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Recommendations for Cleaning New Aluminum Macbooks

M

musiqzuki

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 30, 2008
63
2
Hello,

I just bought the new aluminum Macbook.
I currently use the black cloth that came with it to clean the glass screen.
I was wondering though whats the best method to clean the outer shell and keyboard. I think I got some oil stains/spots on the black keys, which I'm not sure how to wipe off...

Help needed!

Thanks
 
gee, i was about to throw away the whole box, and thought i might take a look inside one more time and finally found the cloth everyone is talking about. lucky. now i can throw it away knowing i have my cloth :D
 
funkdis said:
gee, i was about to throw away the whole box, and thought i might take a look inside one more time and finally found the cloth everyone is talking about. lucky. now i can throw it away knowing i have my cloth :D
Click to expand...

Throwing the box away - ouch. I definetly wouldn't. :D
 
you dont need to spend ur money on products like iklean or wotever its called lol. just buy soft cloth,like the one that came with ur laptop and dust the screen every few days. you shouldnt have to use some chemical to clean the screen,just get a paper towel and slightly get it wet and wipe the screen the use the good cloth you bought from the store and wipe ur screen,do it in the daylight so you can see the streaks( only if ur screen needs to be cleaned,i did read somewhere on here where a guy washed his screen so much that the glossy stuff was peeling off,that wot he said anyway). and do the same for ur keyboard.

the keyboard will eventually get them glossy spots from where ur fingers have been,that happen to me on my pc laptop,.i have a whitebook and em thinkn of cutn little squares to stick on the keys,like i did for the palm rest.
 
If you are worried about keys getting dirty/oily you may want to look into a silicone keyboard cover. There are serveral manufacturers out there that make them - iskin comes to mind, but I don't know if they have made one specifically for the new macbook yet.

Also check out this link:

http://www.kbcovers.com/servlet/Detail?no=10
 
I used iKlear to make my old Macbook Air look presentable before I sold it. It works fine on the screen and it quickly and easily removed all the smudges on the aluminum casing. The new Macbook is the same material so I plan on using iKlear to keep it clean as well. Seriously, $20 gets you enough little individually packaged wipes, microfiber cloths, and solution to last for a few years. It's not a necessity, but neither is a Macbook.
 
Use vinegar and a micro fibre cloth

Buy a microfibre cloth from your grocery store, cut it up in smaller pieces and store them in clean ziplock bags. Use vinegar in a spay bottle. Spray on the microfibre cloth and wipe the screen, keyboard (carefully because you can lift keys off), close it, turn it over, wipe the bottom and the top. Takes 2 minutes. I do it every day, and then I wipe my ipod touch clean. It's good for the soul.

Oh, also, kinda obvious, but make sure the machine is shut down when you do this. Best to do in the morning when you have some natural light.
 
Yuk! I don't want my hands on plastic all day. I think these machines are made to be touched. Just my opinion.


eneisch said:
If you are worried about keys getting dirty/oily you may want to look into a silicone keyboard cover. There are serveral manufacturers out there that make them - iskin comes to mind, but I don't know if they have made one specifically for the new macbook yet.

Also check out this link:

http://www.kbcovers.com/servlet/Detail?no=10
Click to expand...
 
philosopherdog said:
Yuk! I don't want my hands on plastic all day. I think these machines are made to be touched. Just my opinion.
Click to expand...

Haha...what do you think your keyboard is made of?

I think you meant you don't want your hands on a silicone-based material all day.

Yours sounds better tho. :D
 
funkdis said:
gee, i was about to throw away the whole box, and thought i might take a look inside one more time and finally found the cloth everyone is talking about. lucky. now i can throw it away knowing i have my cloth :D
Click to expand...

You can sell the unwanted box on fleaBay, other users who are reselling their machines may find it useful!! Besides, it's a greener option, good for your pocket too!
 
to clean the keys - i used a $3 cleaning kit from walmart's vision center. it has a small microfiber cloth, and a spray bottle of cleaner with free refills for life. I bought mine in late 2001, and I've refilled it 8 or 9 times. and I also use the spray to clean my macbook pros and powerbooks back in the day. since it is aluminum, there's not much to worry about damaging it.

as for the keyboard cover, check out moshi's clearguard. Do a search for them on the forums.

what makes them different is that they are super transparent (especially good for the 2.4ghz model with backlit keyboard and they are super thin. Supposedly 0.1mm thick, instead of the silicon ones (which are 0.5mm thick).

I'm using the clearguard right now, and i'm pretty pleased.

some people may suggest getting shaggymac or screensaverz (by radtech) but there's no need. There is a easily cleaned glass panel between the keyboard and the screen. It is easy to clean glass. In the past, you had to be real careful about cleaning the screen. Now you don't have to worry about that anymore, since you never come in contact with the screen anymore
 
1) iKlear. It has everything you need to keep your machine looking new. You can buy some windex and cheapy microfiber clothes and pray to god it will work, or you can just get the all in one solution which is alcohol and ammonia free. Its only 16 dollars and has lasted my two macbook pros + iphone + ACD one and a half years.

2) Keep the box. If you don't want it, sell it as suggested. The unibodies may keep their resale value for a while and having original materials historically drives up the final saleability.

3) A silicon keyboard cover works well to keep dust and grime out of the inner keyboard as well as keep the key wear to a minimum. You'll be amazed how much stuff I have on my iskin as far as pet hair and dust of which I can wash off at the end of the week.
 
Eddyisgreat said:
2) Keep the box. If you don't want it, sell it as suggested. The unibodies may keep their resale value for a while and having original materials historically drives up the final saleability.
Click to expand...

+1

I totally agree with you on this. it does help to keep the retail packaging in case reselling comes to play (if so)

I keep ALL of my consumer electronics retail boxes stored away in a closet just for that purpose. I've had to sell my toys and having the retail packaging helps resell value up to 25%.

And besides, the box is thin and small enough to store away, why wouldn't you? ;)
 
clean aluminum MacBook

Ya know,

Take a wet paper towel put a drop o' detergent on it and wipe the frickin' thang off!
 
musiqzuki said:
Hello,

I just bought the new aluminum Macbook.
I currently use the black cloth that came with it to clean the glass screen.
I was wondering though whats the best method to clean the outer shell and keyboard. I think I got some oil stains/spots on the black keys, which I'm not sure how to wipe off...

Help needed!

Thanks
Click to expand...

get a small 1 oz spray bottle, and fill it with 2 parts water, 1 part rubbing alcohol, and a few drops of dish washing liquid. and you can use this to clean your glasses too.

funkdis said:
gee, i was about to throw away the whole box, and thought i might take a look inside one more time and finally found the cloth everyone is talking about. lucky. now i can throw it away knowing i have my cloth :D
Click to expand...

if it's in good condition, you can sell your box on eBay instead of throwing it away. someone WILL buy it.
 
Soft clean terry cloth or a microfiber cloth if you must. Don't use one that has been washed with fabric softener as this will leave streaks on glass. Water or mild cleaner applied to cloth not directly on the machine. Favorite cleaner I use is sprayway made of distilled water and a couple different types of alcohol. Never streaks and is dirt cheap and does a great job cleaning almost anything. If this seems to cheap for you then you can always send me a fiver to make yourself feel better.:)
 
We have this thing called 'Pledge' and it's an all-purpose cleaner for wood, glass, plastic, etc. It does the job perfectly when I clean both my screen, and my keyboard, and also the cover. Basically cleans everywhere.

I just spray some on the screen and use toilet paper (lol), and for the keyboard, I spray on the toilet paper then wipe.
 
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