My 2-year-old was caught drawing on my computer screen with a mechanical lead pencil. The LCD screen seems unharmed, save for the pencil lines. Is there a way to remove the marks without damaging the screen? Can I just take an ordinary eraser for the job is is it a recipe for disaster?
I would just use an LCD-safe cleaning solution (isopropyl alcohol diluted with distilled water works) and a microfiber cloth.
I concur, having had ink pen on my LCD. And crayon. Common rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball does the trick nicely.
Just make sure that the alcohol is isopropyl, not ethyl alcohol. Doing a Google search, I see a lot of sites that warn that ethyl alcohol can damage some monitors, particularly those with anti-glare coatings. I don’t know if this is true or if it is a geek equivalent of an old wive’s tale, but I’m not going to be the first to test it on my own equipment.
And definitely do not use an eraser. That will also abrade any coatings on front surface.
I’ve not tried it yet myself, but I’ve heard good things about using the Mr. Clean Magic Eraseron LCD screens. If the other stuff doesn’t work you might want to give that a shot.
I don’t see how isopropanol will help this situation. Graphite is not soluble in isopropanol. I don’t see how anything except gentle abrasion is going to work. Graphite is not soluble in anything you want to use.
It doesn’t need to be soluble - you’re not dissolving the graphite. It just needs to be a monitor screen compatible wetting agent to physically lift the graphite gently without scratching the screen. Trust me - I’ve done it. Just now. In my lab. With a 10% aqueous IPOH solution on my stainless steel balance pan (the monitor in my lab is a CRT). Because I’m a geek.
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is an abrasive (despite claiming magic, the mechanism of removal is purely physical). Try the rubbing alcohol first. Do not saturate the screen - be gentle.
If the above suggestions don’t work you might also want to try an “art gum” eraser - these are a doughy, sticky rubber that removes graphite by “peeling” it from the surface.