PC Doctor September 11, 2015

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Dear PC Doctor:

            I have an ipad and I’m enjoying it.  The problem is, so is everyone else in my house and their hands aren’t always clean.  The screen is smudgy and I’m also starting to feel a little leery about passing along colds, etc, with the touch screen.  What’s the best way to clean it?  Do any of the cleaning methods help kill germs?

            Thanks, Bert

 

Dear Bert:

            Good questions!

 

            In general, with all electronics, you want to unplug them before you attempt to clean them and use a soft, lint-free cloth.  Don’t use anything scratchy, like a paper towel or the leg of your jeans.  You don’t want to scratch the screen finish.  Also, stay away from any liquids – no water, no spray cleaners.  If you get liquid inside your device, you’ll need to go see a licensed repair person and the manufacturer might not honor your warranty. 

 

Apple offers the following specific ipad cleaning instructions: 

Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button, and then slide the onscreen slider to fully power off your ipad. Use a soft, slightly damp (not wet), lint-free cloth. Avoid getting moisture in openings. Don't use window cleaners, household cleaners, compressed air, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide to clean your ipad. The ipad has an oleophobic (oil-repelling) coating on the screen; gently wiping the screen should remove oil and dirt.  It’s important to be gentle and not apply too much pressure, as that could result in scratching the surface of your device. 

 

            To answer your question about germs, various manufacturers make solutions, largely of alcohol and water,  that can be used to sanitize your screens.  Many come with the appropriate soft cloth.  Of course, you will need to be very careful and use only a slightly dampened cloth.  As mentioned above, use of any liquids is not advised by Apple. 

 

            Once you get your ipad clean, you can buy a transparent cover for it.  They come in washable and disposable versions, and you can find them in the apple store and other places online.  I hope this helps.

 

Until next time… Happy Computing!

            PC Doctor