I know a guy who hates it – HATES IT – when anyone touches his computer screen. He’s a big guy, with a dark beard, long hair and many tattoos. Get close to his screen and you can hear the grumble starting deep down in his belly.
In today’s world of smartphones, tablets and touchscreen avionics, not touching a screen is near impossible. So what to do?
For starters, don’t eat a messy peanut butter and honey sandwich — or Cheezits or Goldfish crackers or apple slices (can you tell I have kids?) — before adjusting your Dynon Skyview, or iPhone for that matter.
But fingerprints and other muck on our screens is inevitable.
That’s where iCloth Avionics’ “One-Step Anti-Static Cleaning Wipe” comes in handy.
Made of Aerospace Grade DuPont Sontara, the wipes contain isopropyl alcohol and “safely clean EFIS, IFE, smartphone, tablets, other handheld devices and eyewear.”
Me? I usually wipe my iPhone on my pants leg. But I rarely allow my phone to get dirty.
That said, when a box showed up with some samples, I tore one open and went to work. In moments my phone looked like it had just come out of the box — if you ignored the slight dents — and my laptop monitor once again sparkled.
Best of all, the wipes are individually packaged. Buy a set and throw a few in your flight bag. No unwieldy “wet wipe” canister that might pop open at an inopportune time.
For now, 100 iCloth Avionics Cleaning Wipes cost $29.99. Learn more at iClothAvionics.com.
Every time I have gone to the Apple Store to get my devices (laptops, iPhone) serviced, they bring out a bottle of approved ‘spray’ and get it all cleaned up. How that is different than a pre-moistened wipe is a little odd to me.
Let’s also not forget that these devices are not as fragile as they once were. iPhones can now be dropped in water, and if VERY quickly retrieved, they’ll function normally. Of course, you don’t see this published anywhere. Just ask any one with a near-iphone-death experience, and they will tell you that it’s resistant to water.
But we aren’t really talking about dunking our avionics or phones here, are we? We’re talking about a pre-moistened wipe that is approved by many agencies, even deemed safe by Boeing.
Personally, I use them. I use them on my iPhone, iPad, iMac, iCockpit. Yes, iClockpit. Glad you’re still reading. They work great. It’s a WHOLE lot better than looking at all those fingerprints.
So while those non-users are enjoying looking at their screens through a mess of fingerprints and odd reflections, trying to make out what the screens say, I’ll be enjoying a completely clear view of my avionics.
Tear, pull, wipe- done. Back to flying.
Thanks Chris,
You are right these devices are getting more and more durable all the time. I look forward to a time when the screens are virtually unbreakable and everything is waterproof 😉
I am on my 4th phone in 2 years.
Check your pockets before you jump in the lake!
Peter
That’s because you need to get an iPhone… (you could have had that sucker replaced with Apple Care+!)
I also hate people touching my computer monitor (I’m an editor, and during client meetings they do it all the time – I am barely able to contain my rage :),
It also makes me crazy when some one accidentally touches my glasses or a camera lens.
But now with touch screens we have to live with finger prints and smudges… Or do we? I love this product! It allows me to clean all my stuff safely. I’ve had lots of luck on all previously mentioned devices. Expensive camera lenses, sun glasses, and of course touch screens.
Full disclosure, my YouTube channel is sponsored by iCloth Avionics, and proud of it.
Steve “Flight Chops” Thorne
Thanks Steve, We are proud to be associated with you too.
Great job on your recent video: Skirting major Class C control zone; no transponder – Super Cub – Flying – ATC audio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVK8f8uqMuI
We look forward to being part of the Flight Chops team and working together on many more contests!
Peter
http://www.klearscreen.com/
These folks have a alcohol and ammonia-free, environmentally friendly and non-toxic formula that is actually recommended by the Company Store at the Apple headquarters….
I am sure that Klearscreen is a great product too.
Our focus is on optical clarity and convenience our pilot users, and our performance is guaranteed.
If you would like to try iCloth Avionics for your own comparison, please visit our website http://www.iclothavionics.com we make it easy to get free samples for evaluation.
Thanks again!
I think this is VERY bad advice. Most makers of LCD products (phones, laptops) specifically tell you to AVOID alcohol based cleaners as they can damage the surface…you should check with your device manufacturer for recommendations.
Hi Gary,
Thanks for your comment and the opportunity to address this subject. The formula used in the iCloth Avionics cleaning wipe is safe for use on LCD and coated screens**. It is true that some manuals use a blanket statement “do not use alcohol or solvent based cleaners” to prevent damage. Ethyl Alcohol and other solvents can be damaging to plastics and coatings. However the alcohol that we use is isopropyl alcohol. Which is actually not a very good solvent and therefore safe for use on these surfaces. You can read about the difference between Ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol on the iCloth Avionics website.
Further, each of the iCloth Avionics cleaning wipes contains approximately 2 ml of formula in a absorbant cloth that is slightly larger than 36 square inches. The wipe is damp not dripping which eliminates the danger of dripping and streaking liquid into your device. The purpose of this formulation is to dissolve the greases and oils on the device surface enough to have them absorb into the cloth have them properly removed.
You may not know that iCloth Avionics has been approved and adopted for use by major airlines (iCloth flies in over 5,000 commercial flights daily ;), Avionics and mobile device manufacturers(iCloth is used during the manufacturing and clean devices prior to shipping), universities and schools(using iCloth to maintain their technology and iPad programs).
Our business focus has been about optical clarity of sensitive optics for over 10 years now… and while that can make us a little boring at a cocktail party… it has resulted in millions of happy customers with clean computer screens, cameras, tablets, phones, and glasses.
** We do recommend that great care be taken with coated screens and lenses that have previous damage or scratches. The number one cause of damage to coatings is scratching from abrasion and once that coating is compromised any further cleaning can expedite the deterioration of the remaining coating.
I think the phrase adjective “most” is a little broad here. It might be more accurate to say many, or just some makers of LCD products don’t recommend alcohol. There are plenty of devices that this is safe on. I’ve read that alcohol may remove the oleophobic layer that is applied to some screens to help prevent fingerprints. But that layer eventually wears away anyway, so it may even be a non-issue for those. I use an isopropyl and water solution on my devices all the time and have had no issues. I do totally agree with your last sentence to check with the manufacturer or read the manual, just to be sure.
I’m sticking with ‘MOST’…
Even APPLE tells you not use use solutions like this…
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204172
From my reading, these clothes (actual cloth, not paper) are completely safe with Apple products.