When the sun hits your TV or monitor just right, you can see hundreds of tiny scratches left over from the last time you cleaned it.

That’s because you used paper towels. They’re great for picking up spills, but the abrasive surface scratches and damages the panel on monitors, TVs, and even phones. Paper towels also leave little scraps of lint behind. Tap or click here for steps to deep clean your phone.

Cleaning your screen should be done with care, especially if you want to preserve your TV for as long as possible. These three methods protect your screens and keep them cleaner than paper towels ever will.

Microfiber cleaning cloths are antimicrobial and use up to 95% less water and chemicals than paper towels or cotton cleaning cloths.

RELATED: 19 time-saving cleaning products I use that really work

Privacy, security, the latest trends and the info you need to live your best digital life.

One big problem with traditional cleaning cloths and paper towels is that they need to be saturated before they’re helpful. That leaves streaks and residue and creates waste.

Microfiber rags pick up more dirt and dust than other methods and don’t degrade with disinfectants or all-purpose cleaners (cotton rags get very raggedy after a while).

We prefer AIDEA’s 50-pack of microfiber rags. You’ll quickly find uses for these all over the house and get three colors to designate them for specific purposes.

Lens cleaners are used for glasses and sunglasses but can also be used on your TV, phone, tablet or computer monitor. If you wear glasses regularly, you already know how frustrating streaks can be. They blur your vision and irritate you to no end.

Lens cleaners can remove streaks on your TV just as well as they remove smears from glasses. If you prefer a disposable option that you can quickly apply and toss into the bin, these lens wipes do the trick.

Care Touch has a high-capacity pack of 210 lens cleaning cloths, which work out to be a little over six cents per wipe. This is enough to get you through years of cleaning your TV or monitor without issue.

MiracleWipes is a hybrid product that gives you the best of both worlds. This is specifically designed for big TVs or anyone with a lot of screen real estate on their PC.

You get a pack of 30 wipes, and the process is simple: wipe down the screen with one of the disposable wipes, then use the included microfiber cleaning cloth to finish the job.

It’s similar to using both of our other options at the same time. This leaves zero streaks or smudges on your screen. The microfiber cloth dries any remaining resolution while you wipe it down, so there are instant results to let you know if you hit all the corners or missed a few spots.

Dust your TV with a microfiber rag to prevent scratches. Use a cleaning solution designed explicitly for screens or heavily diluted dish soap and a soft abrasion-free cloth. Make sure you focus on removing dust, dirt, and any debris from the screen before you aim for a streak-free finish.

Very carefully. Even with the right rags and cleaners, you can still damage your TV relatively easily. Keep your screen perfectly in place, and stand on either side. Extend your arm, so it’s in front of the screen, and wipe in circles.

Standing directly in front of the TV can result in imperfect pressure during cleaning, so approaching from the side works best. Plus, you can see streaks easier from this viewing angle.

It depends on your TV type. LCD screens use two thin pieces of glass pressed together, but LED screens are usually made of non-reflective plastic. Glasses cleaner won’t work well on the latter.

You could use glasses cleaner on your TV, but based on the quantity in most of these cleaners, it’s not worth it. You get a higher volume of better cleaning solution (for your TVs) when you buy a specific cleaning product.

You may also like: 15 TikTok cleaning products you can actually trust

Don't want to lose your dough to crypto? Check out my new eBook, "Cryptocurrency 101." I walk you through buying, selling, mining and more!