The Best Screen Cleaners for Your Gadgets, Tested
Hello, my friend, hello again; today we come together to talk about The Best Screen Cleaners for Your Gadgets, Tested and hope the blog can help you.
Our device screens can collect a surprising amount of dirt from daily use. Wipe away fingerprints, dust, and other grime with these effective screen cleaners.
Electronic screens get pretty grimy during day-to-day use. From greasy fingerprints to dust and dirt, our screens can collect distracting and unsightly smudges. A screen cleaner can help clean delicate and expensive devices. Screen cleaners can safely clean your device without damaging the screen or protective coating. We researched and picked the top contenders and then put them to the test by cleaning screens of all sizes.
The best screen cleaners in our testing got rid of fingerprints, dust, and caked-on grit and grime. They removed smudges and oils without leaving streaks or residue behind. From sprays, wipes, dry cloths, and more, these recommendations will help you find the best screen cleaner for the electronics in your life.
- BEST OVERALL: Whoosh! Screen Shine Duo XL
- BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Calyptus Screen Cleaner Spray Kit
- BEST STREAK-FREE: Screen Mom 16-Ounce Screen Cleaner Kit
- BEST PORTABLE WIPES: Wipex Touchscreen Wipes
- BEST MICROFIBER CLOTH: MagicFiber Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
- BEST FOR VR HEADSETS: Cnbeyoung Lens Cleaning Pen
- BEST FOR TRAVEL: YTT All-in-One Mist Screen Cleaner Spray
- BEST SPRAY KIT: Eveo Screen Cleaner Spray
How We Tested the Best Screen Cleaners
We tested the screen cleaners over a period of 2 weeks, intentionally leaving greasy fingerprints and applying dried food to our laptop, tablet, and phone screens to see how each screen cleaner would perform. We also let dust accumulate to see how well the cleaners handled dusty buildup. We then scored each product according to an established rubric, noting how well the screen cleaners removed different types of particles, their ease of use, and their convenience. We used our first-hand experience, along with the numerical scores, to give the products their final rankings and use-case recommendations.
Testing Stats
- Products tested: 9
- Hours spent testing: 6
- Tests performed: 3
- Average price: $14.88
Our Top Picks
Grimy, dusty, and fingerprint-coated device screens can be unsightly as well as annoying since they can interfere with the use of the device. But don’t just reach for any old cleaner, as improper cleaning can cloud, scratch, or otherwise cause damage to a screen. We tested the following screen cleaners and found them safe and effective for their designated uses.
Best Overall
Whoosh! Screen Shine Duo XL
Photo: amazon.com
Our Ratings: Ease of Use 5/5; Effectiveness 4.5/5; Versatility 5/5; Convenience and Portability 5/5; Value 5/5
Product Specs
- Kit: Yes
- Reusable: Yes
Pros
- Set includes a large bottle, a portable bottle, and 2 microfiber cloths
- Small bottle easily fits in a purse, office drawer, or backpack
- Worked well on dried food, dust, and greasy fingerprints without requiring excessive scrubbing
Cons
- Using the small microfiber cloth gets tedious when cleaning larger screens
As the only approved screen cleaner in Apple stores worldwide, the Whoosh! cleaning spray works on all electronic devices, from smartphones and tablets to computer monitors and television screens. This kit includes two Screen Shine cleaning sprays. One spray is a large 3.4-ounce size, and the second is a 0.3-ounce travel size. The travel-size spray was ideal for carrying to work. We toted it to an office and used it daily for several days, where it kept screens and eyeglasses crystal clear.
Manufactured in North America, the spray contains no alcohol, ammonia, dye, or fragrance. Its cleaning agents are D-glucopyranose, oligomeric, and decyl octyl as cleaning agents. The kit also includes two microfiber cloths that are treated with an antimicrobial agent to prevent odor. The cloths can be washed up to 50 times and still maintain their softness and streak-free clean, as long as you do not use a fabric softener or put them in the dryer.
We hand-washed the cloths with all of the other microfiber cloths included with the other screen cleaners we tested. They were easy to clean and air-dried without a problem. You can machine wash them, but make sure not to wash them alongside anything linty, or with items that may have sharp particles that could get caught in the cloths’ fibers.
