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Cleaning my MacBook Pro?!?

eddx

eddx

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 12, 2005
231
0
Manchester, UK
So I never thought about cleaning a computer too much but since switching to Mac two weeks ago my new laptop is getting a little dirty - especially around the wrist rest areas either side of the trackpad.

I was wondering what was teh best product or type of cloth to use. I currently just lick my finger and wipe it loads but thats obviously not the best way to go. I dont want to wet the computer as water + computer = dead computer.

Cleaning advice please...
 
Actually, the best thing to do is just get a paper towel and hot water, but just make it damp. Wipe the whole computer & it's fine. (this works well with the matte screen too, it makes it look brand new!)
 
Harsh? It didn't scratch my screen...and it's not gonna melt the aluminum. sooooooo if you want to spend $20 of on something that does the same thing then ... power to the people.
 
A paper towel isn't going to scratch a matte screen. Maybe a glossy screen, but I've never had one so I don't know.

Uh, I definitely wouldn't recommend wetting the computer. Just make a paper towel or tissue or cloth napkin damp and wipe it off. I never actually had the problem of cleaning the wrist pads because eventually the paint faded off, and the plastic over the speaker wore off. :eek:
 
markkk! said:
Harsh? It didn't scratch my screen...and it's not gonna melt the aluminum. sooooooo if you want to spend $20 of on something that does the same thing then ... power to the people.
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Spending $20 to keep a $2000+ machine clean is a precaution where I can justify sparing the money.
 
fenixx said:
Spending $20 to keep a $2000+ machine clean is a precaution where I can justify sparing the money.
Click to expand...

Look, a paper towel isn't going to scratch the screen or melt the aluminum and make the computer explode into 20 thousand different pieces. It is a disposable cloth, damped with warm, rockless, sandless, grit-free water.
 
I'm not saying that a paper towel won't work. I'm not saying that an incredible difference will take place. I am just noting to the user with an alternative approach than cleaning his eqipment in an utilitarian fashion.

BTW, most paper towels have wood fibres in them.
 
markkk! said:
Look, a paper towel isn't going to scratch the screen or melt the aluminum and make the computer explode into 20 thousand different pieces. It is a disposable cloth, damped with warm, rockless, sandless, grit-free water.
Click to expand...

If a paper towel isn't going to scratch a screen, why do they tell you to never use paper products on eye glasses? Paper towel actually scratches screens very easily...I accidentally scratched the coating on a CRT (which is much harder than the coating on an LCD).

If you're going to cheap out, use an old soft t-shirt or dish towel.
 
mmmcheese said:
If a paper towel isn't going to scratch a screen, why do they tell you to never use paper products on eye glasses? Paper towel actually scratches screens very easily...I accidentally scratched the coating on a CRT (which is much harder than the coating on an LCD).

If you're going to cheap out, use an old soft t-shirt or dish towel.
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You scratched a CRT with a papertowel?
 
markkk! said:
You scratched a CRT with a papertowel?
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That's what's what I said...the scratch was likely through the anti-glare coating, but if it can scratch that, it could really do a number on the soft plastic coatng of an LCD panel.

Moral of the story...use something like an eye glasses cloth (you can get them for cheap from an glasses store), or an old t-shirt.
 
Paper towels are cheap wood fiber. On a macro-scale, they're soft, but on a microscopic scale, VERY not. They generally won't scratch hard glass (the same may not apply to the optical coating on glasses or a CRT), but I would never use one on a glossy LCD screen--that's begging for hairline scratches.

Just use an old cotton t-shirt or even a worn-out pair of cotton underwear--both are soft, functionally free, reuseable, and aren't likely to scratch anything.

For the wrist rests, I recommend those "eraser" cleaners (Mr. Clean or some such)--there are other ways to get the aluminum clean, but it's amazingly hard to get grime out of the matte texture and those erasers do a wonderful job of it. Very cheap, too, and you can always use it to polish your sinks if you don't like it.
 
Makosuke said:
...(the same may not apply to the optical coating on glasses or a CRT)...
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That and glasses are usually made out of plastic.

