Filed under: Odds and ends, MacBook
MacBook Hygiene
There's a curious meme on the web today: how to clean your MacBook effectively. Over at MacApper, Josh Holloway has apparently discovered (via InsanelyMac) that the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is the key to black Mac nirvana. And in an apparently unrelated post over at the FreeMacBlog Brian Stucki has determined that the white MacBook needs the tender loving care of Glass Plus Wipes. So there you have it: bridging the gap between black and white is a nice clean MacBook.Update: I suppose it's worth saying: use this information at your own risk. It is a good idea to test any cleaning product on the (replaceable) battery before using it on the entire computer.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Aron Trimble said 10:32AM on 3-16-2007
And what about my poor, slightly dirty macbook pro, eh?
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Jon said 10:40AM on 3-16-2007
Don't listen to this shyt. Glass Plus on plastic?? I'll use than on my aluminum skin powerbook too! Oh shit it started pitting... Oh crap my screen started fogging... wtf mate?
***Glass Plus contains ammonia! Don't use that on plastic! *** Don't clean your powerbook skin with anything but water: Aluminum is a oxidizing self protecting metal: It needs to be slightly dirty! ***
Its the same reason you can't clean a car with tinted glass with Glass Plus as well. Never use harsh chemicals on plastic or aluminum. A very light soapy cloth followed with a damp plain water cloth will clean anything you can put on your macs right off just fine.
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Rod said 11:20AM on 3-16-2007
I can vouch for the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, I tried it myself the other day and it cleaned the black poly shell of my macbook beautifully. I'm a bit hesitant to try it on the screen though... anyone have experience there?
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bpmarkowitz said 11:38AM on 3-16-2007
well i am going to get my macbook this weekend. i have been all over the web getting opinions and i think i have settled on white. it looks the most "mac" like to me.
any opinions here?
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Aron Trimble said 11:56AM on 3-16-2007
If I were to get a macbook, i'd get white. I bought a black iPod and I regret it every day. The only comfort is that the interior of my car is black and it's hooked up to my car stereo all the time (Alpine deck controllers 0wn!). Other than that, though, i'll always prefer white.
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Stephen Waits said 12:04PM on 3-16-2007
Bad bad bad advice. Apple themselves tell you to never use ANYTHING but a soft cloth dampened with water.
Go look it up. Then delete this garbage.
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Mark 2000 said 12:38PM on 3-16-2007
How is this new? The geniuses at the San Francisco apple store use magic eraser all the time. The told me about it several months ago.
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Kishen said 12:42PM on 3-16-2007
The Magic Eraser worked fine for me on the Black MB, although i'm not sure if there'd be any long term effects of doing this regularly???
It might be a good idea to update this post with international names for the Magic Eraser since Mr Clean doesn't exist in the UK. Over here we have the "JML Magic Eraser" and the "Flash Mark and Stain Eraser"... don't try Cilit Bang... "Bang and your Mac is gone" haha!
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Ryan said 12:57PM on 3-16-2007
Warm water and hand soap...
Remember, you can use old motor oil to fertilize your lawn too.
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Joey S. said 1:21PM on 3-16-2007
I don't recommend using the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I used to use it on my iBook and it worked well, but when I used it on my MacBook it left faint scratches where I had rubbed with any pressure at all. I used it on a white MacBook so it may be different than the black, but the point is that it can be very abrasive and so I'd think twice before using it.
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Luigi said 2:03PM on 3-16-2007
I just use a slightly wet microfiber cloth. Works like a charm.
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MfS said 2:04PM on 3-16-2007
For us "old-timers," obviously the Magic Eraser works great on the "old" iBooks too. I've never gotten a "stain" on the outside shell, just some accumulated dirt on the "palm rests" next to the trackpad.
I've used iCleaner on my old 4G U2 iPod, and it works great; the bottle says it'll work on iBooks/PowerBooks too, but haven't needed to try that yet (to remove scratches/etc.).
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Matt Redman said 2:45PM on 3-16-2007
I know a guy that worked for Apple retail and they used Mr Clean magic erasers on just about everything except screens. They used the iKlear product they sell for that.
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candice said 3:29PM on 3-16-2007
I would not use anything other than iKlear, which is sold at Apple Stores. They have a Web site. I've been using it on my Intel iMac 20" and my PowerBook G4 with excellent results. Supposedly, Apple support uses it. Check their Web site.
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Mark said 4:31PM on 3-16-2007
Wash your hands before you use your computer. Buy a can of air. Buy a bottle of screen cleaner and chamois wipes.
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(01) said 9:02PM on 3-16-2007
Wow, I never realized how similar my computer and my laundry could be.... I don't have any real use for these as I have a MBP, but does anyone have any good ways to clean the moitor? I use water and the cleaning cloth that came with my glasses, but feel like I could do better.
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Joe Raymond said 3:03AM on 3-17-2007
Marware makes a cleaning cloth that doubles as a screen protector for when you close the laptop. This cloth is like a chamois. Marware recommends using just plain water. So far this has worked just fine for my PowerBook, MacBook Pro, and my daughter's white MacBook.
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bdrak said 11:20AM on 3-17-2007
Do you know of a european version of this product?
Mr. Clean is Mr. Proper here :) i think (CzechRepublic)
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