Keeping MBP keys/trackpad/surface clean?

[ballnluv23]

hey everyone, just got a brand new MBP shipped from Apple.com...15" 2.5GZ, 2GB of Ram, Leopard, etc. This is my first Apple computer as I'm a recent switcher from Windows, and I absolutely love it.

My only question is, how do I keep the keys, trackpad, and the silver base area around the trackpad clean? Not really from crumbs and such b/c I'm not going to be eating around it....but mainly from the dirt/oil from sweat glands on the fingers/palms/wrist areas.

I guess I'm being a little anal, but I'd just like to keep this machine looking new and fresh. Any suggestions as far as films/covers/guards?

 

[e12a]

for the palmrests you can get the marware protection pack (though IMO it looks ugly).

for the keyboard you can get iskin covers or any other keyboard cover.

 

[LeahM]

Wash your hands before you use it.

 

[chapel321]

I agree with e12a...I use a Marware protector, iSkin keyboard cover and a Tech Shell outer cover..I miss the factory MBP appearance but like the peace of mind!!

 

[JoshLV]

Well for one, I always wash my hands before using my MBP. To clean the keys and area around, I use a tiny bit of iKlear. I use the cloth that my MBP came with to clean my trackpad because iKlear would ruin it.

 

[Mekgek]

I like it dirty

 

[alphaod]

Just lick it once in a while. If you have pets, that will do fine as well.

 

[ballnluv23]

?

bump....and please guys, this is a serious question, so if we could have serious and productive answers, that would be great. it doesn't help to give smart ass answers....especially for a first time Mac owner and recent switcher.

 

[asmallchild]

I felt the same way when I got it a month ago.

The sensation eventually wears off.

As a preface, I use no protective devices like Marware or anything. And the machine still looks brand new. (Admittedly, it's because it's only 30 days old. )

What I would recommend is frequent hand washing before using the machine. (Hey, it helps to prevent infections. Doctor recommended)

And then wiping down the machine once a week. You can go to an Apple Store and purchase commercial products.

Or for the cheapskates, I simply use kitchen towels with a small dab of water. (Make sure the machine is off of course)

I was afraid the kitchen towels are a bit rough on the surface but in the month I've been doing this, I haven't noticed any adverse effects.

Regarding the screen, I haven't actually wiped it with anything yet but I would definitely opt for a commercial product there. (iKlear is a popular choice)

In the meantime, I've used Kleenex tissues (dry) just to get the dust off the screen. No smears yet so I haven't needed any moist solutions like iKlear.

 

[e12a]

In all honesty you really don't need marware. Maybe an iskin, but i find that i can keep the palmrests perfectly clean without a protection pack. Eventually even the protection pack discolors from the oils and looks bad. Just wipe the palm rests down once a week and it'll be fine.

I sold my old macbook pro that I had for a year to a guy and he exclaimed how clean my computer was. I never used any kind of palm rest protector with it, just the iSkin keyboard cover.

edit: I took the computer everywhere. Just be careful what you have around it and mindful of how dirty your hands are atm. Then you will be fine.

 

[alphaod]

I have an InvisibleShield for everything except the trackpad. I instead bought the TrackFilm. Works great I usually clean with iKlear.

 

[dgdosen]

Neatness OCD...

Here's what I do:

- Wash hands
- iClear for the screen
- Windex or Cinch (my favorite) onto a paper towel, then use the damp paper towel to wipe down the rest of the surfaces.
- don't eat in front of your PC!

I think it will be easier to keep the keyboard clean on future revs as the new keyboards do a better job at keeping out dirt

 

[Bobioden]

I use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Once or twice a week I will wipe down the whole computer (minus the screen) with a Mr Clean. Takes all of a minute. I use iKlear for the screen.

 

[iAmRod]

bump....and please guys, this is a serious question, so if we could have serious and productive answers, that would be great. it doesn't help to give smart ass answers....especially for a first time Mac owner and recent switcher.

Dude, take a breath! It's all good. People are just excited that you've "woken up" to the Mac. Yes, spending that amount of money can be somewhat stressful, but you'll find out it's well worth it.

Congrats on the switch!

 

[LeahM]

If your that worried, wear gloves.

A little extreme: build a air tight room where you have to wear one of those space-looking suits and then have an airchamber that will blast off all the loose particles.

 

[Bobioden]

If your that worried, wear gloves.

A little extreme: build a air tight room where you have to wear one of those space-looking suits and then have an airchamber that will blast off all the loose particles.

That's just mean, you know those space-looking suits will make you look fat.

 

[UltraNEO*]

bump....and please guys, this is a serious question, so if we could have serious and productive answers, that would be great. it doesn't help to give smart ass answers....especially for a first time Mac owner and recent switcher.

call me curious....

When you was a PC user, how did you keep your machine clean?
And why can't you apply the same cleaning methods/routine to the Mac?
It is afterall just another branded PC.

 

[RealaT]

call me curious....

When you was a PC user, how did you keep your machine clean?
And why can't you apply the same cleaning methods/routine to the Mac?
It is afterall just another branded PC.

i think there's just something about apple hardware that makes you want to keep it in pristine consition, i've never bothered cleaning computers regularly until i switched to mac

personally for my MBP i wipe it down with an anti-static screen wipe and then use a soft cloth to get rid of any streaks

 

[hotsauce]

Wirelessly posted (Apple Communication Device: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A102 Safari/419.3)

I recently had my sweat and oil glands surgically removed. It's fantastic. No more stains on my mbp!

 

[asmallchild]

Wirelessly posted (Apple Communication Device: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A102 Safari/419.3)

I recently had my sweat and oil glands surgically removed. It's fantastic. No more stains on my mbp!

oooh...i'm sorry to say you missed a step

your skin can still transmit stains

gotta remove it

i'll call the doc

 

[odinsride]

I use a clorox wipe to kill germs, and then iKlear to clean the screen and casing of the mbp. I do this about once a month, works like a charm