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Cleaning - Can small quantity of water kill the outer case?

P

Peter Franks

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jun 9, 2011
2,118
125
I've read on here you just need damp cloth to clean the casing/lid, but I've just tried the smallest amount on a cloth and also tried kitchen towel and the small streak I saw has now become the whole lid.

It's just speckly/streaky and looks worse than before I started.
Are these cases not up to much cleaning wise. It looks worse.

What do you guys use and is it now ruined or can a stronger detergent bring it back to how it was, What do they use in stores as they always look decent despite the masses touching them.

Also I'm gathering the grease marks on the touch pad is beyond help 8 months in? That won't budge with anything will it?


Thanks..
 
Peter Franks said:
I've read on here you just need damp cloth to clean the casing/lid, but I've just tried the smallest amount on a cloth and also tried kitchen towel and the small streak I saw has now become the whole lid.
Click to expand...

So use more water.

Also I'm gathering the grease marks on the touch pad is beyond help 8 months in? That won't budge with anything will it?
Click to expand...


The grease is there to stay.
 
See if you can find some iKlear, that stuff works very very well.

Also you can try isopropyl alcohol. If it is just grease on the touchpad's surface, it will remove it. Just be careful with it and use common sense.

Also be mindful of what type of cloth you use. This is more in regards to screen surfaces, but might as well use a good cloth for the entire MBP ya?

Anyone that says "just use a microfiber" is wrong (some what). Poor quality microfibers can scratch. Before using a cloth on anything you care about (TV/Car''s paint/laptop/etc), you should always perform the "cd test". Take a blank CD, and on the "burn" side rub your cloth on it with a fair amount of pressure. Now hold it up to a light at different angles and see if you notice tiny scratches. If you do, do not use it. You would be surprised how few microfibers pass this test. iKlear's MF's (the ones that come in the kit) fail.
 
This is one area that I am sorta anal about. I expose my panasonic Toughbooks to pretty extreme conditions in which it does not help with me wanting to keep them clean. I simply close the port covers and put it under the kitchen sink. On my MBP that simply can't be done!

1st off I take a can of compressed air and blow the entire laptop, making sure to get into all the small crevices, ports and screen. Remember that if anything is still left on the surface when you wipe it can act as sandpaper.

Take a bowl of warm water and a couple of drops of Dawn dish soap. Soak the soft rag, towel or microfiber cloth that is made in the US, not China. They stink. Make sure you wring it out very well and simply start wiping the entire laptop down with nice soft pressure. Pay very good attention to the KB. I put the towel on my finger and wipe each key and the surface around the key real good.

Either rinse your towel out very well or start with a fresh one. Get it wet with warm water only or you can a step further and use distilled water. Wring it out real good again. Now wipe it off again real well. When you are done with this it should like new condition minus any scratches in it or heavy marks.

This next step is where you will either think I am crazy or a genious:) The spray on wax detailer they sale for your car's finish is an excellent product that will help protect your laptop from UV, help bring out the shine of the AL and make the KB and mouse feel and function like never before. I simply spray some on a clean towel, never spray onto laptop. I wipe it down good and then fold my towel and wipe it to a nice buff. They do not leave ANY white wax dust at all. Try it and see for yourself if your laptop does not look and feel like never before. Remember, the MBP is pretty much 3 forms of exterior materials. The screen is a glass type, the AL body and the plastic KB keys. Think how you would clean each of these 3 materials on anything else. Just because it is a laptop does not mean you can't clean the materials like other items. Just don't use liquid!

Good luck!
 
Thanks for your replies, Great advice and thanks

Toughbook, How do you get inbetween the keys that easy? Does the wax not wipe off the lettering? Did that wax clean up the mousepad too?
 
Peter Franks said:
Thanks for your replies, Great advice and thanks

Toughbook, How do you get inbetween the keys that easy? Does the wax not wipe off the lettering? Did that wax clean up the mousepad too?[/QUOTE

You cannot hardly see it when you wipe it on. To get between the keys just wrap the rag or towel around your finger.
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I use rubbing alcohol on the aluminium surface, the trackpad, and the keys. Works great cleaning off oils and dirt, plus it disinfects.

Just don't use alcohol on the screen, instead use something like iKlear or a clean microfiber cloth.
 
I haven't tried it, but like Toughbook said, a car detailer (Mcguiars Final Inspection is my favorite) will work. It will help make the surface repel dust not to mention super smooth. So be careful and use 2 hands if you move it. You can use it on all surfaces, but just make sure you dry it good. For normal dusting, I usually use a swiffer or for smudges, a damp cloth/paper towel. Also, compressed air for the keyboard.
 
if you clean regularly, these problems won't happen. i clean once a day and when you want a deep cleanse you can use rubbing alcohol. its aluminum people. you can buy computer screen cleaners in a spray bottle and use a microfiber cloth for the entire computer! :eek: crazy! maybe once a year take the keys off and use a q-tip with rubbing alcohol to really clean it.

however, sand paper and 9 inch nails work just fine. try that if the soft stuff fails.
 