Get the Whoosh! screen cleaner at Amazon, Walmart, or Whoosh!.
Best Bang For The Buck
Calyptus Screen Cleaner Spray Kit
Photo: amazon.com
Our Ratings: Ease of Use 4/5; Effectiveness 4.5/5; Versatility 5/5; Convenience and Portability 4/5; Value 4/5
Product Specs
- Kit: Yes
- Reusable: Yes
Pros
- Effective on dried food, greasy fingerprints, and dust buildup
- Comes with 2 spray bottles and 4 cleaning cloths, providing versatile cleaning options
- Multicloth system provides a buffing option for those who like a little extra gleam
Cons
- Microfiber cloths are hand-wash only; no machine-wash option
This affordable screen cleaning set from Calyptus includes two 4-ounce screen sprays and four cleaning cloths—two for lifting and two for buffing. With 8 ounces of spray total, this complete kit offers enough solution to clean all your devices for quite some time. The powerful, plant-based cleaning spray is safe for all screens, including 4K, OLED, and LED flat-screen TV screens. The spray is natural, nontoxic, and fragrance-free.
We tested it on a phone, laptop, and computer monitor, cleaning off greasy fingerprints, dried food, and dust. It performed well on all of them. The Calyptus cloths are made of microfiber and are anti-static, low friction, and lint-free. They offer a streak-free clean and leave no residue behind. While the buffing cloths were nice for wetter screens, we found the lifting cloths to be a better fit for most jobs. We didn’t notice a difference between screens when we buffed after cleaning compared to when we didn’t.
We also liked that we could store the two spray bottles in different areas of the home, providing multiple storage choices for quick access. The only downside we noticed was that the cloths are hand-wash only. They’re not hard to clean, and they dry quickly, so they’re not too burdensome, but you don’t get the option of tossing them in the washing machine.
Get the Calyptus screen cleaner at Amazon.
Best Streak-Free
Screen Mom 16-Ounce Screen Cleaner Kit
Photo: amazon.com
Our Ratings: Ease of Use 5/5; Effectiveness 4.5/5; Versatility 5/5; Convenience and Portability 4/5; Value 4.5/5
Product Specs
- Kit: Yes
- Reusable: Yes
Pros
- Large microfiber cloth covers a lot of area; great for larger screens
- Solution didn’t leave streaks behind but was effective on greasy fingerprints and dust
- Machine-washable cloth was easy to care for and dried quickly
Cons
- Took heavier scrubbing to remove dried-on food
The Screen Mom solution performed admirably and required minimal wiping on greasy fingerprints and dust, leaving behind a streak-free shine. The 16-ounce bottle of cleaning solution comes with a large 15.75-inch-square microfiber cleaning cloth. The combination was ideal for cleaning large screens and didn’t leave unsightly residue. It made quick work of a 70-inch television screen, removing dust and fingerprints without a problem. While dried-on food took a bit more scrubbing, the Screen Mom solution removed debris from a television, laptop, computer monitor, and phone. It cleaned easily and dried quickly.
Screen Mom has plant-derived ingredients, and it’s odorless. This cloth is machine washable, though users shouldn’t wash it with detergent. We found hand-washing to be more effective because the cloth shouldn’t be washed with any other pieces that have rough particles or cotton that might stick to the microfiber.
Get the Screen Mom screen cleaner at Amazon or Screen Clean Mom.
Best Portable Wipes
Wipex Touchscreen Wipes
Photo: amazon.com
Our Ratings: Ease of Use 5/5; Effectiveness 5/5; Versatility 5/5; Convenience and Portability 5/5; Value 4.5/5
Product Specs
- Kit: No
- Reusable: No
Pros
- Small, lightweight, individually packaged wipes for convenience
- Easy to open and use when away from home
- Wipe has enough liquid to clean several devices and can be used on device cases, too
- Effectively cleans greasy fingerprints, food, and dust
Cons
- Expensive option for regular cleaning
- Left screens wet, which can leave water marks
These touch-screen wipes from Wipex are portable, lightweight, individually packaged screen wipes that are prewetted in a cleaning solution. They come in a box of 24, and the individual packets are small enough to carry in a purse or package without taking up extra space or adding weight.
