If there is one thing that's sure to ruin your flat screen TV, it's getting a scratch on it. Perhaps one of your beloved pets jumped up close to the screen or maybe one of your children got a little overenthusiastic with their toys when they were playing nearby. It doesn't matter who the guilty party is - all that matters is dealing with the scratch so that it can no longer distract you from the program you are enjoying. Obviously buying a new TV is an unecessarily expensive solution so here are a few alternative solutions you might like to try in order to save some money.

Start of by checking the warranty that came with your flat screen TV. If it is still under warranty then you should check with the shop you bought it from or the manufacturer and if scratches are covered under the warranty. If this is the case then they should be able to repair your TV for free.

You can actually purchase scratch repair kits that are manufactured specifically for flat screen TVs and computer monitors. They are relatively easy to get hold of as they can be bought online or from most electronics shops. This is most likely to be the safest method of repairing your flat screen. If at first you wish to try a home made remedy then read on.

Try cleaning the screen using a soft cloth dipped in isopropyl alcohol which has been diluted. This technique should hide the scratch with a clear lacquer. Another possible technique is using petrolium jelly, which we will discuss later. Place a slight amount of of auto rubbing compound onto the scratch. You should then take a piece of felt and rub the scratch until the anti glare-coating has been completely removed from the affected area. Do remember that the coating will be gone permanently so skip this method if you dont want to remove it. Clean the scratch once more using a soft cloth and your diluted asopropyl aolcohol in order to remove the auto rubbing compound.

To make sure that you only fix the scratch without damaging the screen around it try measuring and cutting out a 5mm hole in a piece of paper. You should then place the paper onto the screen so that the hole is over one end of the scratch. now spray clear lacquer onto the hole. Then move the paper up the scratch and spray the clear lacquer on to each section until the whole scratch has been covered. You should allow the lacquer time to dry.

Another method is to begin by diping the cloth into your alcohol solution before you clean the scratch. Then coat the end of a cotton swab/bug with petrolium jelly and rub it into the scratch until it has been covered. The excess jelly and excess alcohol solution should be rubbed away with a clean cloth. Do bear in mind that this is only a temporary solution and that it is entirely possible that the jelly will disappear over time, once again revealing the scratch.

If you are really stuck for ideas then a last ditch remedy could be to take a white pencil eraser and rub it over the scratch. If all goes well then the scratch should disappear after a few minutes, however the eraser may leave a mark behind.