I just use a good micro (high quality boutique for our vehicles, not store bought), and a spray detailer (put some fast clean and shine in one of those alky mister bottles). Using a good microfiber (I've gotten mine from autogeek) is smart b/c the fibers grab at dirt/grime etc, but they don't shed like majority of cheap micros you can buy at a store (where they will leave the fibers all over your screen, windows, whatever)
 
Well, I've learnt loads from you guys today, so thanks for all.
I shall be experimenting... I did have a micro fibre but it didn't do much to be honest, doesn't remove the streak on screen or case, so liquids will have to come into play, and see what occurs.

Taking the keys off, do many of you do that?
 
I use lysol wipes on my Macbook Air. It makes the metal and trackpad really clean. The keys it still looks weird so I then wipe with a slightly damp paper towel.
 
I thought those trackpads were doomed, didn't know you could bring them back up too. Do the Apple stores use that iKlear?
 
Seriously, everyone saying "microfiber cloth". Perform the cd-test first. I don't care if you spent $20 on a single cloth, or if it is "boutique". I have owned expensive mf's that fail. And cheap ones that pass and continue to pass through a few washings. If you want to order some online, I have been very happy with towels from Pakshak. If local, if you have a O'rielys auto parts shop, get the Viking detailing towel (it is a big plush dark blue one). Even after 15+ washings, it is soft and still passes the cd test.

I know some of you may think I am a freak. But this comes from being OCD over my previous cars, and doing high end paint correction/detailing (not professionally).

Not sure if I would recommend putting "car detailer" on the MBP though. As nearly all of them contain silicone. Thought silicone and aluminum was a no-no. Probably wrong, as you don't deal with to much unsealed aluminum on a car.

Will look into it. Would be great if I could be some opti-seal on it ! :)
 
iLukeJoseph said:
Seriously, everyone saying "microfiber cloth". Perform the cd-test first. I don't care if you spent $20 on a single cloth, or if it is "boutique". I have owned expensive mf's that fail. And cheap ones that pass and continue to pass through a few washings. If you want to order some online, I have been very happy with towels from Pakshak. If local, if you have a O'rielys auto parts shop, get the Viking detailing towel (it is a big plush dark blue one). Even after 15+ washings, it is soft and still passes the cd test.

I know some of you may think I am a freak. But this comes from being OCD over my previous cars, and doing high end paint correction/detailing (not professionally).

Not sure if I would recommend putting "car detailer" on the MBP though. As nearly all of them contain silicone. Thought silicone and aluminum was a no-no. Probably wrong, as you don't deal with to much unsealed aluminum on a car.

Will look into it. Would be great if I could be some opti-seal on it ! :)
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Micro high quality or not won't damage/scratch aluminum or glass for that matter, no need to worry about that on a Macbook, the only reason I use higher quality towels is to avoid the shedding of fibers that cheaper ones have a habit of doing (like if you wipe your vehicle windshield you'll see all the fiber strands left behind in the sunlight when driving). I've used FCS to clean our tv's, computers etc for years, no worry there either. Vehicle CC is much softer then glass or aluminum, which is where you should check which towels you use to not mar the finish.
 
IMO, Microfiber is over rated. I have some MF towels for dusting and a I had bought some for my car, but I rarely use them. I don't like the way the material feels and it sticks smallest amount of dry skin. Cotton towels or torn up T-shirts are good for no lint.
 
I use a small spray bottled mixture of half 70% isopropyl alcohol and half no grease professional vehicle plastic cleaner/detailer/protectant (it's made by Meguiars I believe). I use it on my TV and it cleans it well in addition to protecting the plastic. Plastic scratches easily when cleaned to a bare finish. This leaves almost a film, but none greasy

Microfiber towels are what I use and occasionally the small silky microfiber cloth that came with my sunglasses. These are high quality professional grade and were not cheap. I have two different colors, tan and green. I use the tan for the screen (including my TV and external monitor) and the for the body I use the green. I bought these is a 6 pack (3 of each color). To clean them I hand wash and air dry them. Remember that drying affects the microfiber and using fabric softener will leave a film behind.

Microfiber towels are better than using a standard cotton cloth, because they actually lift the dirt, grease, etc. Whereas a regular cloth just pushes it around leading the scratches. Having had glasses since I was about 4 yrs old (27 now) I have a bit of an advantage on glass/polycarb cleaning experience of what works and what doesn't. Just my two cents and I am new here. :cool:
 
trlyka said:
IMO, Microfiber is over rated. I have some MF towels for dusting and a I had bought some for my car, but I rarely use them. I don't like the way the material feels and it sticks smallest amount of dry skin. Cotton towels or torn up T-shirts are good for no lint.
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I guarantee you your paint is swirled to hell with a halogen or even sunlight on the paint, especially with a t-shirt lol or even 100% cotton towels, post that on an auto detailing forum. Reminds me of my neighbor using cotton towels on his Porsche and thought how nice the car looked after waxing etc (nevermind he didn't polish or prep the paint), till I showed him in the light how swirled his paint was lol.

Micro is better even for dusting as it grabs at the dust b/c microfiber by design is "hooked", letting it grab at grime, reason why it works better on glass for computers, tv's, sunglasses etc.
 
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