I’m talking about the kind that isn’t covered with glass, but some type of composite ersatz plastic-like material that might be dissolved by my inadvertently using the wrong solvent, thereby rendering my screen unusable from that point on. Or should I just use the old stand by - a damp cloth with slightly soapy water? The dang thing has granddaughter smudges all over it. xo, C.
Warm water and soap is fine. I’ve used Windex with no ill effects. I recently bought a neutral cleaning solution that was ammonia and alcohol-free – it’s colourless and odourless and just a wee bit viscous, not sure what it is as it came with a one-touch power sprayer designed for cleaning electronics (just a cheap impulse buy) but it seems to work okay; the slight viscousness of the fluid seems to trap more dust.
That “composite ersatz plastic-like material” is just the glareshield, if that’s a LCD monitor that you have. Soap/water is just fine.
Well, that may be so, but when I just lightly push on it, I get the waves and wilies of LCD world, and I don’t want to damage it.
A cloth moistened with plain soapy water. Gently wiped.
Do not use a wet cloth that lets drips run down the face of the screen and into the works. That’s an expensive mistake I’ll never make again. 
(Though that was with an CRT monitor.)
So, I gather the garden hose is not the tool of choice here. Thanks, all.
For real cleaning, try a pressure washer!
Hey, you must be of my generation; haven’t hear the word “ersatz” in a long time.
Probably so. When I was a kid, computers were made out of wood.
I use a mix of isopropyl alcohol and water. That’s what my screen manufacturer recommends, and it seems to do the trick, with no ill-effects.
The best advice is to follow the manufacturer’s spec. There are several different materials that are used, and what can damage your screen is important to know. Commonly, ammonia (as in Windex) damages the most types of LCD screens (but not all). Yellowing and hazing ensue. Alchohol is the next most common Bad Thing. Some soaps are not good to use on some types of screens.
Go to the manufacturers web site, read the manual, etc.
My husband picked up some wipes made by Fellowes. Two-part “system” (whatever). THey’re overkill.
Yeah, and they ran on kerosene.