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Stubborn Stain on Ceramic White Apple Watch - SOLVED

kjse7en

kjse7en

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 31, 2015
35
130
Sιɴɢαpore
Dear all wonderful Apple Watch Owners,

Wish to share an experience that is frustrating, annoying but at the same time enriching and satisfying!!

On a usual Saturday morning, the wife was going through school work of the week with the kid and preparing for upcoming week stuffs. As my son turned his body wanting to pick up the ruler, the hand that was holding mechanical pencil with the lead protuding swift pass my wife's Ceramic White Apple Watch. Instantly, an ugly stain was stamped on the Ceramic White case! But it's just pencil mark right, eraser it is. Nope, won't work. Isopropyl alcohol then, nope, not working......

IMG_8459.jpeg

tempImageiBPzhz.jpg

Immediately, trying solutions, tips and tricks generally appearing on search engine and various websites. I think like many of us, it just doesn’t work. At least 17 out of 18 of the below list DOES NOT WORK!

Here are the items I tried:
  1. Isopropyl alcohol
  2. Pencil eraser
  3. Magic Pen eraser
  4. Hand Sanitizer
  5. Nail polisher remover
  6. Toilet Closet Cleaner (Alky, Dimethy, Benzy, Ammonium Chloride)
  7. Magic Soft Scrub
  8. Autosol
  9. Clorox Bleach
  10. Laundry pre-wash stain remover (anionic)
  11. Vinegar
  12. Vinegar + baking soda
  13. Salt + Water
  14. Salt + Vinegar
  15. Toothpaste
  16. Glass cleaner
  17. Magic cleaner wipe (surfactant solvent, citric acid)
  18. Dish washing soap
Persistence...and Voila…there’s one that actually works!

tempImageEutTap.jpg


Super delighted to have found a fix!!

Guess no more...1-7 out, 9-18 out. #8 AUTOSOL it was!!

Image 1 - 1 (1).jpeg

Image 1 - 2.jpeg


Now at least I know this works with Apple White Ceramic case. There is no loss of shine as well which is amazing!

Naturally, Autosol was the last item I tried, which worked. However I cannot rule out the possibility that there could be one or combination of the others that might have weaken the stain, making Autosol appear easy with that final touch. But I can say that none of the earlier tries have lightened the stainmark, nor changed the stain mark in any way (like start becoming smudgy). When Autosol was applied in small amount, it immediately turn smudgy and with a few rubs the stain is gone!

Hope this can help owners with similar issue. Best of Luck!!

Thanks for reading! ;)


Cheers ?
KJ
 
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Not worrying too much about the appearance of a tool? That’s usually what does the trick for me. It even makes scuffs and broken glass virtually disappear.
 
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The suspense is killing me…

At least you narrowed it down to 15 for us.

I suspect this is the last post we’ll see from the OP. Gone with the wind.
 
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kjse7en said:
Dear all wonderful Apple Watch Owners,

Wish to share an experience that is frustrating, annoying but at the same time enriching and satisfying!!

On a usual Saturday morning, the wife was going through school work of the week with the kid and preparing for upcoming week stuffs. As my son turned his body wanting to pick up the ruler, the hand that was holding mechanical pencil with the lead protuding swift pass my wife's Ceramic White Apple Watch. Instantly, an ugly stain was stamped on the Ceramic White case! But it's just pencil mark right, eraser it is. Nope, won't work. Isopropyl alcohol then, nope, not working......

View attachment 1965113
View attachment 1965125
Immediately, trying solutions, tips and tricks generally appearing on search engine and various websites. I think like many of us, it just doesn’t work. At least 16 out of 17 of the below list DOES NOT WORK!

Here are the items I tried:
  1. Isopropyl alcohol
  2. Pencil eraser
  3. Magic Pen eraser
  4. Hand Sanitizer
  5. Nail polisher remover
  6. Toilet Closet Cleaner (Alky, Dimethy, Benzy, Ammonium Chloride)
  7. Magic Soft Scrub
  8. Autosol
  9. Clorox Bleach
  10. Laundry pre-wash stain remover (anionic)
  11. Vinegar
  12. Vinegar + baking soda
  13. Salt + Water
  14. Salt + Vinegar
  15. Toothpaste
  16. Glass cleaner
  17. Magic cleaner wipe (surfactant solvent, citric acid)
Persistence...and Voila…there’s one that actually works!

