how to clean your car's touch screen

How To Clean Your Car’s Touchscreen

Maintaining your car’s interior by regularly cleaning the infotainment screen is often neglected.

You can’t purchase a brand-new car today that does not have a touchscreen. One reason is that the US made it a law for all cars to have a backup camera. You need a screen to see what the backup camera shows, right?

These touchscreens aren’t only used for backup cameras. Infotainment systems also include the radio, air conditioner controls, mechanical information, navigation, bluetooth phone calls, Apple Car Play, traffic updates, and fuel economy.

Drivers touch their car’s touchscreen every time they drive their car. You can see how it can get dirty. However, cleaning the infotainment screen is often neglected.

In this article, we will explain how to clean your car’s touchscreen.

Tools Needed to clean your Display Screen

To clean your car’s touchscreen safely, you’ll need specific tools such as a soft detailing brush, plush microfiber towel, interior detailer spray, or automotive glass cleaner. These products are designed not to damage sensitive screens while effectively removing dirt and smudges.

Soft Detailing Brushes

touch screen cleaning supplies

A soft detailing brush gently removes dust particles from the surface of your infotainment screen without causing scratches.

Tip: Makeup brushes also work great.

Plush Microfiber Cloth

Plush microfiber clothes are a go-to for wiping down your touchscreen display without leaving any lint behind or scratching the surface. Make sure to choose a plushy high-quality towel with a tight weave and no rough edges that could potentially cause damage during use.

The world of microfiber towels and cloths can get confusing, especially for newbies. But don’t fret, we got your back. Learn everything about microfiber so you can get the best results.

Interior Detailers or Automotive Glass Cleaners Safe for Tech Screens

  • Interior Detailer Spray: A dedicated interior detailer cleaning solution, specifically formulated to clean sensitive electronic screens, can help remove fingerprints and smudges without harming the display’s functionality. Ensure it is safe to use on tech screens before applying it to your car’s screen system.

  • Automotive Glass Cleaner: If you prefer using a glass cleaner, opt for an automotive glass cleaner that is safe to use on electronic screens. Avoid household glass cleaners containing ammonia, as they can damage the screen’s protective coating and cause streaks.

Steps to Clean Your Car’s Touchscreen Safely

Cleaning your vehicle’s display screen is a delicate task that needs to be done with the right tools and methods. Follow these simple steps to clean the infotainment screen safely without causing any damage, scratches, or leaving unwanted streaks.

Step 1 – Turn The Vehicle Off

Before working on the touchscreen, make sure the car is not running and the screen is off. Cleaning the LCD screen while it’s blank and off allows you to see all the dirt and dust on the dark surface.

Step 2 – Grab a detailing brush

Use a soft detailing brush to remove all the dust and unwanted particles laying on the surface of the touchscreen. You want to lightly brush the dust off. The brush is designed to lift dirt away without scratching sensitive screens.

If you do not have a detailing brush, you can also wipe the dust off using your plushest microfiber cloth.

Step 3 – Apply cleaning solution onto a microfiber cloth

The next step involves using an appropriate cleaning product and a clean microfiber cloth. Cleaning products we recommend include either an interior detailer spray or an automotive glass cleaner safe for tech and navigation screens.

Avoid spraying the cleaning solution directly onto the infotainment screen. Instead, apply them onto a clean and very plush microfiber cloth. This method prevents excess liquid from entering small crevices around buttons or other components while ensuring even distribution across the entire surface.

Step 4 – Gently wipe down the entire car touchscreen surface

Fold your dampened microfiber cloth into quarters, creating multiple clean sides to wipe with. Gently buff over every inch of your car’s infotainment display in straight lines rather than a circular motion.

Be sure to switch sides of the cloth as needed. This ensures you always have a clean surface to work with.

Continue wiping until all fingerprints, smudges, dust, and grime are removed from the car touchscreen.

Step 5 – Buff out the cleaning solution

Use the dry side of your quarter-folded microfiber cloth to buff out the touchscreen.

Conclusion

Proper cleaning of your car’s infotainment screen is crucial to prevent scratches and maintain optimal functionality. Use soft detailing brushes for dust removal, plush microfiber towels for gentle buffing, and interior detailers or automotive glass cleaners safe for tech screens.

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All the products seen in this article have been purchased by Lawrence. He examines, tests, reviews, photographs, and films each product to achieve an all-inclusive review.

Lawrence and Car Wash Wiz was not sponsored by any of the products in this article.

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Popular FAQs

Questions and Answers About How To Clean Your Car’s Touchscreen

Every 2 to 4 weeks you should touch up your car’s interior. We suggest you include cleaning your car’s touch screen as part of your monthly or twice-a-month interior routine.

Regular maintenance of this important component will ensure optimal functionality and visual appeal for years to come.

Although it may be more convenient and affordable to use household glass cleaners like Windex or Glass Plus, it’s important to resist the temptation to use them on your car’s touch screen unless you’re certain they don’t contain ammonia or alcohol.

It’s essential to note that you should avoid using these products and choose alternative cleaners specifically designed for a car touch screen.

No, we do not suggest using paper towels to clean the car’s touch screen. Paper towels can leave scratches on the display screen and leave behind dust. Microfiber towels are designed to be very soft, not scratch surfaces, and collect dust and water.

No, we do not recommend using alcoholic wipes to clean a car’s touchscreen. Alcoholic wipes will strip the oleophobic layer on your touch screen.

Also, do not use products that contain ammonia. Ammonia will strip the oleophobic layer off a car touch screen too.

Suppose you encounter unwanted fingerprints on your car’s touchscreen between regular interior cleanings. We recommend using water to remove them.

Slightly damp or spray your microfiber cloth with water. Use the dampened cloth to gently wipe away the fingerprints. Dry the display screen by flipping the cloth over and buffing the water away.

When using water anywhere on your car’s paintwork, we recommend that it is distilled water. If possible, avoid tap water. Tap water is made up of many minerals, which get left behind when the water dries. These minerals can damage surfaces like paint and car navigation screens. Distilled water will not leave water spots on the surface.

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