lenses of your glasses they should not be stained. If you don't have time to wash them by hand, you can also put them in the washing machine, but washing them at low temperatures, without using fabric softener and using little detergent, and avoiding washing them together with non-synthetic fabrics: they could lose fibers which would then risk sticking together. to patches.
Disclaimer: on some of the sites linked in the Consumerism section, the Post has an affiliation and obtains a small share of the revenues, without changes in prices – which may vary from day to day compared to those indicated, according to the offers. But you can also google them.