We tested them on a laptop and phone. The wipes quickly cleaned everything we threw at them. They wiped away greasy fingerprints, food, and dust without a problem. They’re lavender-scented, but the odor was more like that of a mild general cleaning solution. While these wipes were very effective, each wipe had a lot of liquid on it, which left behind streaks and water spots. However, we found that drying the screens with a microfiber cloth prevented the streaking issue.
Get the Wipex screen cleaner at Amazon or Wipex.
Best Microfiber Cloth
MagicFiber Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
Photo: amazon.com
Our Ratings: Ease of Use 5/5; Effectiveness 4/5; Versatility 3/5; Convenience and Portability 5/5; Value 4.5/5
Product Specs
- Kit: No
- Reusable: Yes
Pros
- Lightweight cloths fold down small for easy carrying and storage at home and on the go
- Effectively remove greasy fingerprints from phone screens and eyeglass lenses
- Dry cloths prevent streaking and staining from water spots; they can also be used wet with water
Cons
- Not an effective option for removing dried food
- Small size limits practical use on larger screens
MagicFiber’s ultrasoft cleaning cloths are made from high-quality microfiber material. Each of the fibers is claimed to be 200 times thinner than a human hair, resulting in a greater cleaning surface area than regular cloth fibers. That extra area helps them absorb and remove oils, dust, and dirt without the need to use extra cleaners.
In testing, these cloths proved incredibly practical and convenient for quickly wiping away fingerprints. We tested it on phones, a laptop, and eyeglass lenses. Their size made them the most practical pick for cleaning phones and eyeglasses. While the cloths can remove prints from laptop screens and computer monitors, the small size was a limitation. They also didn’t perform well on dried food.
The cloths are safe to use on any screen, from phones to TVs, and they leave no streaks, lint, or scratches behind. Each cloth is hand washable and reusable for long-lasting cleaning. We washed the cloths according to the directions (hand-wash in cold water with no detergent), and they came out looking good as new.
Get the MagicFiber screen cleaner at Amazon.
Best For VR Headsets
Cnbeyoung Lens Cleaning Pen
Photo: amazon.com
Our Ratings: Ease of Use 5/5; Effectiveness 3.5/5; Versatility N/A; Convenience and Portability 5/5; Value 4/5
Product Specs
- Kit: No
- Reusable: Yes
Pros
- Small, lightweight design that’s easy to store and transport if needed
- Dual-ended design helps remove different types of debris from the nooks and crannies of a headset
- End caps protect the carbon tip and brush from damage and dust buildup when not in use
Cons
- Carbon tip can leave black smudges on the skin
- Requires gentle but persistent rubbing to remove smudges
Small and convenient, this lens cleaning pen from Cnbeyoung is great for keeping VR headsets clean and dust-free. At only 7 inches long by 0.5 inches wide, it can be stored in a drawer or tucked away with other VR gear without eating up storage space. The dual-ended design features a carbon-treated suede pad on one end and a gentle brush on the other. The brush retracts and is protected by a rubber cap, and the suede pad is protected by an end cap. The retractable brush removes large debris from the VR lenses, and the suede pad takes care of fingerprints.
In testing, the brush worked well, while the suede pad required more effort to remove fingerprints and smudges. We had to rub the suede pad several times over each area to completely remove smudges. The suede pad has activated-carbon powder on it, which is designed to help remove smudges. While we’re not sure if the carbon helped, it didn’t leave debris on the lenses. However, it did leave black smudges on the skin.
Overall, this cleaning pen worked well. But if you get smudges and fingerprints on your VR lenses every day, you might want something that has a solution to break up oils and smudges more quickly.
Get the Cnbeyoung screen cleaner at Amazon.
Best For Travel
YTT All-in-One Mist Screen Cleaner Spray
Photo: amazon.com
Our Ratings: Ease of Use 5/5; Effectiveness 5/5; Versatility 4.5/5; Convenience and Portability 5/5; Val