What should you do if your screen is covered with grease and fingerprints? Some people keep alcohol wipes at home and immediately tear one off to wipe the screen, making it look brand new.But why do some people say, “Never use alcohol to clean your computer screen”? There are often reports from users claiming that using alcohol on their computer screens resulted in severe damage.Subsequently, various explanations emerged, with some saying that alcohol can damage the screen coating, while others claim that alcohol can directly corrode the screen.Alcohol: Am I aqua regia???Is alcohol really that scary? Why have I been using it for so long without any issues? Does that mean I can’t use it to disinfect my phone?
The screen that gets damaged is not the display, but the coating.
If you search online for “Can I use alcohol to clean my screen?” the articles that say “no” almost always mention the coating. Regarding whether alcohol can be used, here’s the conclusion:There’s no problem with cleaning phone screens, but it’s not recommended for computer and TV screens.
Coating peeling off the monitor surface | appleinsider
For TVs and computer screens, a layer of“anti-reflective coating” is applied to reduce glare and improve display quality. However, this coating is not integrated with the screen; it is like a film that is “stuck” to your screen.Different manufacturers use different coating materials, and since alcohol is a good solvent,it can indeed damage soluble coatings, leading to uneven brightness and visible peeling of the coating. Moreover, non-touch computer and TV screens generally do not show fingerprints, so manufacturers usually recommendgently wiping with a soft cloth dampened with water.It seems that using alcohol on computers is not a big issue, but can we use it to disinfect our frequently used phones?As a touch product, phones typically have a“hydrophobic and oleophobic coating” on the screen to prevent it from becoming a “fingerprint collector”. Currently, common hydrophobic and oleophobic coatings use fluorinated materials,which are stable and do not react with alcohol. Some official cleaning guidelines from phone manufacturers mention thatalcohol wipes can be used to clean the screen.
Cleaning and disinfecting precautions for Huawei phones | Huawei official customer service content
How to clean Apple products | Apple
They let you use alcohol wipes,
but they didn’t tell you to spray alcohol directly!
But wait, the computer screens reported in the media are not just about the coating being gone; the entire screen is completely unable to display normally.
Damaged screen | Weibo @ News Morning Post
Almost no company would recommend spraying alcohol or cleaning agents directly on the screen, not even water!Although modern devices are well-integrated and some have achieved high waterproof ratings, that does not mean you can just pour alcohol on them.Spraying directly on the screen can cause liquid to flow to the edge seams, potentially seeping into the device’s interior. Even waterproof devices can have theirwaterproof adhesive at the seams dissolved by alcohol or cleaning agents.
The correct cleaning method is to spray on the cloth | samsung.com
So regardless of what screen you are cleaning, if you need to use liquid (water, alcohol, cleaning agents, etc.), you shouldspray the liquid on the cleaning cloth, gently squeeze the cloth to ensure itdoes not drip, and then wipe the screen.
The key is not alcohol, but what cloth you use.
You might think that regardless of whether you use alcohol to wipe the screen, the phone will always become increasingly “oily”. For most screen coatings,the biggest enemy is not alcohol, but friction.Almost all brand cleaning guidelines specify the type of cloth to use:use a lint-free soft cloth (like the cleaning cloth that comes with your computer), and avoid using rough cloths, towels, paper towels, or similar items.
Apple product cleaning guide | Apple
In fact, the effectiveness of screen coatings diminishes over time. If you use rough cloths or paper towels, even if you wipe the screen with plain water, the coating mayaccelerate peeling due to excessive friction.Additionally, for laptops, if you use a keyboard cover, the protruding keyboard cover will directly contact the screen when the lid is closed. If the keyboard cover is made of rough material or has hard dust particles on it, it can wear down the coating.For newly purchased devices,there’s no need for excessive cleaning; using the right soft cloth is most important.For older devices, various “repair films” can be purchased online, which essentially form another layer of coating on the screen, butthis method does not last long.If it significantly affects normal use, you can consult the brand’s official after-sales service for repair or replacement.
Do not wipe it unless necessary! | Stock photo copyright image, reprinting may lead to copyright disputes
In simple terms, ifthe purpose is cleaning, there is no need to use alcohol; just use a soft cleaning cloth to wipe the screen, and if necessary, dampen the cloth and wring it out until it is not dripping.Ifthe purpose is disinfection, both Huawei and Apple statethat alcohol wipes can be used to disinfect the phone screen, but care should be taken to avoid alcohol entering any openings, and if there isleather material on the back, do not use alcohol.Oh, if you have a screen protector, feel free to use it; if it gets damaged, you can just replace it.By the way: For larger screens like computers and TVs, which have stricter visual quality requirements, the coatings used vary, so it’s best to refer to official documents or customer service for guidance. (For example, Apple’s nano-textured glass display can only be cleaned with the polishing cloth that comes with the Pro Display XDR or iMac.)References
[1] How Many Disinfecting Wipes Can Your Smartphone’s Screen Take? | WSJ
[2] Coatings for electronic devices | Patent No: US20200095449A1
[3] Tips for Keeping Your Smartphone Clean | https://news.samsung.com/global/tips-for-keeping-your-smartphone-clean
[4] Gupta, Vipul, et al. “Data and device protection: A ToF‐SIMS, wetting, and XPS study of an Apple iPod nano.” Surface and Interface Analysis 46.2 (2014): 106-108.
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Source |Guokr (ID: Guokr42)
Author | Owl
Editor | Wang Mengru
Reviewers | Xu Lai, Lin Lin