Clorox Wipes Safe For Computer Screens? (Clean + Disinfect)

Do you know if Clorox wipes are safe for computer screens? How to safely clean or disinfect your computer monitor? Well, you are at the perfect place to find the answer to such a question.

When it comes to keeping our computer, screens clean most of us can put it off until it becomes a bigger problem than simply wiping away a bit of dust.

You can easily put your sticky fingerprints over the screen or just leave it so long that your screen needs a very good clean.

But you should be careful when cleaning your computer screen as some are coated with a special coating to help protect them which can be removed with certain cleaning products, such as wipes.

So, are Clorox wipes safe for computer screens? No Clorox wipes are not safe for computer or laptop screens. You should not be using any type of disinfectant wipe, including Clorox, to clean your computer screen. Avoid using any type of chemical to clean your screen as it can possibly damage your screen, which is certainly not something that you want to be doing!

Why can I not use Clorox wipes to clean my computer screen?

The reason why you cannot use Clorox wipes to clean your computer screen is because they are manufactured to be actual disinfectant wipes.

This means that a chemical has been added to the cloth itself to make the product work as intended. 

It is this main chemical on Clorox wipes that can be harmful to your computer screen.

There are a number of different chemicals to look out for when buying wipes to clean your computer screen, they include the following (but please note that this list is not exhaustive):

• acetone
• ethyl alcohol
• toluene
• ethyl acid
• ammonia
• methyl chloride

If you have bought a pack of wipes that contain any of these chemicals, then make sure that you do not use them to clean your computer screen.

In addition to Clorox wipes you should also be wary of conventional glass cleaners, which can contain ammonia, and hence also ruin your screen.

However, there are some types of computer screens that can be cleaned using Clorox wipes, but these are only those that have a glass covering and are not LCD covered screens.

However, please note that some models now have a protective layer on top of the glass which may be damaged by the chemicals.

So, although Clorox wipes are a great product for many other uses, cleaning computer screens is not one of them!

Read also: Are Clorox Wipes Safe on Skin (Disinfecting Wipes)

How can I clean my computer screen?

The best thing that you can do when it comes to cleaning your computer screen is to follow the advice of the computer’s manufacturer.

You can find this online or in the information booklet that usually comes with your computer when you purchased it.

However, if you cannot find this information then there are several other methods that you can use to ensure a clean and safe computer screen.

The first thing that you can do is to find (or purchase) a microfiber cloth. These cloths are very soft and will not damage your computer screen (they are also commonly used to clean reading glasses as they do not scratch).

If you have an LCD screen, then you can purchase LCD-safe cleaner which can be lightly applied to the microfiber cloth and gently run over your screen. You can then leave this to air dry.

Please remember that although you may be tempted to do so, you should under no circumstances use soap and water to clean your computer screen.

The reason behind this is that soaps also contain chemicals that can damage computer screens, particularly LCD screen.

Additionally, if you use too much soap and water then it will not evaporate fast enough for it to be safe to use, as you should avoid getting your computer screen wet as much as possible.

Can I use Clorox wipes to clean my computer keyboard?

When it comes to your computer keyboard you have a much less limited range of cleaning products, as there is no screen to content with. For your regular keyboard, different manufacturers have different advice.

For example, Apple says that all of its keyboards can be cleaned using a Clorox wipe, as long as it is used lightly and the keyboard is not overly saturated with the chemicals on the cloth.

HP also states that it is safe to use Clorox wipes on its keyboards, as long as you clean them gently.

However, one thing that you should be careful of it not to let too much of the liquid from the Clorox wipes get onto or into your keyboard.

If the liquid gets into the gaps under your keys (i.e. into the keyboard itself) then this may cause electrical problems in the future.

If you want to be safe rather than sorry you can also use a microfiber cloth here to get rid of any dust on your keyboard. For anything tougher than the dirt you may well need to resort to a damp cloth used sparingly.

Read also: Are Clorox Wipes Safe for Car Interior (Clean, Disinfecting)

Conclusion

Although Clorox wipes are a very handy product, you should be very careful when using them to clean your computer, especially your computer screen.

This is because they contain chemicals that can potentially damage your computer screen.

Although some glass-covered screens may be fine, LCD screens are not and so it is better to be safe rather than sorry if you are not sure.

In order to properly clean your computer screen, you should follow the instructions from the manufacturer, especially if your computer is still under warranty.

References

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/a31364160/how-to-clean-laptop-screen

https://mashable.com/article/how-to-clean-disinfect-keyboard-laptop-coronavirus