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spaghetti head

macrumors member
Original poster
May 5, 2011
95
0
I recently put another Otterbox Defender on my 4. The first one never had an oil spot problem. This one is terrible. I've tried with and without a screen protector and it doesn't change. Otterbox's recommended fix is to very lightly dust the inside screen with baby powder. Needless to say, I'm not too excited about doing that.
 

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daemonite

macrumors member
Aug 18, 2010
91
0
i washed my otterbox out with water, light soap, dried it and then wiped my iphone screen with alcohol. No oils...no oil spots.
 

kermitshdy

macrumors newbie
Mar 17, 2013
2
0
Hey all! So I got my first iPhone today and the oil spots were pissing me off soooo much. After trying everything I found online (baby powder, glasses cleaner stuff, windex and baby powder etc.) I finally gave up. I couldn't get all the dust and lint etc off my screen or the screen protector so I used a damp towel to clean off both. I gently dried them both off and put the case back together and then I noticed there was absolutely no oils on the screen. There were some smudges so I took it off again and wiped it off with a damp towel and then lightly dried it again. And voila, no oil spots. It was the first time I was happy with my otterbox. I hope this helps! And btw, this is on the iPhone 5 but I'd think it would also work with 4/4S, 3G etc.
 

koa

macrumors 6502
Jan 8, 2005
410
221
Hawaii
Otterbox sent me a new case for my Mini when it started developing screen spots. They have very good customer service.

I could get the spots to go away by cutting thin strips of vinyl tape (3M electrical tape) and putting them on the edges of the case screen on the inside where they couldn't be seen. This lifts the screen a bit, I used two layers before the spots disappeared. It will make the touch screen less sensitive. You have to push the screen a bit harder. It might work as a temporary fix until they send you a new case.

Washing helps. Just don't use hot water and make sure you get all the soap residue off with lots of rinsing. Then make sure the case is completely dry before putting the phone back in. I use the air in a can to blow out all the water then dry.

You could also just buy another case from Best Buy and then return the old case.
 

kermitshdy

macrumors newbie
Mar 17, 2013
2
0
Hey all! So I got my first iPhone today and the oil spots were pissing me off soooo much. After trying everything I found online (baby powder, glasses cleaner stuff, windex and baby powder etc.) I finally gave up. I couldn't get all the dust and lint etc off my screen or the screen protector so I used a damp towel to clean off both. I gently dried them both off and put the case back together and then I noticed there was absolutely no oils on the screen. There were some smudges so I took it off again and wiped it off with a damp towel and then lightly dried it again. And voila, no oil spots. It was the first time I was happy with my otterbox. I hope this helps! And btw, this is on the iPhone 5 but I'd think it would also work with 4/4S, 3G etc.

I attempted this a second time and it didn't work. So then, I put some baby powder on and THEN wiped it down with a damp towel. I think this is the only thing that has worked for me, so I'm unhappy that I've gone through all this, but I'm happy I found a way to fix it.
 

kilcher

macrumors 65816
Jul 3, 2011
1,269
326
I recently put another Otterbox Defender on my 4. The first one never had an oil spot problem. This one is terrible. I've tried with and without a screen protector and it doesn't change. Otterbox's recommended fix is to very lightly dust the inside screen with baby powder. Needless to say, I'm not too excited about doing that.

Where did you buy that OB from? Is that an iPhone 5?

I had to clean mine every 3-4 days but I never had anything that bad.
 

ipadfreak

macrumors regular
Mar 29, 2010
206
3
Use lense cleaner and a microfiber cloth to wipe both the inside of the otter box screen and your iphone screen. Then go in the bathroom, lay out a towel on the counter. Turn your shower on hot, and come back in 3-4 minutes, making sure the door is close.. When you come back, the room should be full of steam. Now on the towel on the counter, and put the case on.

Not only will there be no oil slicks, but there will be NO dust or particles under the screen. I suggest this when you are applying any screen protector!
 
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