Mac Treat #97: How to Clean A Glossy Display

ByMike Moffit

True story: a few years ago, a school had purchased fifty brand-new iMacs with the LCD display on the swivel neck. Soon after they were set up in the computer lab, a well-intentioned but misinformed maintenance person used a strong ammonia-based cleaning product on them. Unfortunately, this permanently marred the displays with an opaque, cloudy haze. Lesson learned: don’t use industrial cleaning products on a brand new LCD monitor. And thus concludes our Mac Treat for this week. Just kidding.

I’ve recently transitioned to all-glossy display Macs at home (more on that below). Here are some tips I’ve picked up (and tested) for cleaning those displays. Fortunately, cleaning a glossy display is pretty much the same as cleaning a matte display.

First, before cleaning any display or monitor, it’s best to let it cool down. Multiple sites report that you cannot effectively clean a glossy TFT screen when it’s hot or has been in use for an extended period of time.

Second, I recommend using iKlear to clean any display (matte or glossy). iKlear comes in several different packages, including one with a bulk spray bottle, microfiber cloth, and 12 travel iKlear singles,, and another with 20 iKlear singles packs.

If iKlear isn’t available, I will use a barely damp microfiber cloth (or paper towel) to clean the display. In my experience, iKlear does a better, less-streaky job of cleaning a glossy display than a damp cloth. iKlear is non-toxic, anti-static and doesn’t contain ammonia, alcohol or other solvents. It can be used to clean the display and body of a Mac, and can also be used on eyeglasses, sunglasses, HD televisions, iPhones, iPods, etc.

With iKlear it’s best to clean small areas at a time (rather than using broad swipes). Then go back and polish the entire screen so it’s streak-free. When cleaning a notebook display, use one hand to support the back of the display while polishing with the other. If you’re using iKlear in the spray bottle, be careful not to spray any liquid into your Mac’s ports or vents. In fact, it’s a good idea not to spray your Mac at all; instead, spray a little iKlear onto the included cloth (or other microfiber cloth) and then use the cloth to clean the machine.

To use water to clean a glossy display, simply dampen a microfiber cloth (or paper towel in a pinch) and swipe in broad strokes. Again, especially if you’re using water, the cloth should be barely damp.

Apple has a very limited support article on cleaning Apple products posted here.

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