DIY Screen Cleaner
Guest Writer Josh Tucker (@itninja)
Almost everything has a screen these days. Mobile phones, laptops, TVs, portable DVD players… the list goes on an on. If you want to keep all of these screens clean, you could end up spending a small fortune on “screen cleaner” from your local drug store.
So why not make your own?
All you need is:
- Distilled water
- Isopropyl alcohol (91% or higher)
- A spray bottle with a “mist” or “spray” setting
It is important to use isopropyl alcohol with as high of an alcohol content as possible, a minimum of 91% should be used. Most grocery stores may only carry 75% - but any drug store (CVS, Walgreens, etc) should carry at least 91%. The higher percentage reduces “streaking” when it dries on your screen.
Also, use distilled water. Do not think that you can simply use tap water, or even “filtered” or bottled water. Distilled water has the minerals and chemicals removed from it, preventing spots from occurring when the screen dries.
Mix the isopropyl alcohol and distilled water in a 3:1 mixture. That is, 75% isopropyl alcohol, 25% water. To make math easy, I purchased a large 24oz. spray bottle. The isopropyl alcohol came in a 16oz. bottle. I poured the entire isopropyl bottle into the spray bottle, then filled the remainder of the spray bottle (8oz left) with distilled water.
Make sure the spray bottle is set to “spray” or “mist”. “Stream” will not work.
To wipe the screen, use either a good quality/thick paper towel, or if you can find them, lint free electronics cloths.
