Monitoring Monitors

Monitors require some special attention, and too many people maul and mishandle them. By no coincidence, those are the same people who have to buy new monitors more frequently than necessary. A monitor's screen attracts and collects dust. You can't avoid monitor dust, but you can remove it by wiping the screen with a soft, dry cloth. It is best to turn off the monitor before cleaning it. (Static electricity, which is responsible for attracting the dust, can build up to explosive levels when you rub the screen.)

If you are a person who points to the screen when you show somebody a beautiful sentence you just composed or a mind-blowing graphic you just created, you probably have fingerprints on your monitor. Fingerprints are oily and don't always disappear with a dry cloth. Office supply stores sell premoistened towelettes for cleaning monitors. You just pull one out and wipe the screen.

If you want to use the bottle of window cleaner that you keep around the house, spray it on a cloth, not on the monitor, the monitor is not sealed properly to avoid leaks. Then wipe the moistened cloth across the screen. You can also use a cloth that is moistened with window cleaner on the keyboard and mouse (the other collection points for fingerprints and dust).