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I know that there are proffesional services that clean movie screens. But I'm in a small town in the country and am trying to keep costs down. Does anyone out there have any suggestions on what to use for gum,soda,and gummybear stains? I don't have all these problems, just covering all the bases.

Be VERY careful if you try to do your own screen. As far as spotting it goes, you CANNOT clean it like polishing a spot offa your windshield. you have to clean "surgically": Just clean the spot and none of the screen around it or you're goign to end up with this nice clean island in a sea of gray. i use simple green with great results.

i once aquired for free a used screen that had been rolled up dirty (at least they didn't fold it). i unrolled it in my back yard and mopped the thing with a soft cotton mop and a strong solution of simple green, in my bare feet. i laid sheets on the lawn and laid the screen on top of it. i did it all at once and kept the water running on it until i was done. i dried it for a few days and it worked for a couple years until i could afford a new screen. maybe i was just lucky.

i wouldn't try any screen self cleaning job unless you were ready to change the screen if it went terribly bad. Maybe others have other ideas . . . good luck.

Ask mentioned above, don't attempt to clean just the area that is spotted. You have to do the entire screen. I believe there was info on this subject at film-tech.com

I was instructed to use a very mild mixture of Ivory dish detergent and water. Start at the bottom of the screen and work your way up. Rinsing thoroughly as you proceed. Don't make a strong solution of the above or streaking could occur. Use lots of fresh clean water to rinse the mixture off, using soft cotton rags. Be prepared to spend a day doing this project.

I think what I will do is find someone who is getting rid of an old screen and experiment on it. I will try the two ways mentioned and will also see if I can come up with anything new. The spots on my screen are not as yet bad enough for anyone to complain. I just know there there and it annoys me. Thanks to the both of you.

In general, a matte surface screen is less likely to show the effects of improper cleaning technique than a gain screen. The materials coated to give the screen "gain" are easily damaged by improper cleaning.

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John P. Pytlak
Senior Technical Specialist
EI Worldwide Technical Services
Research Labs, Building 69
Eastman Kodak Company
Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Telephone: 716-477-5325
Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

When spotting a screen, make sure no streaks run down from the spot your cleaning. these will leave a nice river of white that never quite comes out. i have started taping a rolled up towel just under the spot i'm cleaning so if it runs, it doesn't run all the way to the bottom.