Toronto Cleaning Tips

My laptop is a real workhorse. I’ve had this particular one for over 5 years, and I’ve gotten really attached to it. Sure, we’ve got some newer ones lying around, but I’ve never really felt the need to replace it since this never gives me any real problems.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

And I’m sure many of you have felt the same way about a machine. There was a time when technology changed so fast that you’d replace your computers every few years. But not anymore. Now they just seem to be really well made and last forever.

I even remember reading somewhere that I’ll never use 95% of my computer’s processing power. Now that’s a lot of undiscovered juice under the hood!

But if there was just one complain I’d have about my current laptop, it’s the darn screen. When I first bought it, it was a glorious, bright, colourful beauty. But lately, it’s accumulated lots of finger prints and little dirty specks everywhere.

So I thought this would be a great opportunity to tidy up and rejuvenate my little workhorse.

First, you’ll need some sort of cleaning solution that will get rid of the dirt without harming your screen. Because this is a sensitive piece of equipment, I’d normally recommend just plain old distilled water. Because this was a particularly dirty screen, I decided to prepare a 25/75 mixture of distilled water and vinegar.

Whatever you do, DO NOT use any kind of chemical cleaners that may contain ammonia, alcohol, or any other solvents that may damage your LCD screen. These are very sensitive devices.

Next, you’ll need to get a squirt bottle that can spray a fine, even mist. Atomizer bottles are really good for this.

Now, don’t spray water directly onto your machine. This is still an electronic device after all. Any leakage could fry your machine permanently.

Instead, spray the solution to a clean cloth.

I’d recommend a microfiber cloth, a chamois or a piece of an old shirt. Just make sure it’s a very soft material that won’t scratch.

In order to avoid leaving streaks behind, try to use a large cloth. This will help spread out the pressure more evenly.

In order to avoid damaging the screen, try not to press your fingers into the cloth or screen. Instead, wipe the cloth with even pressure in a circular motion across the screen. The circular motion should help eliminate streaks.

So go ahead and try this one out for yourself. I did and now my monitor is beeeeee-uitiful. Jusr like new. Now if only this technique would work on the outside of my banged-up old laptop.