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How to Clean an Insignia TV

Tanya Lee

Insignia TVs have gained popularity since they were introduced by Best Buy as the electronics retailer's house-brand television sets. The TVs are considered part of Best Buy's "value line." While Insignia TVs are relatively inexpensive, they offer more features than some competitors' offerings.

A washcloth is not soft enough to clean the screen or exterior of an Insignia TV without scratching.

As with any LCD or plasma TV, it is important to take extreme care when cleaning an Insignia TV to avoid scratches and other possible damage. Scratches to either the cabinet or the screen of an Insignia TV are not repairable — you'll just have to live with them.

Exterior Case and Interior of TV

  1. Use a soft cloth to wipe off the exterior plastic case and stand of your Insignia TV.

  2. If absolutely necessary, fill a bowl with lukewarm water. Dip the cloth into the water and wring it dry. Wipe down the exterior of the TV. Under no circumstances should you use abrasive cleaners or solvents, or any scrubbing device such as a sponge backed with a stiff layer of material meant to clean dishes. This eliminates virtually all commercial cleaners from the list of appropriate products for wiping down an Insignia TV.

  3. Avoid trying to open the cabinet of the TV to clean the inside. There is nothing in there that you can clean, and opening the TV will void your warranty. Insignia TV user manuals recommend calling for service if you suspect the DVD player in a TV-DVD combo is dirty. The manuals do not recommend using a commercial DVD or CD cleaning product.

Screen of TV

  1. Clean the screen of your Insignia TV with a dry, clean cloth. If that does not do the job, try the cloth dipped in water procedure described in Step 1.

  2. Wipe the screen with a commercial LCD-screen cleaner, following the manufacturer's directions if it is still dirty. Most such cleaners contain water and a little bit of isopropyl alcohol.

  3. Make an isopropyl alcohol cleaner similar to the commercial cleaners in Step 2. Add a capful of isopropyl alcohol to 12 ounces of water. Dampen a clean, soft cloth in the solution and wring it dry. Wipe the screen very gently with the cloth to avoid scratching it.

Tip

Commercial LCD-screen cleaning products may contain ingredients that will help keep dust from settling on the screen. You do not need to use isopropyl cleaning solution unless there are fingerprints on the screen. The best way to go is prevention: Don't touch the screen and you can avoid the smudges and dirt that fingerprints leave.