Filed under: Hardware, Tips and tricks, Ask TUAW
Ask TUAW: how do you keep your Mac clean?
This week's Ask TUAW is coming from reader XIV, who's a recent Mac switcher with an iMac and is interesting in our thoughts on how to keep it clean. XIV writes: "...I've found out that my keyboard isn't that easy to wash up. There's also the fact that I don't know if there's some miracle product to wash up my iMac."So what say ye, TUAW readers? What tools, chemicals and fabrics do you use to keep your Mac and its display lookin' like new? Let's also not limit this just to desktops or iMacs. PowerBook and iBook owners should feel free to reveal their Mac hygiene secrets as well.
Also, as a reminder to all y'all reading out there: Ask TUAW is a weekly segment that is fueled by questions from readers like you. Use our tips form to send us a question with the subject "Ask TUAW" and we'll post one each week.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Michael Vega said 3:09PM on 10-21-2005
Best $2 you can spend. Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser available at your local Wal-Mart or Target. It's a super sponge that magically removes the grease areas of your shiny new white mac or ibook. Just add a bit of water (enough to moist it) and off comes the gray dirty areas. Works on my ibook g4's arm rest area just great.
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Goobimama said 3:14PM on 10-21-2005
I have the iBook but the screen kind of gets a bit smudgy and has patches (can be seen only when the display is off). What do I do?
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Jeff said 3:15PM on 10-21-2005
I store all my porn on DVD's. That way, the hard drive remains clean of the filth.
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Ffats said 3:16PM on 10-21-2005
I just completely wrap my Powerbook in Saran Wrap. The cheap stuff. Stays nice and fresh.
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Aaron Vogel said 3:25PM on 10-21-2005
I usually just use a cloth towel and some all-purpose cleaner for the keyboard on my Powerbook, and my lens cloth with a bit of lens cleaner on it for the screen. I have a wrist rug ( http://www.powersupportusa.com/products/rr.php ) for the wrist rest area. This is getting dirty, but I'll probably just buy another one in a few months.. then all nice and clean again!
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tim said 3:29PM on 10-21-2005
Ffats, if you're not joking, that may be wreaking havoc on your cooling, which I believe comes partially through the keyboard, though I could be wrong.
Every week or so, I run the vacuum's brush head over the keyboard area. Pick up all the little crumbs etc. that always seem to find their way under the keys.
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maz said 3:38PM on 10-21-2005
I only care about my screen being clean. I have to get my power book's keyboard replaced soon as I type so much on it heh. My power book also has quite a few stickers from performing with it so who cares there ;)
Those little towelettes you get for eating ribs or wings work wonders :)
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Piers Morgan said 3:56PM on 10-21-2005
I spilt beer all over my keyboard, so I washed it out in the sink. I figured if the beer broke it, then it didn't matter what I did to it, and if beer didn't break it, water wouldn't. I left it to dry for about a week, works perfectly now!
I run a vacuum cleaner over the keyboard on my Powerbook every once in a while. I tried using lens cleaning cloths to wipe the screen, horrible (yet recoverable) results. Clean socks work fine.
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Wader said 3:57PM on 10-21-2005
To get rid of dirt and anything sticky (I couldn't image what) you should use something with little or no water. I'd recommend head cleaner or isopropyl alcohol (make sure it's a very high percentage, 99% is good). Over the summer I directed the cleaning of almost two thousand iBooks and we used head cleaner (from MG chemicals http://www.mgchemicals.com/products/407c.html, don't get the aerosol, you need the liquid) and cotton cloth extensively. It evaporates quickly and leaves no residue; I'd recommend this for any computer including the aluminum of the pro-line, and keyboards. For screens there are a number of options. I personally have a screen chamois for dust and minor buffing. For more stubborn issues like finger prints I'd recommend Screen Kleen Gel (tonnes of stores sell this and there's a lot on the internet about it). It's nice, because it's a gel it won't run into your screen. I'd also recommend that when you clean your screen (even if you just use windex) that you place the display on a hard surface so that there's nowhere for the liquid to run (even with a PowerBook or iBook having the body of the unit vertical and the display resting on a table when you clean; of course the computer is off at this point). Don't use the head cleaner on the screen. For keyboards that are really nasty (offices mostly) I have a couple methods. First unplug the USB, spray a fine mist of windex or other residue free chemical (this is when you could use aerosol head cleaner) then, with a large soft bristle brush rub the hell out of it. The brush will get all sides of the keys and pick up most of the dirt; wipe with a clean cloth. If the keyboard is really bad you can use a butter knife to remove all the keys (macs external keyboards are nice because the don't have springs under them and are easy to put back together; the shift, return, and space bar are a little different but still very easy), put them in a mesh bag (I should mention, though I think it common sense, this method is for external keyboards, don't use this for iBook or PowerBook keys; at least I haven't tried it), place the bag is your dishwasher and run it. DO NOT USE THE HEAT DRY. After they have washed removed them from the bag and lay them out on a tea towel to dry. Make sure they are completely dry before putting the keys back on the board. Another option is to seek out an ultra-sonic blind cleaning company and they can do a hell of a job with keyboards. The last option is to buy a new keyboard. Hope this helps some people out there. If you're really anal and clean your LCD screen all the time, don't use windex, it's to powerful. If you only clean your screen once every month or couple of weeks, it should be fine.
