How To

Best Way To Clean iPad Screen (Cloth & Water Technique)

Here is the best way to clean your iPads screen using a microfiber cloth and water. Be careful as you should avoid some cleaning products.

Published on

December 21, 2023

Xuyun Zeng

Inevitably, your iPad screen will get soiled with greasy fingerprints and it can get in the way of the vibrancy of the display.

Cleaning the screen is super simple and all you need is a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth. In this example, I used a microfiber cloth which might have come with your sunglasses, camera lenses, or other optical devices.

Turn Off iPad

Make sure your iPad is turned off and its charging cable removed.

Press and hold the power button and then slide the onscreen slider to turn it off.

Dampen Cloth

The first step is to dampen the cloth. In this case, I left a faucet running at a slow rate and then swiped my microfiber cloth over the stream. One swipe should dampen your cloth enough for this purpose. Some microfiber clothes are more hydrophobic and you’ll need to give it time to seep in.

Clean The Screen Using Cloth

Using light pressure, start cleaning the iPad screen in a circular motion. Start with smaller circles and eventually widen your circle.

I like starting with two to three fingers on my microfiber cloth and going over the whole screen in a circular pattern.

As you draw circles around your iPad’s screen, you’ll notice the improvement. The image above shows two sides: the leftmost half hasn’t been buffed while the right side has been cleaned.

Then, after I’ve done the whole screen with two fingers, I use my whole palm on the microfiber cloth to give it a general clean.

Protecting The iPad’s Oleophobic Coating

Your iPad comes with an oleophobic coating that repels oil from your fingers. Over time, the coating wears off with normal usage and so your screen becomes more susceptical to fingerprints. So you might notice that you have to repeat the cleaning more and more often.

However, improper cleaning of the screen will accelerate the wear on the oleophobic coating including using unsuitable cleaning cloths and cleaning solutions. Apple advises against using:

Window cleaning products
Household cleaning products
Compressed air
Aerosol sprays
Solvents
Ammonia
Abrasives
Cleaning products containing hydrogen peroxide

Over time, harsh chemicals like solvents, ammonia, and hydrogen peroxide degrade the oleophobic layer, leading to increased fingerprint visibility. This wear compromises the screen’s clarity and responsiveness, essentially stripping away the screen’s protective and functional features.

Besides, the technique that I showed above works well and doesn’t require any special purchase.

Can Fingerprints Be Totally Avoided?

Yes, assuming you never want to use the touchscreen with your fingers again. That’s not viable for most people, but here are some ways to minimize fingerprints.

Use Your Fingertips

Cut those nails! If you have long nails, you’ll end up using the larger part of your fingers to tap on the screen. Without nails, you’ll be able to use your fingertips, leaving smaller marks every time.

Use A Stylus

There are a bunch of solutions that can help you achieve this. The first is to use a stylus that can replace tapping with your finger.

A few of these pens come to mind. The most obvious ones are the official Apple Pencils.

Using an Apple Pencil instead of fingers offers enhanced precision and control, particularly beneficial for tasks requiring fine detail, such as drawing or writing. The Pencil’s pinpoint accuracy surpasses the broader touchpoints of fingers, enabling more intricate interactions and smoother navigation on the iPad’s interface. This precision makes the Apple Pencil an indispensable tool for artists, designers, and anyone engaged in detailed digital work.

However, there are also other options from third-party manufacturers that are cheaper and equally good at avoiding fingerprint marks.