How much to clean an iMac G4?

[spoonyliger]

My iMac PowerPC G4 and its keyboard are so dusty and dirty inside I feel like puking when I look at them. If I took them to an Apple store, how much do you think they would charge me to have it cleaned up from the inside out?

Also, would they give me a free summary of other things that might need replacement or attention afterwards?

 

[burnout8488]

The keyboard can honestly be cleaned in a bucket of hot soapy water. Pop out all the keys, dip the keys and keyboard into a washtub filled with hot water and Dawn soap, and AGITATE. Rinse everything with cold water and marvel at your sparkling new keyboard.

Let it dry overnight upside down.

(You might want to take a picture of your keyboard first so you know where everything goes!)

As for the Mac... don't do that.

 

[spoonyliger]

The keyboard can honestly be cleaned in a bucket of hot soapy water. Pop out all the keys, dip the keys and keyboard into a washtub filled with hot water and Dawn soap, and AGITATE. Rinse everything with cold water and marvel at your sparkling new keyboard.

Whoa! Are you serious about that? What about all the circuitry inside? It won't get damaged?

 

[Intell]

Whoa! Are you serious about that? What about all the circuitry inside? It won't get damaged?

Not if its off and left out for a few days. Keyboards are designed to take lots of liquid abuse.

 

[spoonyliger]

Not if its off and left out for a few days. Keyboards are designed to take lots of liquid abuse.

Would this work with the more recent, wireless Intel iMac keyboards?

 

[Intell]

The thin ones? I wouldn't recommend that. They trap moisture well and are more prone to failure if wet.

 

[spoonyliger]

The thin ones? I wouldn't recommend that. They trap moisture well and are more prone to failure if wet.

Yea, they do seem more fragile in that sense.

Anyways, any ideas on the price for cleaning the PwrPC G4 iMac?

 

[Intell]

I don't think the Apple Store would do anything if you took that in. They're "obsolete" by Apple support standards and can't be fixed by an Apple Store.

I use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to clean mine. It works really well. They ever work great on the keyboards. Just make sure it's damp, not dripping wet.

 

[burnout8488]

Yep! The older keyboards are fine for this as long as you allow ample time to dry. The "circuitry" throughout the keyboard is really quite impervious to water - it's all essentially plastic matting.

I cleaned my PowerBook keyboard this way, and only let it dry for a few hours. It wasn't enough, but the only symptom of moisture was that some keys were being seen as "pressed" when they weren't. After I let the computer run for a few hours the heat dried it out.

 

[Subish]

I just took all the keys off and cleaned each one with a Magic Eraser and Paper towel. Took about an hour (did it while I watched a movie) Looks brand new.

 

[yoyo8558]

I don't think the Apple Store would do anything if you took that in. They're "obsolete" by Apple support standards and can't be fixed by an Apple Store.

I use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to clean mine. It works really well. They ever work great on the keyboards. Just make sure it's damp, not dripping wet.

I just picked up a 20" iMac G4 for collection's sake. I used the magic eraser to scrub down the half-dome, and it looks amazing. I rubbed the back of the display as well. Everything looks pristine white except for the front bezel, which is yellow. Is that the plexiglass, or the white bezel behind the plexi? How do you clean this area? Does the whole bezel need to be buffed and waxed?

 

[Hrududu]

Don't take it to the Apple Store.
I would be VERY surprised if anyone there would be willing to look at it. I was in an Apple Store last summer and this poor guy was there with his 15" iMac G4 looking dejected in the corner. I asked him what he was needing and said he just wanted to know what the newest OS was it could run and how much RAM it would hold. He said he had waited there for a long time and nobody would help him. I told he what he wanted to know while the staff looked on giving me glares.


Anyways, as others have said, the Magic Eraser is fantastic for these as is THIS product. I use it all the time with a microfiber cloth on LCD panels and cases. Best cleaner I have EVER tried.

 

[yoyo8558]

You use the Magic Eraser on the bezel of the iMac G4? It doesnt scratch it? Or should I just go for the Blow Off? Number one goal is to turn the yellow frame back to its original white color. The Magic Eraser worked great for the matte white half-dome and rear of the display...last step is the plexi/bezel.

Thanks!

 

[WalkerTexasRanger]

I was in an Apple Store last summer and this poor guy was there with his 15" iMac G4 looking dejected in the corner. I asked him what he was needing and said he just wanted to know what the newest OS was it could run and how much RAM it would hold. He said he had waited there for a long time and nobody would help him.

As someone who has been in retail for some time, I can not understand why this kind of behavior was tolerated by the store manager. Where I work (and where I have worked before) the rule is you help every customer possible, even if they aren't planning to buy something then and there. You never know if they will come back later and buy something, or if they will leave you a bad review on yelp/google, and never come back to the store, because you were unhelpful and just stared at them like they were from another planet. I would not have tolerated this kind of behavior if I was the manager. It is MUCH more difficult to earn business than it is to lose it, and loyal customers are worth their weight in gold.

 

[0248294]

That's the Apple Store for ya. Won't help unless you're a potential source of cash. That's sadly the way it is with those. Makes me want to grab my Bondi iMac and just for the hell of it drag it into their store and see what will happen.

 

[Hrududu]

That's the Apple Store for ya. Won't help unless you're a potential source of cash. That's sadly the way it is with those. Makes me want to grab my Bondi iMac and just for the hell of it drag it into their store and see what will happen.

You'll get a top notch sales pitch for a new iMac is what will happen. Maybe even hands on tour of a MacBook.

 

[Intell]

While this is a five year old thread, the yellow bezel on the front is both the clear plastic and the white behind it. It's not easy to remove the yellowing.

 

[yoyo8558]

While this is a five year old thread, the yellow bezel on the front is both the clear plastic and the white behind it. It's not easy to remove the yellowing.

so the white behind the plexiglass may have yellowed due to exposure to the sun, as well as the plexiglass itself? The base was relatively white before I used the Magic Eraser (there was a red spill on the back that looked like the original owner spilled kool-aid on it or something) that came right out, so I don't think it was a smoking environment.

I'm happy to try anything to remove the yellow on the bezel. My old mustang had yellowed and foggy headlights - after buffing and re polishing, they became clear again, so I'm hoping its not the white frame itself behind the plexi...

 

[davidg4781]

FWIW, I took my 24" LED CD to Apple a few months ago to see if they can put a new logic board in (2 USB ports aren't working and it's annoying). They told me up front that they probably wouldn't be able to help because of the age but set me up in the queue and someone came out quickly to help. He looked up the serial number, told me it was obsolete, apologized, and gave me some suggestions on where to take it.

I wonder if that old man didn't set up a Genius Bar appointment and they asked him to wait a bit until someone was freed up. I know there's a lot of employees around but most of the sales people just know enough about current models to answer simple questions.