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Max said 4:02PM on 10-21-2005
Even better than wrapping the beast in saran wrap, pick up a protouch keyboard skin. I have them on both my desktop and powerbook keyboards, you can probably even run it through the dishwasher! It's made by iskin, all silicon and I think it even comes in a few colors.
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Wader said 4:05PM on 10-21-2005
ahhhhh, I just read the comments that showed up while writing my thesis of a comment. I wouldn't recommend using a vacuum anywhere near your computer. The nozzle on the end of a vacuum has a phenomenal amount of built up static electricity (usually), and when using on a PowerBook or iBook you run a risk of ESD (electro-static discharge). From the top of your keyboard, the logic board isn't very far for static to jump. On external keyboards a vacuum is fine. If you have an ibook it'd be safer to lift up the keyboard (there are two tabs at the top) remove a couple of keys and shake it out. The best method (in my opinion) is compressed air, just blow it out.
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Karl Otto Henriksen said 4:08PM on 10-21-2005
Soft paper with a little water. Then dry paper til everything that is water is gone. (only tried on the screen.)
The best way might just be to send the machine in for repair. Then it might come back clean. At least it did when they changed my keyboard. :)
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ValkRaider said 4:10PM on 10-21-2005
How about washing your hands once and a while?
I like the iKleen wet/dry disposable towlettes, found at the Apple stores or any good independant Mac retailer. They are a combo cleaner and polish, which keeps my 15 inch AlBook nice.....
And I wash my hands....
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Wader said 4:10PM on 10-21-2005
I never knew that this was so close to my heart. If you run a laptop in clamshell mode the screen will in time be negatively affected because of the heat release through the keyboard. If you've ever taken an ibook or PowerBook apart you'll see that there are little vents that allow air through the keyboard. I wouldn't suggest coving your keyboard with anything; just wash your hands before use. (iskin isn't made by apple and I doubt they have the resources or engineers to test the long term effects of such a product). I could be completely wrong here, I just know that I wouldn't use one.
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Berko said 4:17PM on 10-21-2005
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and I am learning this lesson the hard way. I had an iBook G3 900 that was trashed by the time I got rid of it. Those oily smudges on the screen, the gray stains on the wrist rest (although I love the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser idea), and lots of crumbs under the keyboard. With my new Powerbook (I am so glad they didn't upgrade the 12", BTW) I have taken every precaution and it is working out great.
Before I even received the thing, I ordered several products that are making life a dream. [http://tinyurl.com/azykg] I got an iSkin keyboard cover, the RadTech sleeve, and the RadTech Screensavrz. I also bought a set of the Pawz laptop feet. The iSkin is also available for full-sized keyboards, and RadTech makes an iMac cover as well. The iMac page can be found here. [http://tinyurl.com/8gqfw]. Another great thing to keep on hand is a can of canned air. Very helpful. Beyond that, I would say that paying a little attention to your machine a couple times a week to keep it dusted and wiped down can do wonders. For me, keeping my Powerbook in its sleeve is imperative because I am so prone to spilling while I eat. I keep my 'book far away when that is possible.
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Billy K said 4:51PM on 10-21-2005
Screen Cleaner Pro, from Ambrosia. An absolute MUST-HAVE.
http://www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/freebies/
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HowdyDoody said 4:53PM on 10-21-2005
Damp terry cloth, not wet, is what I use to clean all my computers and desk. Has been that way since 1989 and that's all you need. For the keyboard, I vacuum it once a week or so and wipe with the same damp rag. I switched to a Mac about 4 months ago and the Apple keyboard still looks brand new.
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rev dave said 4:55PM on 10-21-2005
alcohol - ethyl or isopropyl. Q-tips for keyboards and a washcloth or cotton towel for the rest. I just finished cleaning a bunch of revA and revB imacs for donation and it can get off stickers, oil residue, and all around crap that resides in and on machines.
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Slow Motion, Quick Thinking said 5:16PM on 10-21-2005
[related]
On books, apparently the keyboard may cause damage to the screen after a while, little dents and scratches on the screen.
This was nowhere in my manual, but I have some friends who learned the hard way, and Apple told them that they should've known better.
So, I'd advice to keep something soft in between of keys and screen when the book is closed.
There's lots of products for this.
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Joshua Gliddon said 5:44PM on 10-21-2005
I use a microfibre cloth on my powerbook. Dampen it just a touch, and it's perfect for the aluminium case and the screen. I generally use an external keyboard and trackball (it's a 17"), so the keyboard's not too much of a problem cleanliness-wise.
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