How to Clean a Plasma TV Screen

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Co-authored by Raymond Chiu

Last Updated: November 29, 2024 Approved

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Using a Cleaning Solution

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Using Dishwashing Soap

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Video

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Expert Q&A

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Tips

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Things You'll Need

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If you own a plasma TV, you’ll want to keep the screen clear of dust, fingerprints, and other debris that will get in the way of a clear image. Before you begin cleaning, check the TV manual. It may recommend a particular product or method that is best suited for your particular TV. Your best bet is to use a clean, dry cloth to wipe the screen. If you’re dealing with particularly stubborn stains on the screen, you can use a dish soap mixture to clean the screen.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using a Cleaning Solution

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1
Turn off the plasma display and let it cool before cleaning it.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Raymond Chiu
House Cleaning Professional

Expert Interview. 15 October 2019.} Since plasma TVs use more power and generate more heat than LCD TVs, it is best to turn the screen off before cleaning. Let the screen remain off for 15-20 minutes. This will allow ample time for the unit to cool before you clean the screen.
- Failure to do this may cause your cleaning solution to evaporate before it has had enough time to remove any dust, dirt, or contaminants on your screen.
2
Wipe the screen with a soft, lint-free cloth to remove fingerprints and smudges. You could use a microfiber cleaning cloth or a soft, clean cotton rag.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Raymond Chiu
House Cleaning Professional

Expert Interview. 15 October 2019.} Rub it gently in a circular motion across the TV screen to remove all signs of dust. This should be enough to remove most dirt and dust from your TV screen.
- Avoid rubbing the screen with wood-based products (e.g., paper towels, toilet paper, tissues) because they can scratch the screen.^{[3]
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  Research source}^{[4]
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  Expert Source
  
  Raymond Chiu
  House Cleaning Professional
  
  Expert Interview. 15 October 2019.}
- Check out more TV cleaning tips from wikiHow users on wikiHow’s “What's the best way to clean a flat screen tv?” forum.
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3
Spray an alcohol-based screen cleaner onto a clean cloth.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Raymond Chiu
House Cleaning Professional

Expert Interview. 15 October 2019.} If stubborn dirty spots persist after wiping the screen dry, you can dampen your cleaning cloth. Spray 2-3 squirts of the cleaning solution on the soft cloth. Do not spray the cleaning product directly onto the screen, or it may saturate the surface and damage the screen.^{[6]
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Expert Source

Raymond Chiu
House Cleaning Professional

Expert Interview. 15 October 2019.} Don’t use a stronger chemical cleaner (e.g., ammonia or benzene), as these substances will cloud and dim the displayed image.
- You can find isopropyl-alcohol based screen cleaners at most PC-supply or electronics stores. Try to find a cleaner designed to clean television or computer screens.
4
Swab the screen with the dampened cloth to remove stubborn dust.^{[7]
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Expert Source

Raymond Chiu
House Cleaning Professional

Expert Interview. 15 October 2019.} Once your cloth is dampened, use it to wipe away any hard-to-clean fingerprints or smudges on the surface of your plasma screen. If the moistened cloth is not cleaning sufficiently, you can spray additional small amounts of cleaner on the cloth. However, don’t saturate the screen with liquid cleaner or you may damage the plasma.
- At no time do you want the cloth wet enough that it causes the solution to drip or run down the screen!
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Dry the screen with a separate clean, dry cloth.^{[8]
X
Expert Source

Raymond Chiu
House Cleaning Professional

Expert Interview. 15 October 2019.} After wiping the screen clean with a damp cloth, run a dry cloth over it to soak up any residual moisture. This will prevent your plasma screen from being damaged by the liquid.
- Once the screen is dry, you can plug the set back in and resume watching TV.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using Dishwashing Soap