Makosuke said:
For the wrist rests, I recommend those "eraser" cleaners (Mr. Clean or some such)--there are other ways to get the aluminum clean, but it's amazingly hard to get grime out of the matte texture and those erasers do a wonderful job of it. Very cheap, too, and you can always use it to polish your sinks if you don't like it.
Click to expand...

Warning to anyone who wants to use these...I HIGHLY suggest wearing rubber gloves....they can dry out your skin something awful.
 
If you don't won't to spend 20 Bucks or so on iklear. I would recommend a micro-fiber rag that can be picked up at any car parts store for about 5 Bucks. There are several other vendors that make lcd or lens cleaner.

Personally I wouldn't use paper-towel (some brands are very rough) but it's your MacBook you are cleaning anyways.
 
Well I can see everyone's point with the papertowels...but I use them on my (matte) LCD screen. It isn't scratched & it works fine, no streaks etc.

But I wouldn't spend $20 on iKlear (or whatever) if you are that worried I'd do what everyone else says and use a soft cloth, but I wouldn't use windex because it sort of makes the palm rest area sticky, and leaves streaks on the screen. Water works fine.
 
benthewraith said:
To clean the screen and to get the fingerprints and stuff off the aluminum, I just use windex? Is that okay? :eek:

*ducks and covers in fear*
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I wouldn't...windex has some nasty chemicals in it. Why not just use a bit of water. Back in the day when I first got my iBook, I checked the Apple website because there were some stubborn spots that water couldn't get off. The Apple support site said to use a 30% rubbing alchocol/70% water mixture sparingly on the LCD and case with an appropriate non-wood fibre cloth (as people have listed above).
 
benthewraith said:
To clean the screen and to get the fingerprints and stuff off the aluminum, I just use windex? Is that okay? :eek:

*ducks and covers in fear*
Click to expand...

markkk! said:
Well I can see everyone's point with the papertowels...but I use them on my (matte) LCD screen. It isn't scratched & it works fine, no streaks etc.

But I wouldn't spend $20 on iKlear (or whatever) if you are that worried I'd do what everyone else says and use a soft cloth, but I wouldn't use windex because it sort of makes the palm rest area sticky, and leaves streaks on the screen. Water works fine.
Click to expand...

no.
 
Water and paper towel seemed to work great for me, certainly on the surface of the computer, what about the screen, guessing a dry paper towel does the trick nicely (thats what I use on my old 19inch lcd - sometimes not dry), I just worry about harming the MacBook Pro's screen it being so thin and delicate.

Screen cleaning advice please and thank you :)
 
I bought a microfiber cloth designed to clean camera lenses... they are less expensive than the ones for LCD screens and are handy to keep with you since you have a laptop. I've never used anything liquid though for finger prints or anything, i am assuming water would do the trick.
 
markkk! said:
Well I can see everyone's point with the papertowels...but I use them on my (matte) LCD screen. It isn't scratched & it works fine, no streaks etc.

But I wouldn't spend $20 on iKlear (or whatever) if you are that worried I'd do what everyone else says and use a soft cloth, but I wouldn't use windex because it sort of makes the palm rest area sticky, and leaves streaks on the screen. Water works fine.
Click to expand...

I've heard stories about automobile windows being dried with paper towels. Eventuall (5 years maybe more) the windshield willl start to get scratches, but at the beggining you won't see the scratches it is leaving because they are microscopic. But when you begin seeing them its because they've been building up on the glass.

But hey if its' working for you then more power to ya. I'm just saying from a car point of view.
 
markkk! said:
Look, a paper towel isn't going to scratch the screen or melt the aluminum and make the computer explode into 20 thousand different pieces. It is a disposable cloth, damped with warm, rockless, sandless, grit-free water.
Click to expand...


agreed, I clean mine with a paper towel all the time, never had anything even closely resembling a scratch. Paper towel isnt like a brillo pad people, you will be fine. (though i would warn against using the brown crap they used to have in elementary school. That paper towel could slice butter)
 
You better go to your local Music store or Walmart, you will find a cheap screen cleaner (solution + microfiber) for $10 bucks.
 
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