how to clean a screen protector

As its name suggests, a screen protector is a very inexpensive way to protect your phone or tablet's screen from scratches or cracks. But even if it's cheap and can be easily replaced if necessary, it's too impractical to have it replaced every time it gets a little dirty.

Unless you're willing to part with a few dollars to have your phone's screen protector restored to its pristine condition by phone technicians, it is probably best to master the relatively new art of how to clean a screen protector on your own. Relax, it's not as hard as it sounds, this guide will show you just what you need to do. You will definitely appreciate the tips we have here.

The Usual Suspects – What Causes Your Screen to Get Dirty?

No matter how careful you are when using your brand new phone or tablet, it is inevitable that dirt will accumulate over time. At this point, you'll eventually notice that your new gadget does not look sparklingly new anymore and maintenance action is necessary to restore its brand new look.

Dust Particles – Accumulation of dust particles is one of the most common causes of your gadget's dirty look. Dust clinging to the outside surface of your phone's screen protector should be easy to remove. Just use a microfiber cloth to remove them off the surface. On the other hand, dust particles that collect on the other side of the protector – the side in contact with the phone's actual screen – is a bit tricky to handle, which is the reason why it warrants a separate section below to deal with the details.
Fingerprints and Smudges – Even if you use your phone or tablet in a dust-free environment, you will inevitably leave smudges and fingerprints on the screen protector's outer surface. Restoring the surface's blemish-free appearance is also very easy and will only require the use of a soft cotton or a microfiber cloth to get the job done. Use circular strokes to remove prints and smudges. For areas that are tougher than the rest, you can moisten the cloth or cotton with plain water to remove stubborn smudges. Be sure to avoid water from getting into the phone's ports though.

How to Clean the Sticky Side of a Screen Protector

Tiny dust particles can sometime infiltrate into the space between the protector and the actual phone's screen. When this happens, you'll likely notice it immediately as it often produces those unsightly bubbles that starts at the screen's edges before moving inwards. But fret not. The solution is not as complicated as you think. You can do it at the comfort of your own home.

Materials You'll Need for Cleaning

Cleaning your gadget or phone's screen protector is a very easy task that anyone can do. And the best part is that you don't need any high tech equipment to get the job done. You only need:

A microfiber cloth
Dish soap
Packaging tape

Surprised, aren't you?

Quick Cleaning Procedure

Whether your screen protector is made from tempered glass of plastic, the first step is to peel off the protector from the phone's screen. At this point, care must be observed so you won't end up scratching the phone's screen itself or damaging the protector. Take your time in doing so.
To wash off some of the particles, place the sticky side of the protector under running water.
Use soap to gently wash the protector's sticky side. This process also erases away any fingerprints you may have unknowingly left on the surface while removing the protector from the phone.
You also need to apply some soap and water mixture into the phone's screen. Remember, don't wash the screen under running water as the water may damage its electronic components. Just wipe the dirt away with a microfiber cloth dampened with the soap and water mixture.
After washing away the dirt from the screen protector, you may use a hair dryer to speedily remove moisture from the screen protector's outward-facing side as well as its sticky surface.
New dust particles may attach themselves to the protector's surface during the drying process. This happens if the room you are working on is a bit dusty. To remove these unwanted particles, use a strip of packaging tape, turn it into a loop around your fingers and dub it in areas where the dust particles are located. Since the tape is stickier than the protector's surface, you can pull the dust by using this method.
Check if your phone's screen is also dust-free. Both the phone screen and the protector must be free of dust to prevent any bubbles from forming once you reinstall it. If you notice any dust on the screen, use a microfiber cloth to remove it.
After checking that the surfaces of both the phone screen and the screen protector are dust-free, you may now rejoin the two sides. And you now have a squeaky clean, brand new – looking phone or tablet.

Warning!!! Never Use These Materials When Cleaning Your Phone

As you might have noticed, the cleaning materials can be found most in households, perhaps except for the microfiber cloth but it usually comes with the screen protector. However, please bear in mind that not all household cleaning materials are suitable for cleaning your phone. Be careful to never use the things listed below.

Alcohol-based Cleaning Solvents

These cleaning agents can be found in most houses. They clean fast and even disinfect the surface by ridding it of potentially harmful germs and bacteria. As useful as they are in cleaning your home, you should absolutely never use any alcohol-based cleaners when it comes to cleaning your screen protector.

The reason for this prohibition is that alcohol might be potent enough to damage the protective coating in most mobile devices. When this happens, your device might lose some of its built-in protection which could potentially lead to further damage. You might end up spending far more down the line!

Paper Wipes

You'll find paper-based wipes in every home. They are pretty indispensable tools in keeping your home clean as they are highly absorbent and get the job done fast. However, you must not use paper towels or facial tissues when cleaning your screen protector and phone screen.

The reason is actually simple. Using these paper-based wipes and even some coarse clothes can leave micro scratches on the screen's surface. Damage from these scratches may build up over time which could lead to an unresponsive phone screen. Now, that's a bigger problem.

As you can see, cleaning your screen protector like a pro is a very easy process that does not require any special equipment. Hopefully, this "How To Clean Screen Protector" guide is helpful to you. With this guide, you'll never have to spend a dime to have your phone looking as good as new.

Also, if you want to check out our picks for the best screen protectors for iPhone of 2021, you can read our guide here.