Can you use an all-purpose cleaner on your TV screen?

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Our TV screens are better than ever, but they still gather smudges, fingerprints, and other grime pretty readily. When your TV had a glass screen, you could reach for whatever cleaner you had at hand, but what about now?

See, most TVs have plastic screens, with varying plastic films over that screen to add other functionality. How will that hold up when you try using whatever cleaner you picked up from under the sink?

Are things like all-purpose cleaners truly “all-purpose,” or are there exceptions?

So, can I use all-purpose cleaners on my TV screen?

Short answer: No

You might have just bought a new TV or are looking to bring one out of storage. You might be tempted to grab a cloth and an all-purpose cleaner to buff off those smudges or fingerprints from the new TV. Resist that temptation.

READ MORE: Why you shouldn’t mount your TV over a fireplace

Most TVs have a special coating over the screen, whether it’s for anti-glare, better color accuracy via quantum dots, or any number of other things. That coating is easily damaged by strong cleaners, so don’t use them on the screen.

That includes all-purpose cleaners, window cleaning fluids, or really anything other than distilled water. Put a fine sprinkle of distilled water on a microfiber cloth, and gently buff out those smears, smudges, or fingerprints. That works for your laptop or computer screens as well.

If you really wanted, you could buy one of those cleaning kits you see all over, but they’re not necessary. The sprays are mostly filtered water anyway, so the only thing they’re doing is making profit for the store.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.