First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Unplug the laptop and remove any cables now.
- Wipe gently with a dry, lint-free cloth.
- Don't spray anything onto the screen.
- If liquid got inside, stop cleaning and get it checked.
A stain on a laptop screen is usually a smudge, a fingerprint or sticky residue that landed on the display. It looks worse than it is, and a dry cloth will often clear it. Stubborn marks may take a few gentle passes, and you should keep the laptop unplugged the whole time.
Sticker residue on a laptop casing comes off best with slow, small rubs, so test a hidden corner first. Oil on the laptop keys or touchpad needs its own cloth, so don't carry the screen cloth over to it. If black spots on the screen don't shift with a dry wipe, don't press harder; take it to an authorized service provider.
Before you start
What this material can take
Use with care2
- Water
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
Avoid4
- Soaking
- Chlorine bleach
- Oxygen bleach
- Scrubbing and abrasives
5 items
What you'll need
Tap an item to get it on Amazon, or tick what you already have.
- Soft, dry, lint-free clothFor the first wipe, before anything damp touches the screen. (opens Amazon)
- Second soft, lint-free clothGets lightly dampened for the next pass, so nothing drips into the openings. (opens Amazon)
- Cleaner made for screensGoes onto the cloth, never onto the display. (opens Amazon)
- 70% isopropyl alcohol or 75% ethyl alcohol wipeFor hard-to-remove smudges, used gently as the last step. (opens Amazon)
- Disinfecting wipeAn alternative for hard-to-remove smudges on hard, nonporous surfaces.
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6 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 6
Unplug and clear the cables
Unplug the laptop and remove every cable and external power source before you touch the screen. Set it on a flat, dry surface so nothing shifts while you work.
Tip. Move the cables out of the way so they stay dry during the wipe.
Step 2 of 6
Wipe with a dry cloth first
Take a soft, dry, lint-free cloth and wipe the screen in light, even passes. If the mark is gone, stop here and skip the rest.
Tip. Work from the top of the screen down so the smudge doesn't smear back across the glass.
Step 3 of 6
Dampen a second cloth lightly
Take a second soft, lint-free cloth, dampen it only slightly, and wipe the same area again. Wring it out well before it touches the screen, so it's barely damp rather than wet.
Careful. Keep moisture out of every opening, including the vents, ports and keyboard gaps.
Step 4 of 6
Apply screen cleaner to the cloth
Put a small amount of screen cleaner onto a clean, soft cloth, then wipe the screen with the cloth. Using the cloth as the carrier means the cleaner goes only where you want it.
Careful. Never spray cleaner directly onto the screen or the device.
Step 5 of 6
Use an alcohol wipe for stubborn smudges
If the mark is still there after the damp and cleaner passes, gently wipe the spot with a cloth moistened with 70% isopropyl alcohol or a 75% ethyl alcohol wipe. Use light pressure on one small area at a time, and stop as soon as the mark lifts.
Tip. A disinfecting wipe works the same way if you have no alcohol on hand.
Careful. Alcohol is a solvent, so keep it to smudges that survive the earlier passes.
Step 6 of 6
Get any liquid inside checked
If liquid has made its way inside the laptop, stop all cleaning right away. Take the device to an authorized repair service rather than trying to fix it yourself.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best stain removers for laptop screens
Look for a cleaner made specifically for screens, and keep a small second cloth just for the display. Avoid anything sold as a window or household cleaner.
Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on laptop screens, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
The screen should look even, with no streaks, haze or leftover film when you view it from an angle. If a mark still shows after the steps, stop rather than adding more cleaner or pressure.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your laptop screens
Sticker residue
Sticker residue follows the same order of steps, but you'll reach the alcohol wipe sooner. Dry and damp wipes won't lift sticky adhesive, so use them only to clear dust and fingerprints first.
Work the alcohol wipe over the residue in small areas with light pressure, and switch to a clean part of the cloth as it fills up. Stop if the residue starts to smear rather than lift.
Screen smudges
Smudges are the easiest case, and the dry wipe plus the cleaner on a cloth handle most of them. Use the screen cleaner first, since it's made for this surface, and reach for the alcohol wipe only if the smudge persists.
Smudges tend to look worse when they're wiped in circles, so move in straight passes from one side of the screen to the other.
Glue from stickers
Glue left on the laptop's outer shell is a job for the alcohol wipe, applied in small sections. If glue has landed on the display, use only the screen cleaner on a cloth and stop there.
Peel away any loose paper before you start, and keep the cloth from getting soaked. Wipe, check, and wipe again until the glue is gone.
Oil on the laptop
Oil on the body and keys follows the dry, damp, then alcohol order, with the alcohol wipe doing the lifting on the spot that still shows. Oil on the screen gets only the screen cleaner, since alcohol is the last resort even there.
Oil collects in the keyboard gaps, so keep the damp cloth barely moist and wipe the keys rather than working cleaner down between them. A light wipe reaches the surface without pressing into the gaps.
