Comments on: iKlear Polish Kit: How About A Cheaper Alternative?

By: JHM

JHM — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 05:43:01 +0000

Thanks! I used the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and it worked like magic!

I had a pen leak on my PowerBook. When I tried to clean the ink it spread and got on my screen. I tried to lightly clean it with rubbing alcohol, but it still left a couple of stains. As I stated I used the magic eraser and the ink is completely gone.

By: PAUL

PAUL — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 01:27:13 +0000

plastic eyeglass cleaner - once you buy a bottle with sprayer from either walMart
or Costco - the refills are free.

it cleans my glasses and my laptop screens

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 18:32:14 +0000

I use a product by Monster Cable called iClean, which is probably the same thing as iKlear and that Kensington stuff. Like others said, it’s not just alcohol and water. The Monster stuff is almost gel-like, which is great because it stays where you spray in instead of running down the screen into the bezel of the screen. I use it on my notebook screen, my PC LCD monitor, my Creative Zen Vision, and my cell phone. It’s not quite as expensive as the iKlear, and it even comes with 2 microfiber cloths. Whatever product you use, make sure you use a microfiber cloth, that’s the most important thing. You can get them in any automotive or hardware store and if you’re a member of Costco or equivalent you can get a case of 4 million of them for 4 American dollars or something.

By: Doug

Doug — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 17:59:50 +0000

Kensington also makes a screen cleaner. Don’t know if its any different.

http://us.kensington.com/html/1081.html

But like Kurt said, a homemade mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water works great. Same thing got the pen ink off my laptop screen.

Some people over recommend the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (which is a modern day marvel-ous invention)

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf69925449.tip.html

iKlear does claim to add a protectant to the screen that reduces glare, doesn’t pick up fingerprints as easily, etc. I’m skeptical, but that’s what they say.

As for Mac vs. PC price, while that was historically true, it becomes less and less of an issue every year. Especially when you directly compare price & features. Like, don’t compare a $2k pro Mac to a sub-$1k build-your-own.

System Shootouts does a good job of just looking at numbers, not marketing blather and consumer brand impressions.

http://www.systemshootouts.org/

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 17:56:36 +0000

I’m a big fan of the iKlear stuff. A spray bottle of it lasted me a year. You can tell by the smell of it that it isn’t just alcohol and water.

By: Anne

Anne — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 17:48:06 +0000

I have a MacBook and need to clean fingerprints on a fairly regular basis (just can’t keep my hands off, I guess). I use something akin to this:
http://www.keenzo.com/showproduct.asp?ID=13139&ref=FRG1

(not sure if it’s that brand, but it’s the same basic product). I haven’t needed to use any kind of solution - just the cloth does a great job. It also works well on my Nintendo DS, my PDA, etc.

By: Fred

Fred — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 15:46:10 +0000

This iKlear stuff is more like a less caustic Brasso hybrid — It’s for polishing out scratches, not cleaning. I often use toothpaste for this purpose, but then you end up with weird-smelling electronics.

By: Joel

Joel — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 14:47:12 +0000

I actually wrote about this a couple of months in my Popular Mechanics. All those “LCD Cleaners” are just alcohol and water. Even the professional stuff.

By: maven2k

maven2k — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 14:17:50 +0000

The one thing that works on almost every delicate surface I own is a good micro fiber cloth. You can use it on your lcd screen just barely damp with water and it’ll wipe just about anything off. I use a damp one and a dry one to finish (duh). For stubborn dirt you can use a bit of eco friendly cleaner (I like an orange based cleaner for greasy stuff), just be sure to rinse the micro fiber out and go over it again to “rinse” the cleaner off. I use micro fibers on my big screen tv, my electronic equipment, and my laptop and computer screens. Just don’t bleach them or dry them in the dryer.

By: Kurt Subvert

Kurt Subvert — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 14:10:32 +0000

The official word on LCD cleaning in Apple manuals is to use a solution of diluted isopropyl alcohol, no more than a 50% solution. I mix 1 part water and 1 part 90% isopropyl alcohol, which works out fine.
Be absolutely sure to use a very soft cloth. I use a microfiber cloth. Do not use paper towels or anything more abrasive than an old worn out cotton Tshirt. Absolutely do not use windex or anything with ammonia in it, it can etch the screen surface and can cause the plastic to go cloudy.
For cleaning the the polycarb cases of iBooks and iPods, I use Brasso. It’s generic polish and it works quite well on plastics.