The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Cleaning a toughbook Screen

    Discussion in 'Panasonic' started by gray-beard, Dec 8, 2007.

  1. gray-beard

    gray-beard Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    257
    Messages:
    325
    Likes Received:
    41
    Trophy Points:
    41
    Like so many others, I have a CF-28 and am wondering the best way to clean fingerprints and dirt from the screen. I did a search and didn't come up with any good answers as to what to clean it with. Is any cleaner better than others and how wet can it get, without hurting it?

    Thank
    GB
     
  2. Rob

    Rob Toughbook Aficionado

    Reputations:
    450
    Messages:
    3,941
    Likes Received:
    61
    Trophy Points:
    116
    i open the screen so it is at 180 degrees and spray windex on mine and then wipe it off when a lint free towel :)... others will tell you not to spray on the screen directly others will tell you not to use windex cuz it has amonia in it... that what i have been doing for years and years on all my laptops and i've never had a problem. just DON'T USE ANYTHING ABRASIVE!!! (like orange clean or ajax or other cleanser like things)... you can also use alcohol wipes like they make for camera lenses, but that can be tedious because it takes like 5 -8 wipes to do the job
     
  3. Toughbook

    Toughbook Drop and Give Me 20!

    Reputations:
    1,267
    Messages:
    7,361
    Likes Received:
    370
    Trophy Points:
    251
    You can use just about anything to clean the screen. You can also buff out light scratches.

    I use a mixture of about 10-20 drops of dishwashing detergent to 10-12 ounces of water in a spray bottle. Then use a fine microfiber towel to wipe it all off with a light scrubbing action.

    For tougher spots you can use pure rubbing alcohol but this will take off the blue anti-reflective coating if you scrub hard. It doesn't hurt the plastic however. There is not much... even up to paint thinner, that will hurt the plastic screen.
     
  4. gravitar

    gravitar Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    120
    Messages:
    976
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    a freind of mine drives honda goldwings and he gave me a bottle of the windshield spray they sell at the dealerships. works great but i'm sure its real expensive!
     
  5. cadillac

    cadillac Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    50
    Messages:
    173
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    If you still have the factory screen protector then I have had good luck with good old Windex.
    But I did remove the antiglare coating from one of mine with Windex that did not have the screen protector by accident.
    If someone removed that screen protector than I would be careful and only use a 50% mix of alcohol and water, I’ve had no issues with this mix.
    Micro fiber cloth is great with either method.
    My 2 cents
     
  6. jviss

    jviss Notebook Guru

    Reputations:
    2
    Messages:
    50
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    Stupid question - how can you tell if your toughbook has a screen protector on it?
     
  7. ZeroFlight

    ZeroFlight Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    81
    Messages:
    308
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Look closely at the edges of the screen (the corners are easier). If you see a raised edge just inside the frame then you have one. It's basically a big square just smaller than the screen.
     
  8. jviss

    jviss Notebook Guru

    Reputations:
    2
    Messages:
    50
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    Thanks, I'll check.
     
  9. Toughbook

    Toughbook Drop and Give Me 20!

    Reputations:
    1,267
    Messages:
    7,361
    Likes Received:
    370
    Trophy Points:
    251
    Be VERY carefull taking off a screen protector if it has been on for a LONG time as it can pull of part of the anti reflective coating when coming off. Then you find yourself having to buy a new screen protector as well as buffing off the rest of the anti reflective coating... Which is a laborious process to say the least. It takes me 2-3 hours to buff off the coating using alcohol and a heavyweight paper towel.
     
  10. ZeroFlight

    ZeroFlight Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    81
    Messages:
    308
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Does that cause the screen to bow out much? I know using windex and those blue shop towels it only takes me 10 - 15 minutes to get it all off but the friction causes it to bow a bit.