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Carrie asked: The screen of my Blackberry gets so dirty between typing and talking on the phone. I’m afraid that harsh cleaners will ruin it. Please help!
Blackberry screens can become soiled quickly with fingerprints from constant touching and sweat and oils from your face that collect on the screen as you talk on the phone. Cleaning products are limited because liquids can easily damage these sensitive screens. Using the right cloth is essential to keep from covering the screen with tiny scratches, making it look dull and filmy. Use these guidelines to get your blackberry screen bright and clean again.
You Will Need:
- Microfiber cloth (available where eyeglasses or sunglasses are sold)
- Lens cleaning wipes (optional)
- Isopropyl alcohol
Steps to Clean the Screen:
- Microfiber cloths are available everywhere that glasses are sold and make great cleaning cloths for the Blackberry. Use them to wipe away dirt and fingerprints.
- If there is a layer of dirt and oil, as often happens when your face is pressed up against it as you talk on the phone, it may be safe to use a lens cleaning wipe. These wipes are slightly moist, so take great care to keep the moisture away from the seams of the phone. If the moisture gets in the seams, it can seep under the cover and distort the picture on the screen. If you don’t have a lens cleaning wipe, you can try using a few drops of isopropyl alcohol on the microfiber cloth instead.
- Do NOT spray any liquids onto the screen as this excessive moisture will surely lead to damage.
- Wipe any moisture immediately away with the microfiber cloth.
Additional Tips and Ideas
- Adhesive screen protectors are available from many different companies and can help keep the screen free from scratches and damage. Simply cut them to size and stick them on. When they become damaged or dirty, peel them off and replace with a new one.
- To quickly remove smudges and dirt, use a piece of scotch tape. Simply press it on the screen and peel it off. The dirt will stick to the tape and be removed from the screen. The recommended tape for this is the blue box as it has the least chance of leaving a sticky residue.
- Do NOT use Windex to clean the screen, it will cause damage.
- Avoid using tissues, paper towels or your shirt/pants to clean your Blackberry. These will cause fine scratches over time that will leave you with a dull or filmy look on the screen.
- If there seems to be a film on the screen that won’t come off, it may be that the screen has become covered with fine scratches. One product that some have found helpful to remove the scratches is Meguiars Plastx Clear Plastic Cleaner and Polish (found in the auto section).
I read about stubborn stains and how to remove them from my computer screen. The technique can also be applied to any cell phone screen. I’ve found equal parts alcohol and water used in a circular motion with a lint-free microfiber cloth works exceptionally well. It removes any residue left on the screen. Just be certain the phone is off so the pixels are not warm and it is easier to remove the stains.
Viola; a clean screen…
I just put sanitizer on it.
You might want to try a great adhesive: Zagg shield. It’ll protect your screen against smudge marks, oil and grease prints, makeup or lotion from your face or hands, and scratches, from change or keys in your pockets or purse. Zagg also makes a great antibacterial foaming cleanser for smartphones and antibacterial wipes for phones! Good luck.
Verizon replaced the roller ball and cleaned under it for free. I was afraid of breaking the plastic pieces, so they did it for me.
Go on Youtube.com and there are a bunch of videos that can show you exactly how to clean and remove the screen without damaging your BlackBerry. I did it and it worked great; don’t use any liquid on the inside though, obviously. Hope this helped.
Cleaning under the screen requires removing the housing — an activity that is fairly simple and can be accomplished with easily available tools, but is sure to void the warranty, so don’t try it unless your handset is out of warranty. Use the same methods as cleaning the outside of the screen as the inside, and pay close attention to the LCD itself, which is under the clear screen cover and attached to the motherboard. The LCD itself is more delicate than the screen cover attached to the housing. Search Google or even YouTube for your particular model for instructions. You may even prefer to replace the housing itself. New OEM housings are available in a variety of colors that your carrier may not even offer.
DISCLAIMER: If you damage the phone, that’s your own business and not my fault. Seek help from a certified repair center or friend who knows more about doing this if you do not feel up to it. It’s not a hard job, especially with a Curve, but there is the possibility of breaking things that would require an insurance claim.
I just followed Kirk’s instructions and also used a little “dust blaster” on the ball assembly and in the housing area where the ball sits… I was told this was a $50 repair job – so thanks again!
Cleaning the Curve roller ball is easy. TURN OFF your BlackBerry first. Use a mini screwdriver to pop out the chrome retaining ring; there are prongs on the right, left, and bottom edges to hold it in. Then, hold your Curve face-down in the palm of your hand and gently tap until the roller-ball assembly falls into your hand (the assembly is held in by magnets). Now you can easily clean the ball with an alcohol swab. Pop the assembly back in place, then pop the retaining ring back into place (prongs on the right, left and bottom again). Turn your phone on, should work fine. DISCLAIMER: If you break your phone doing this, don’t blame me. But, I’ve done this on my own Curve, and it works great.
A much bigger problem than cleaning the screen is cleaning the Blackberry Curve (or other BB) roller ball. When it gets dirty, the only thing you can do with the phone is talk on it.
It’s not just the screen that gets dirty, but the button pad too with constant touching & then fine dust & lint sticking to the oils. The pad may not need cleaning often, but it still needs to be cleaned.
If you buy an inexpensive craft medium-firm painting brush that has bristles cut straight across, you can brush out dust & any crud from between the little key pads without damaging them. Do this every month or so, depending on how much you use your phone & how dirty your fingers are.
I really want to know the answer to that question too! I have been told by Verizon that there is no way to clean it because that section of the Blackberry is sealed. Has anyone gotten any other answer???
How do you properly clean the dust that gets under the screen of the 8700c Blackberry?
How do you properly clean the dust that gets under the screen of a blackberry?
For any PC and plastic-surfaced appliances, use a clean cotton cloth with a bit of 50/50 mixture of alcohol and WD-40.
Alcohol will remove dirt and grime while WD-40 will polish the surface.