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xcrskim

macrumors member
Original poster
May 12, 2007
31
0
mine has a little discoloration here and there because i've used a magiceraser on it and some parts are darker then others, what do you guys use to clean the outer shell of the MBP ? ALSO, does anyone else get like little specs of oil or something like that appear on there screen when they close it and open it up sometimes ?
 
Microfibre cloths are good for the screen, not sure about the outside. A regular cloth, I guess
 
I use iKlear cause I'm paranoid of using anything else for fear of messing something up. I know it's irrational, but hey, this thing is expensive, what's another twenty bucks to keep it clean? You can use it on the whole thing, the case, the screen, and it comes with a big cloth and a smaller one for keeping in your bag, as well as a bottle of cleaner, and some pre-packaged wipes for your bag as well. Sometimes I find that finger grease residue isn't as easy to remove as just a quick wipe, so I'd imagine water and a cloth isn't going to really clean it. iKlear does the trick for the entire casing, keeping it looking new.
 
I use Detol antiseptic wipes for everything aluminum i.e the body and wipe the excess/buff with soft kitchen towel and use iKlear/microfibre for the screen. This combo works great for me and has done for the past 9 months.
 
I wish there was something you could put on the screen to repel dust. I hate it when I'm on a dark page and I can see loads of specs of dust, really irritates me.
 
Like others have mentioned already, iKlear is a great product for almost all apple products. I use it on my MBP and when I had an iMac I used it for that as well.

The probably you have when you close the lid is the oil and dirt/dust from your keyboard gets transferred to the screen when you close it. If you buy the $30 iKlear set up, it comes with a keyboard cover… But if you want to go the whole 9, check out http://www.shaggymac.com, the keyboard covers they sell cover up the entire mbp from keyboard to the trackpad, protecting the whole screen. The issue I had with keyboard covers that only cover the keyboard is after time you can see imprints of the borders of the keyboard cover on the screen, that was the case I had with the marware one.
 
I get the dust off with a swiffer duster, then use a Lysol wipe to wipe down the casing. To clean the screen I use a 1:1 mixture of rubbing alcohol and water and a soft cloth diaper. Works like a charm.
 
I second the 1:1 ratio of water and rubbing alcohol. It's the same thing opticians recommend for cleaning eyeglasses when they aren't trying to sell you a $10 bottle of the exact same thing. A bottle of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol should be about $1 (in the US) at your local drugstore.

Mix the alcohol with water in a squirt bottle. Squirt some on a clean cloth and wipe off the computer. It works for the screen as well and is very good at removing finger oils from the keyboard.
 
hey guys, i have a similar concern. i can actually see a bit of white on my mbp case, im guessing its salt residue from sweat. i dont sweat much but sometimes when playing wow on the mbp it gets very hot. i am worried about this in the long term and am looking for a cheap way to clean it that will actually remove the salt, not just make it look clean. ideas?

also curious if i should remove the battery or anything. i dont want to take ANY chances and will likely leave it to dry for the day during work after i clean it.
 
iKlear + dust off. I have become addicted to dust off on my MBP. I buy it in bulk at Costco.
 
Official Apple page (for LCD screens)

I researched this a number of years ago, and found all sorts of ideas floating around the web. In the end I deciding on the method that used microfiber cloths (which I use on my high end optical camera lenses) and water, with a splash of vinegar to help clean any foreign matter that's stuck to the LCD.


Here's an offical page from Apple - they don't like alcohol:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=60446

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Edit - I should add that the main problem often discussed is with ethyl alcohol, which like amonia can cause yellowing problems with the screen. This is probably why many are confused when hearing the conficting recommendations to use isopropyl alcohol while others say "alcohol is bad for your screen".
 
see this is why i am confused. id like a factual answer on it

You can use diluted alcohol on the screen, but I really think it is safest to use a professional product like iKlear.

As for the body of the MBP, compressed air really takes care of a lot of it. The manual includes directions when more cleaning is needed:
 

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I use a three-step approach for cleaning my gear. I have a cheap (<$2.00) soft-bristle paint brush for cleaning keyboards and corners of displays. I have a small, anti-static, hand-held, soft dust-mop for cleaning the surface area. Finally, I have disposable camera lens cleaning cloths.

Every couple days, before firing the computer up, I turn the keyboard over and use the small paintbrush to clean between the keys. Then I will wipe down the surfaces with the small dust mop. At the end, I again use the paintbrush to clean any dust which settles between the lower bezel-screen.

The only time I use the lens cleaner is if some foreign (liquid) material lands on it. Even then, I use it very sparingly. I make sure to 'buff it out', so no residue is left.

Computers are very easy to clean if you do not let dirt-dust accumulate. Like I say, I clean mine on average of twice a week. It takes 1-2 minutes. My gear always looks like new.
 
You can use diluted alcohol on the screen, but I really think it is safest to use a professional product like iKlear.

As for the body of the MBP, compressed air really takes care of a lot of it. The manual includes directions when more cleaning is needed:

okay, but im still concerned with the white residue i can see on there. it has to be salt and must be eating away. would it be feasible to remove that top panel, and really wipe away at it with a damp cloth, cleaning the cloth and reapplying a few times to get rid of it?
 
okay, but im still concerned with the white residue i can see on there. it has to be salt and must be eating away. would it be feasible to remove that top panel, and really wipe away at it with a damp cloth, cleaning the cloth and reapplying a few times to get rid of it?

I'm not sure why you would need to remove the top panel. Is the stain, whatever it is, running inside the bezel or something?

If it salt, I would think it would be easy to clean. I would start with the Apple-recommended damp cloth. I have never had anything on my case that I couldn't clean with either air or a damp cloth. If that didn't do it, I would probably add 1 or 2 drops of mild dish detergent (like Dawn) to the water and try it again. Go slowly, don't rub to hard, and start out with a small, out of the way area.

Whatever you do, it is pretty clear that Apple thinks you should stay away from solvents and the like, so products like Pinesol or Formula 409 are verbotten.

If this is an ongoing problem, you might want to look into one of these.
 
I'm not sure why you would need to remove the top panel. Is the stain, whatever it is, running inside the bezel or something?

If it salt, I would think it would be easy to clean. I would start with the Apple-recommended damp cloth. I have never had anything on my case that I couldn't clean with either air or a damp cloth. If that didn't do it, I would probably add 1 or 2 drops of mild dish detergent (like Dawn) to the water and try it again. Go slowly, don't rub to hard, and start out with a small, out of the way area.

Whatever you do, it is pretty clear that Apple thinks you should stay away from solvents and the like, so products like Pinesol or Formula 409 are verbotten.

If this is an ongoing problem, you might want to look into one of these.

its actually not a stain. its not visible from most angles, but in the right light i can see the salt on there. its nowhere else on the casing. the reason i was considering taking the panel off is because i feel like i could use an excess amount of water to carry the salt away, as opposed to a damp cloth which would probably just move it around.
 
i just want to prevent it from becomming a stain

edit: is it hard to take off the panel or is it just those screws on the side? id really like to get it cleaned soon so damage doesnt set in. water wouldnt rust it or anything would it?
 
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