My Space Gray has no scratches
Looks like the PVC coating does make a difference.
My Silver X also has zero scratches on it.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPhone X How to remove scratches on the stainless steel on silver iPhone X
- Thread starter vega07
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
My Silver X also has zero scratches on it.
I would not recommend at all using Mothers polish on the iPhone X bands. Yes, it will remove the scratches, but you also take the risk of any of that paste becoming wedged in between the crevices and near the speaker grills or charging port area. I would highly recommend the Cape Cod cloth, as that is a much safer method for the iPhone X and is much easier to use as well Without the use of paste.
that's my same thought. Probably Cape Cod is a bit less stronger in the the removing action but it worth as firtst option instead of mothers.
Does the cape cod leave oil/chems coat on the phone or it goes away just with wiping after application?
The Cape Cod cloth will leave a slight oily residue behind when using it. Just take a clean microfiber cloth and it will wipe off immediately. Another recommendation, is not allow the cloth to come into contact with the display, due to the oleophobic coating.
Although this is not your normal wear and tear it clearly shows just how ugly SG will look when the coating comes off...
That's not even close to normal!
Looks like it was sanded
I completely disagree about the use of Mothers. I used it on mine and it works perfectly. If you get any paste in the crevices, you’ve used too much. You just need a tiny dab. Like wrap a microfiber cloth around your finger and just lightly touch the paste to get some on. That’s all you need. A super tiny amount. This stuff will last you forever.
Any excess wipes off easily with a microfiber cloth, if that’s what you’re worried about. I just put a dab of water and wiped my edges down after the polish, then used a dry part of the cloth to finish up.
Cape Cod cloths are far more messy, oily, and leave a lingering smell. And you’ll still need an extra cloth to dry it or wipe it down.
I highly recommend the Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish. I was very impressed with how easily it worked. Simple, no mess, and no after-smell.
Whichever one you choose, I recommend putting tape along the screen edges where you’ll be polishing, so you don’t remove any coating. I used the blue tape that people use for painting and such. No sticky residue whatsoever.
I have had this discussion with you before. It's strictly user preference and experience. I own Mothers mag polish and the Cape Cod cloth. But if you're somebody new to using mothers polish, someone easily could use an excessive amount by mistake with no experience with it, causing mishaps that cannot be reversed. The Cape Cod cloth with eliminate that concern. However, yes the Cape Cod cloth does have an oily substance to it, but I have used it on my stainless steel Apple Watches with no problem at all and it can be easily removed with a microfiber cloth.
You mentioned you would need an extra cloth to wipe off the oil from the Cape Cod cloth off the iPhone X bands, but the same applies to when you use the mothers polish as well, because you need to buff off any remaining residue. It's not like it's that big of an issue to begin with. Again, I think that's based on experience and if you're using both methods appropriately.
Also, for the record, Mothers polish does have an odor to it, so I'm not sure why you're saying it does not. The Cape Cod cloth does have an odor as well, but it's not like it's a lingering effect that sticks to the iPhone.
I'm not being dismissive of what somebody chooses, I'm simply indicating the advantages/disadvantages to both polishing methods. Either way, both methods will remove the scratches.
Last edited:
thank you so much for the detailed report about the 2 method. I'm sure they're both effective and pretty safe if use with caution.
Just wondering if the bezel surface will lose some coat because of the grey/dark dirty that's on the wipe once the process is done.
What you're seeing with the black residue on the Cloth is the reaction from the cloth chemicals and the stainless steel. The regular stainless steel X bands do not have any type of coating on it and it wouldn't harm the metal when polishing. The space gray stainless steel X bands have a physical vapor deposition that is applied from the Factory, which you would not be able to use a Cape Cod cloth or polishing paste.
This. Both will remove scratches. The Cape Cod cloths are less abrasive but will leave no crud in the speaker holes. If a deeper scratch, the mag polish would be better.
I’ve been using Mothers Mag on my SS Apple Watch and it’s great. Just rub it into the cloth first. Letting the cloth dry first works well too. I cut small pieces from a clean discarded cotton t-shirt and a cotton towel and store the pieces in a ziploc bag.
I picked up a very cheap set of assorted artists brushes at the drug store and the natural (animal hair vs. nylon) brushes are great for cleaning pocket lint and debris from lightning ports and speaker holes, so that’s what I would use if I managed to get dried polish in them.
I picked up a very cheap set of assorted artists brushes at the drug store and the natural (animal hair vs. nylon) brushes are great for cleaning pocket lint and debris from lightning ports and speaker holes, so that’s what I would use if I managed to get dried polish in them.
Last edited:
that's the point. Probably for the frame and the straight parts Mothers is the best choice, for the rest, Cape Cod is better.
Yeah (cubed). Much less risk of polishing residue getting into things. I will say that the finest (highest grit) polish I've ever used is Simichrome, a German paste polish that's basically jeweler's rouge.
my model present very few micro scratch in a couple of point in the bezel and some kind of abrasion (light, not deep) on the volume / power button. I guess it's due to the nails.
Do you think guys that the cape cod will be effective as well on this kind of abrasions?
Do you think guys that the cape cod will be effective as well on this kind of abrasions?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The SG will not scratch with normal handling. When I say “normal” handling, I mean without throwing the phone around naked, bumping it to hard surfaces.
The silver band should be handled the same way but the main difference is that it will show “micro-scratches” after getting in contact with hard surfaces, putting a case on and off or by simply wiping it with micro-fibre cloth that is contaminated by sand or similar material hardness.
I’m not even recommending using polishing cloth that is wet because that may damage anything inside the holes on the band.
My SG X has been in and out of its case with no single sign of a micro-scratch...and this is observed under bright lighting.
A lot of people are getting the silver because they simply want change from their usual black/grey phones without realizing the silver band will scratch really easily (or are aware of this but don’t mind polishing every so often). One of my friends did the exact same thing and he is now having buyers remorse...worse yet, he is beyond the return period.
Last edited:
I don't know the answer, but I think there's a question there. Most of these polishing compounds or cloths have some kind of solvent in them. I am wondering whether there are seals around the bezels that could be affected by solvents (for example, mineral spirits, which is a pretty common solvent for polishing compounds).