View attachment 1965117

Super delighted to have found a fix!!

Can we try the guesses and see which one of the 17 actually works?

Will reveal it in due course certainly...

Thanks for reading and happy guessing! ;)


Cheers ?
KJ
Click to expand...
what's the purpose of making this a competition?
 
Similar problem (stain caused by contact with metal) in my bathroom, alcohol and generic cleaners did not solve…
May be nail polisher? (not tried yet, waiting for the solution!)
 
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Hey guys...guess no more!

I have updated the original post with the fix, making it easier to read and reference.

Many thanks and also those very very interesting guesses.


Cheers ?
KJ
 
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bricktop_at said:
Calling the AW Aluminum a tool, fine. IMHO the situation is a bit different with the highest end and most expensive edition ;-)
Click to expand...
Just because you choose to buy the most expensive version of a tool, doesn’t make it not a tool. Just expensive.
Also, in my opinion, the ceramic Watch is even more of a tool than the aluminium or steel versions, as it’s more durable.
 
Reggaenald said:
Just because you choose to buy the most expensive version of a tool, doesn’t make it not a tool. Just expensive.
Also, in my opinion, the ceramic Watch is even more of a tool than the aluminium or steel versions, as it’s more durable.
Click to expand...
I have to disagree.... to me a nice watch isn't a tool, but falls in the jewelry department (the only "jewelry" I wear btw).

The aluminum models aren't "nice" watches to me, same as Swatches, Fossils, whatever.... those are tools to tell the time or measure some bodily functions as well.

Your view might be different, but that's how I see it. It's not about how much it costs, don't get me wrong, it's the exclusiveness to a certain amount and the ceramic S5 is quite exclusive as it's no longer made and deserves to be preserved - which doesn't make me stop wearing mine ;-)
 
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The S5 White Ceramic has been really durable. This watch has been worn for over 2 years now - and faced with daily chores of contacting metal cutlery during dishwashing, keys-searching, flipping gardening tools, touching table edge, cramming pass elevator door, folding stroller in-out car truck, and in-out bags through zipper chains/coil - yet there is not a slightest visible scratch on the Ceramic case. This alone is really amazing!

When it met its kryptonite (pencil lead), it was a real big surprise, and all the more eager to find a fix on this otherwise ever-good-as-new Ceramic case.

Cheers ?
KJ
 
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bricktop_at said:
I have to disagree.... to me a nice watch isn't a tool, but falls in the jewelry department (the only "jewelry" I wear btw).

The aluminum models aren't "nice" watches to me, same as Swatches, Fossils, whatever.... those are tools to tell the time or measure some bodily functions as well.

Your view might be different, but that's how I see it. It's not about how much it costs, don't get me wrong, it's the exclusiveness to a certain amount and the ceramic S5 is quite exclusive as it's no longer made and deserves to be preserved - which doesn't make me stop wearing mine ;-)
Click to expand...
Jewellery hardly looses its value the way a device with a basically non-removable battery does.
Jewellery can be preserved. An Apple Watch can’t.
A real watch, that’s a „jewel“ on a different level. A ceramic Apple Watch is an Apple Watch like every other with an expensive housing.
Not trying to be a hater here, but that’s how I see it.
 
Reggaenald said:
Not trying to be a hater here, but that’s how I see it.
Click to expand...
I don’t see you as hater. Just as someone with a different view on some things.

In terms of „real watches“ though… try buying a Girard-Perregaux and watch it lose value, I dare you ;-)
 
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I have a AW5 Ceramic, with same scratch issue, tried all resources since Autosol Marine Shine is only sold in the Netherlands now, nothing worked. I ended up buying a tube of it through Amazon, took about 2 weeks, and after some hard rubbing with Autosol, it did indeed remove the marks!! Thank you OP 🙏🙏❤️
 
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