Dirty Screen

While it may not seem like such a big deal for most, keeping your monitor clear of dust is a good way to ensure that you can enjoy a brighter, sharper and crisper display. Not only does constant maintenance reduce the risk of scratching, but you can also distinguish the colors better or observe details that you may miss at the same time.

Dirty Screen is a lightweight application designed to help you determine whether your monitor accumulated too much dust and it may be time for cleaning.

Following a quick and uneventful installation, you can run the application using the shortcut on the desktop. It is worth mentioning that it does not come with a GUI per se, but rather it uses a color transition – black, gray, white – that can help you detect impurities or fingerprints on your monitor.

Switching between colors can be done from the Space button or context menu, the latter also enabling you to minimize or close the app once you are done. According to the developers, the program should be able to make dust, fat spots or marks of insufficient cleaning visible.

The utility should be able to perform its role on a plethora of LCD monitors, including laptops and multiple monitors connected. Then again, you should keep in mind that while the tool helps you detect dirt, it does not do the cleaning for you.

Generally speaking, when cleaning your monitor, it is advisable that you do not apply cleaning liquids directly on the screen. It is recommended that you do not use products with alcohol or ammonia, to avoid removing the anti-reflective coating of the LCD.

Whether you are working as a designer or need to make sure that you have all conditions for spotting subtle difference between colors and details, Dirty Screen could come in handy.