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The surface of the display has a sprayed-on thin anti-glare coating.
It's VERY fragile, and easily damaged.
You don't want to "clean" it any more than absolutely necessary.
A "dry wipe" may be THE WORST THING you can do to it.
The coating may begin to flake off -- and then you have "StainGate" (look it up).
My suggestions:
DO NOT routinely "wipe" the surface of the display.
Try to avoid touching it at all, particularly when opening and closing the lid.
If there's dust on the surface, use a soft cloth and gently "dust it away" (without pressure).
If there's something on the surface that won't "dust away", use a moistened cloth and AS LITTLE PRESSURE AS POSSIBLE to dislodge it.
Then, dry the surface by "dusting" as above.
When the sprayed on anti-glare surface was first introduced on the retinas, it was very susceptible to problems. Apple seems to have "toughened it up" somewhat since then, but I would still be careful with it.
Personal experience:
I have a 2015 MacBook Pro 13".
I "practice what I preach" above, and the surface of the display is still without problems.
It's VERY fragile, and easily damaged.
You don't want to "clean" it any more than absolutely necessary.
A "dry wipe" may be THE WORST THING you can do to it.
The coating may begin to flake off -- and then you have "StainGate" (look it up).
My suggestions:
DO NOT routinely "wipe" the surface of the display.
Try to avoid touching it at all, particularly when opening and closing the lid.
If there's dust on the surface, use a soft cloth and gently "dust it away" (without pressure).
If there's something on the surface that won't "dust away", use a moistened cloth and AS LITTLE PRESSURE AS POSSIBLE to dislodge it.
Then, dry the surface by "dusting" as above.
When the sprayed on anti-glare surface was first introduced on the retinas, it was very susceptible to problems. Apple seems to have "toughened it up" somewhat since then, but I would still be careful with it.
Personal experience:
I have a 2015 MacBook Pro 13".
I "practice what I preach" above, and the surface of the display is still without problems.
Soft microfiber cloth (like for eye glasses) and a little moisture in the form of H2O does the trick and will not harm your screen.
I used flashlight from my iPhone and saw that there are dust spots which cannot be removed using Fellowes wipes or microfibre cloth easily. Only when use my microfibre 10 times then this micro dust spots went out. Does it normal?
@Fishrrman,
Why doesn't Apple fix this issue.
It is a pipe-dream to expect users' monitor to not get dirty...
Is the anti-glare coating even necessary?
Why not sandwich the anti-glae coating underneath a clear, durable, glass (or plastic) outer layer that one can scrub?
Seems like another stupid design by Apple along with their keyboards...
Why doesn't Apple fix this issue.
It is a pipe-dream to expect users' monitor to not get dirty...
Is the anti-glare coating even necessary?
Why not sandwich the anti-glae coating underneath a clear, durable, glass (or plastic) outer layer that one can scrub?
Seems like another stupid design by Apple along with their keyboards...
That is also my way. 2015 rMBP 13", no problems as of today.
Little variation: Sometimes I find little spots of dirt on the screen. In that case, I do not moisten the microfiber cloth but put a little bit of saliva at my fingertip, moisten only the spot of dirt and wipe the region gently with the cloth
I used flashlight and there are spot looking like dust, but it is very hard to remove them. There is a lot of them. I tried using finger and some of them is hard to remove. Is it normal that under flashlight there are more dust spots visible and some of them is "sticked" hard to surface?
WHOOSH! Screen Cleaner Spray and Wipe - 3.4 fl oz + 1 Microfiber Cloth Wipes - Travel Size Electronic Cleaner for Car, Computer, Laptop, iPad, MacBook, Phone, Watch, Eyeglass - Lens Cleaner Kit
AMAZON EXCLUSIVE ; NEW BOTTLE, IMPROVED PACKAGING, INCREASED VALUE ; Kit includes 1 unit of 3.4 fl oz with 2 Microfiber cloths
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Whoosh!!!!
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+1. I’ve been using this product for quite some time now, and it works as advertised IME.WHOOSH! Screen Cleaner Spray and Wipe - 3.4 fl oz + 1 Microfiber Cloth Wipes - Travel Size Electronic Cleaner for Car, Computer, Laptop, iPad, MacBook, Phone, Watch, Eyeglass - Lens Cleaner Kit
AMAZON EXCLUSIVE ; NEW BOTTLE, IMPROVED PACKAGING, INCREASED VALUE ; Kit includes 1 unit of 3.4 fl oz with 2 Microfiber clothswww.amazon.com
Whoosh!!!!
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
How to clean your Apple products - Apple Support
Get recommendations and guidelines for cleaning your Mac, iPad, iPhone, Apple Vision Pro, display, or peripheral device.
Good thread.
Bought my 15" 2015 beauty back in December. Topcase with Battery and display (due to staingate) had been replaced prior, so aside from the logic board it seems like a brand new unit.
Now I want to keep this baby in a good condition as long as possible. I don't even fully close the lid to prevent the keyboard touching the screen (unless I am carrying it around ofc). Using a soft cloth, slightly moist, as seldom as possible.
Even more sad that even the follow-up models carry the same issue. Dunno why Apple can't utilize the same sturdy coating like on the iPad / iPhone, or a different solution. Been 8 years since the first rMPB introduction.
Bought my 15" 2015 beauty back in December. Topcase with Battery and display (due to staingate) had been replaced prior, so aside from the logic board it seems like a brand new unit.
Now I want to keep this baby in a good condition as long as possible. I don't even fully close the lid to prevent the keyboard touching the screen (unless I am carrying it around ofc). Using a soft cloth, slightly moist, as seldom as possible.
Even more sad that even the follow-up models carry the same issue. Dunno why Apple can't utilize the same sturdy coating like on the iPad / iPhone, or a different solution. Been 8 years since the first rMPB introduction.