Here is what happened- I normally clean my lcd monitor for the computer by spraying bit of Colin on a piece of smooth cloth and then do cleaning the screen with it(somebody told me that's the way). But sometimes I also spray a bit of Colin on the monitor first and then wipe with the cloth. I never had a problem with it before although I had done this so many times before. But I think yesterday I sprayed a little too much Colin and I guess a few drops must have sinked in from the bottom before I could wipe everything. After cleaning it I turned on the monitor.(I normally clean it after turning it off). But again, I might have turned on a little too quickly. At first I noticed nothing unusual, but I think after 1 or 2 minutes later I noticed 2 or 3 tiny black/miscoloured patches at the bottom. These were tiny, so I was not completely sure and wondered if they were already before. I was actually playing online chess , so I was kind of distracted. But after a few minuites I noticed that the patches had crown quite big. This was quite annoying. So I quit the game and started observing the patches. I had this feeling that slowly the miscoloured patches were getting back to normal. But after a while I realized that it was probably an illusion and things weren't really getting better. So after observing for around half an hour, I finally felt that may be I should simply close the monitor. So I turned off the monitor and the computer and then reopened it about 15 minutes later placing my final hope that it will be OK now. But nothing changed and it seems right now that those annoying patches are going to stay there for ever. Actually, I am still not sure what caused it, since I have used similar method for cleaning many times before, but that is the only explanation I can think of. And the fact that my carelessness is responsible only makes me feel worse. Now, I have lot of questions to all the experts and experienced ones: 1> Can it be repaired ? I was actually quite satisfied with the LCD monitor. So if it can be brought to the previous state relatively inexpensively, I am up for it as I don't want to spend much now. Most of the monitor is actually alright. I would say replacing about 1/10th of the pixels from bottom will more or less do the job. I am a little pessimistic because I have heard that monitors are very rarely repaired and and that repairing usually costs as much buying a new one. 2>Do these companies replace an older monitor with a newer one of the same model for a cheaper price? Also whatever happened has happened, but I want to make sure that it doesn't happen again and want to know a few things: 1> What is the right way to clean an LCD/LED monitor? 2> Do you guys think that my cleaning method caused the damage? What else can cause it? 3> Should I have turned off the monitor instantly when I saw those tiny black/miscoloured patches appearing? Did not turning off the monitor early increase the damage? 4> After a wet cleaning, should I keep the monitor turned off a long time and give it time to dry?
TBH, you'll likely have to buy a new monitor to replace the damaged one. This can have an advantage, newer monitors can have HDMI inputs, they can consume less energy than previous models and it's now cheaper to get larger monitors. Monitor repairing is mostly unheard of and is only really possible if the LCD isn't damaged itself, sometimes if a fault occurs on the internal inputs or within the chipset it's possible to repair and return it to functionality, however that requires the equipment and facilities to repair it, it's not something most people can do or have access to somewhere to do it. Cleaning a monitor is suppose to be done with a soft cloth, while it's possible to slightly dampen it (with distilled water since standard water contains minerals), for the most part it's suggested to not use any alcohols or solvents. The reason for this is the monitor itself usually has a very thin coating (likely Polytetrafluoroethylene (C[sub]2[/sub]F[sub]4[/sub])[sub]n[/sub] or the brand name of Teflon) While that thin layer is pretty inert to chemicals, through a mixture of abrasion and the chemicals themselves it can cause the layer to be damaged which then allows those chemicals to directly interact with the LCD, which I'm sure as you are now aware can cause discolouration.
Thanks for the reply. I think I probably overdid spraying the cleansing liquid. I should have been more careful. Yes, sooner or later I will buy a new one, but to be honest the monitor can be still used to an extent. It will be quite a pain to watch a full screen video with that, but since most of the monitor pixels are still OK, a lot of work can be done. Also, There is an unused LED monitor at home which I had forgotten about. So is the cleaning method for LED monitor the same as LCD? Which is more vulnerable to cleaning damage - LCD or LED?
I'd clean with the same method, LCD is prone to damage from pressing too hard when rubbing so you have to lightly use the cloth on them. (You can't "scrub" them) LED's I think are a little more robust.
LED and LCD monitors are, at least for now, the same thing - the LED ones simply use a series of LED backlights to light the screen, as opposed to an incandescent or other type of filament bulb. A full OLED monitor would run you several tens of thousands of dollars, if memory serves Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
That is correct as far as I know. I think that LED monitors are just the newer versions of LCD monitors. They have been improved in some important ways over the old LCD's. So, perhaps these newer screens have also been improved in the coating area.
Oh shit, I've been wiping down a 70" LCD smart TV (I use as a monitor) with Windex Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Won't be doing that any longer.
Truth be told, I just use a soft microfiber cloth... if something more than just ambient dust gets on it (such as a sneeze) a soft towel with a touch of water works wonders, just don't scrub it!