Sticky keyboard
A sticky keyboard calls for the lightest version of the steps: a dry cloth first, then a barely damp one. The gaps between keys are openings, so the cloth should never be wet enough to drip.
Wipe the tops of the keys and the surface around them, and don't push liquid down between them. If the stickiness stays after that, stop and take the laptop to an authorized repair service rather than going further.
Water on the screen
Water on the screen is treated like any other mark: a dry wipe first, then a cloth with screen cleaner. The difference is that water can mean moisture got somewhere it shouldn't, so check before you wipe hard.
Look along the edges and vents. If moisture reached them, stop and get the laptop checked instead of continuing to wipe. Don't press hard on the screen to chase the mark.
Pen ink
Ink on the laptop's outer surfaces can be lifted with the alcohol wipe, applied gently in small sections. Ink on the screen gets only the screen cleaner on a cloth, and the alcohol wipe is a last resort even there.
Keep the cloth clean so the ink doesn't spread. If the ink doesn't lift after a few gentle passes, stop rather than reaching for stronger products.
Grease on the laptop
Grease on the body and keys follows the dry, damp, then alcohol order, with the alcohol wipe doing the lifting. Grease on the screen is a gentler job: screen cleaner on a cloth, then stop.
Work in small sections so the grease doesn't spread, and keep moisture away from the keyboard gaps where grease tends to collect. Swap to a clean part of the cloth often so you aren't putting grease back on the surface.
Black spots on the screen
Black spots are a different problem from a smudge, and the cleaning steps won't always lift them. Try the dry and screen-cleaner passes once, gently, without scrubbing.
If the spots stay, don't increase the pressure or move to stronger products. Have the screen looked at by an authorized repair service, since the mark may be part of the display rather than something on top of it.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old marks that have sat on the screen for a while usually need the same steps repeated, not something stronger. Let the dry wipe and the cleaner-on-a-cloth pass go over the spot again before you try the alcohol.
Dried-on marks are the hard case, and that's where the alcohol wipe earns its place. Use a fresh section of the cloth each time and keep the pressure light, so you lift the mark rather than grinding it in.
If the mark is still there after those passes, stop and don't reach for household sprays, bleach or abrasives. Some marks on a screen won't lift completely with safe methods, and a faint mark is a better outcome than risking the display.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on laptop screens?
Plenty of home remedies promise to lift screen marks, but most of them are cleaners this surface can't take. Most are best skipped on a laptop screen, so think twice before you reach for the bottle.
Works1Skip1Avoid5
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't use bleach or hydrogen peroxide
Both are off-limits on a laptop screen, so skip any product that lists them. Read the label before you buy a cleaner, because these ingredients are easy to miss.
Don't use household or harsh cleaners
Window cleaners, household cleaners, aerosol sprays, ammonia, other solvents and acetone-based products are all off-limits on displays. Dish soap counts as a household cleaner here, so keep it away from the screen.
Don't scrub with abrasives or paper towels
Abrasive cloths, towels, paper towels and abrasive cleaners aren't allowed on this surface, even when they look gentle. A soft, lint-free cloth does the job without them.
Don't submerge the laptop
Never submerge the laptop or soak it in any cleaning agent, even briefly. Cleaning is always done on a cloth, never in a bowl, sink or spray bottle aimed at the device.
When to call a professional
Professional help makes sense when a mark or spot is still there after the steps, or when the screen itself looks damaged. A repair service can check the display and tell you whether cleaning will ever fix it.
Questions
Can I use rubbing alcohol on a laptop screen?
Yes, but only gently and only for smudges that the dry and cleaner passes don't lift. Use 70% isopropyl alcohol or a 75% ethyl alcohol wipe on a cloth, with light pressure.
Can I spray cleaner directly onto my laptop screen?
No. Put the cleaner on a soft cloth and wipe with that, since cleaner should never be sprayed directly onto the device. This applies to screen cleaners too.
Can I use bleach or hydrogen peroxide on my laptop?
No. Bleach and hydrogen peroxide are both off-limits for this surface, so skip any product that lists them. Oil and grease need the gentle steps and a cloth, not a stronger chemical.
What should I do if water got inside my laptop?
Stop cleaning right away and take the laptop to an authorized repair service. Don't keep wiping or try to clean the inside yourself.
Does sticker residue come off a laptop?
The alcohol wipe, used in small, light passes, is the method for residue on the laptop's outer surfaces. On the screen, use only screen cleaner on a cloth, and don't scrub the residue off.
Can I use a paper towel to clean the keys?
No. Paper towels and abrasive cloths aren't allowed on this surface, so a soft, lint-free cloth is the right tool for the keys too.
How do I get pen ink off the screen?
Use the screen cleaner on a soft cloth first, with light, gentle passes. If ink remains, the alcohol wipe is the last resort, and it should stay limited to the smudge itself.
Related
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.