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Aluminum case MacPro's. How do you clean the exterior?

Korican100

Korican100

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Oct 9, 2012
1,216
620
Does anyone have any tips on how to clean the outside of a Mac Pro. Can I use regular cleaning stuff?

Or, for example, special stainless steel spray is needed?
Selling my MacPro3,1, and I want to shine it up.
Thanks.
 
I always use a clean towel or washcloth with a 50/50 mixture of water and rubbing alcohol. Obviously not soaking wet, just barely damp. Take it outside so it will dry quickly and go to town.
 
When I first picked up my 1,1 it was destroyed and filthy with dust/dirt/cigarette smoke, I used windex and paper towels for the nitty gritty scrubbing, but a towel or something a bit more durable is good as well.
 
Korican100 said:
Does anyone have any tips on how to clean the outside of a Mac Pro. Can I use regular cleaning stuff?

Or, for example, special stainless steel spray is needed?
Selling my MacPro3,1, and I want to shine it up.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

The Mac Pro is aluminum so why do you think you would need stainless steel cleaner for it?
 
brand said:
The Mac Pro is aluminum so why do you think you would need stainless steel cleaner for it?
Click to expand...

I saw a youtube video in which the person used Stainless Steel cleaner. The video was bad, but I wanted to get clarification here. I've heard weirder solutions for simpler problems.
 
Microfibre cloth and some water.

Costco used to (possibly still does?) sell decent automotive cleaning cloths that were "microfibre-ish" in nature. It was a big bag for like $20 that came with 10 yellow cloths and 10 blue cloths (no difference, just the colour). I've usually got a bag of those hanging around, I'll soak one under water, wring it out and use it to wipe down my machine case then immediately follow up with a dry cloth to get rid of any extra moisture.

I wouldn't recommend using any kind of cleaning chemical at all. Some will melt plastic, and others may leave a residue behind or potentially damage the aluminum. Unless you've got a reason to use something stronger, water should be just fine.

-SC
 
DPUser said:
Power wash, followed up with a mineral bath and thorough sandblasting

or a little Windex.
Click to expand...

I can just imagine Jony saying that.

jony-ive-10-20-09.jpg
 
I just use a soft cloth for the outside. Like the one that came with my mbp. And an air pressure spray for the inside. But mine was purchased new, I always took good care of it and it has always been standing on my desk, so it never got that dirty.
 
Along the same lines, has anyone ever tried to clean the internal hard drive sleds? They're real fingerprint magnets. Same kind of thing?
 
Draeconis said:
Along the same lines, has anyone ever tried to clean the internal hard drive sleds? They're real fingerprint magnets. Same kind of thing?
Click to expand...

Yep. I normally don't remove the sleds to wipe their front. Just take a cotton cloth and dab it with a couple drops of water. As long as you are just cleaning the lip of the sled it won't hurt anything.
 
I second the Magic Eraser stuff (melamine foam) - it is cheaper to buy it in the larger packs rather than the small, pre-cut ones. You wet it, shake the excess off and wipe it over the surface without scrubbing.
 
If you're referring to the classic design, I've never cleaned mine.

I've cleaned the inside in multiple occasions, but never found the need to clean the outside.
 
Cleaned up a regrettable polyurethane spill onto the MP yesterday using a paper towel with acetone on it with no particularly ill effects.
 
For anyone with the new Mac Pro, do you feel somehow the new design doesn't seem to attract any dust at all?

My new place is particularly dusty with all the construction going around (my consoles are like dust magnets), but the new Mac Pro doesn't seem to collect any dust. And I was worried about dust collecting in the top, but with the vent and hot air, nothing collects.
 
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