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1
Fill a spray bottle with water and 2-3 drops of dishwashing detergent. Fill the bottle slowly, so that the soap doesn’t bubble up and run over the top. It's best to use lukewarm distilled water rather than tap water, since your tap water may contain minerals and other impurities.^{[9]
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Research source}
- You can find various brands of dishwashing detergents at your local grocery store or pharmacy.
- Before applying dishwashing soap to your plasma screen, read your TV’s warranty. Make sure that it won’t be voided if you clean the screen with soap.
2
Spray 2-3 squirts of the liquid onto a microfiber cloth. Aim the liquid spray away from your TV so you don’t risk spraying the soap solution directly onto your plasma screen. Then, squeeze the trigger 2-3 times to lightly dampen your microfiber cloth.^{[10]
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Research source}
- If you spray too much liquid into the cloth, you can wring it out over a sink to remove excess moisture.
3
Use 1 finger to wipe the stained spot on your plasma screen. Put your index finger in the cloth under the damp region. Press your finger lightly against the spot on your screen. Move your finger in a circular motion to wipe the dishwashing soap solution onto the stubborn stain. After a few wipes, the stain should come off.^{[11]
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Research source}
- If the screen is still dirty, try adding another 2-3 sprays of soap solution onto your microfiber cloth. And wipe the screen again.
- Press lightly on the screen as you wipe it clean. Don’t apply a lot of pressure, or you may damage the plasma.
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Wipe the screen dry with a clean microfiber cloth. Once you’ve spot-cleaned the screen and have removed the stubborn stains, use 1 more microfiber cloth to dry the spots you cleaned. This will prevent new bits of airborne dust from sticking to the screen.
- If you find that the screen is still slightly wet and soapy, you may need to slightly dampen a microfiber cloth with distilled water. Use the cloth to wipe the soapy residue off the screen.

Join the Discussion...

What's the best way to clean a flat screen tv?

15

WikiFawnDancer831

Hi all, does anyone have any tips for cleaning a flat screen tv? Mine's overdue for a good cleaning, it's got fingerprints and dust on it, but be... Read More

1

WikiBadgerWhisperer333

For cleaning an LED screen or flat screen, I just use a microfiber cloth and get it damp (not soaking) with warm water, then gently wipe down the... Read More

1

WikiOcelotSeeker760

I’d recommend using distilled water. You shouldn’t need any solvents, cleaners, or soaps to clean a TV screen. You can use tap water if you d... Read More

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Question

How do you clean a plasma TV without streaks?

Marcus Shields
House Cleaning Professional
Marcus is the owner of Maid Easy, a local residential cleaning company in Phoenix, Arizona. His cleaning roots date back to his grandmother who cleaned homes for valley residents in the 60’s through the 70’s. After working in tech for over a decade, he came back to the cleaning industry and opened Maid Easy to pass his family’s tried and true methods to home dwellers across the Phoenix Metro Area.

Marcus Shields

House Cleaning Professional

Expert Answer

Glass microfiber cloths help you avoid using liquid to clean your TV. The best way to clean fingerprints off a plasma TV is with a glass microfiber cloth. You can find them at home improvement stores and glass repair shops. It allows you to clean glass surfaces and remove fingerprints without using any liquid whatsoever.

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How can I clean Sharpie marker off my plasma screen?

Community Answer

Trace over the permanent marker with a dry erase marker. It should wipe away with a clean cloth.

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How do I get fingerprints off a plasma TV if the soft cloth doesn't work?

Community Answer

You can dampen the cloth first, and that should do the trick.

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Things You’ll Need

3-4 microfiber cloths
Alcohol-based screen cleaner
Dishwashing soap
Plastic spray bottle
Water

Tips

Make sure you have enough light to see the TV screen. Smudges sometimes can be hard to see with low lighting.^{[12]
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Expert Source

Raymond Chiu
House Cleaning Professional

Expert Interview. 15 October 2019.}

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The reason you should turn off the plasma display before cleaning is that plasma screens generate a high degree of heat. Most cleaning solutions would evaporate from a hot screen before you can go back over the screen with a dry wipe and pick up the dissolved contaminants and suspended dust.

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If you’re also cleaning the screens of other electronic devices (e.g., a tablet or computer), use a different microfiber cloth. Otherwise you may transfer dust and dirt from the plasma screen to your computer screen, or vice versa.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Always read the owner's manual for the TV you have because they may have specific instructions for how to clean the screen.
Use a new part or corner of the cloth with each wipe so you don't spread dust and grime back onto the screen.

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