toothsayer
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: What sort of "cleaner" do Apple use to clean refurbished products?

I've had experience with buying two refurbished MacBooks: one for myself, and one that I just recently recommenced my girlfriend to get. Two years back, when I got mine in, it of course smelt fantastic like new Apple hardware, but it also had a hint of some sort of cleaner... maybe nail polish? I realize that this sort of thing is not recommended to be used, so I assumed it was something else that maybe Apple only used---a sort of special blend. But then last week, when the girlfriend got her new Retina MacBook in, it smelt the same and it got my interest sparked once again.

 

Do we know what they use? I understand the booklets and the forums on here recommend, straight from Apple, to use a lent-free, lightly damp clothe to clean your products, but sometimes I feel like I'd like to give it a "deeper" clean (I write a lot, so no matter how often I wash my hands or wipe my keyboard down, eventually it gets a little dirty from grease and whatnot). And now that I think of it... when I had to have my iPhone replaced a few years back, the one that I got from the Apple Store smelt of the same cleaner, as it was a refurbished phone too.

Anyone know?

MacBook Pro (15-inch Early 2011), OS X Mavericks (10.9.3)

Posted on Aug 1, 2014 5:06 PM

by John Galt,Solvedanswer
John Galt John Galt
Level 8 (49,654 points)
Mac OS X
A:

toothsayer wrote:

 

Yes, John Galt, I've read that many times over, and it's how I clean my Apple products, I was merely curious if anyone knew of a really safe and nice cleaner. Surely water and a rag doesn't clean everything.

 

I understand that and I agree with you, but that's all Apple recommends, and it's all that I use.

 

Weigh the advantages of using a more effective cleaner than water against the possibility of ruining your MacBooks, because that's what you risk if liquid gets inside the keyboard. When that occurs, often nothing is salvageable, and it voids your warranty.

 

Edit to add: What you're smelling is probably not a solvent used to clean the Mac's exterior. I doubt they do that. It's probably an adhesive used when the Mac or iPhone is reassembled as part of the refurbishment process. So, what you're seeking to accomplish (clean its keys and exterior) is probably unrelated to a cleaning solution.

Posted on Aug 1, 2014 8:22 PM

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toothsayer

Q: What sort of "cleaner" do Apple use to clean refurbished products?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by JaiJethani,

    JaiJethani JaiJethani Aug 1, 2014 6:52 PM in response to toothsayer
    Level 2 (190 points)
    Aug 1, 2014 6:52 PM in response to toothsayer

    As far as I know, they don't/haven't released this sort of detail yet.

  • by Barry Hemphill,

    Barry Hemphill Barry Hemphill Aug 1, 2014 6:55 PM in response to toothsayer
    Level 8 (38,062 points)
    Peripherals
    Aug 1, 2014 6:55 PM in response to toothsayer

    No one here knows anything about that. None of us work in Apple refurbishing facilities.

     

    Barry

  • by John Galt,

    John Galt John Galt Aug 1, 2014 7:58 PM in response to toothsayer
    Level 8 (49,654 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 1, 2014 7:58 PM in response to toothsayer

    The solvent in nail polish remover is acetone, a common solvent with a characteristic odor unlike anything else.

     

    If Apple uses acetone in any of their manufacturing processes they're not going to say. I recommend keeping acetone away from your Mac - it'll melt the keys, for one reason. Key caps are inexpensive enough that Apple probably replaces them as part of their refurbishment process, rather than attempting to clean them.

     

    This is all Apple recommends regarding cleaning: How to clean Mac products

  • by toothsayer,

    toothsayer toothsayer Aug 1, 2014 8:09 PM in response to toothsayer
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 1, 2014 8:09 PM in response to toothsayer

    Yes, John Galt, I've read that many times over, and it's how I clean my Apple products, I was merely curious if anyone knew of a really safe and nice cleaner. Surely water and a rag doesn't clean everything.

  • by toothsayer,

    toothsayer toothsayer Aug 1, 2014 8:15 PM in response to toothsayer
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 1, 2014 8:15 PM in response to toothsayer

    Sorry... not sure how that was posted twice.

  • by John Galt,Solvedanswer

    John Galt John Galt Aug 1, 2014 8:22 PM in response to toothsayer
    Level 8 (49,654 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 1, 2014 8:22 PM in response to toothsayer

    toothsayer wrote:

     

    Yes, John Galt, I've read that many times over, and it's how I clean my Apple products, I was merely curious if anyone knew of a really safe and nice cleaner. Surely water and a rag doesn't clean everything.

     

    I understand that and I agree with you, but that's all Apple recommends, and it's all that I use.

     

    Weigh the advantages of using a more effective cleaner than water against the possibility of ruining your MacBooks, because that's what you risk if liquid gets inside the keyboard. When that occurs, often nothing is salvageable, and it voids your warranty.

     

    Edit to add: What you're smelling is probably not a solvent used to clean the Mac's exterior. I doubt they do that. It's probably an adhesive used when the Mac or iPhone is reassembled as part of the refurbishment process. So, what you're seeking to accomplish (clean its keys and exterior) is probably unrelated to a cleaning solution.

  • by toothsayer,

    toothsayer toothsayer Aug 1, 2014 8:16 PM in response to John Galt
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 1, 2014 8:16 PM in response to John Galt

    Quite right! I can't think of much worth risking my hardware over, especially when it simply comes down to how I clean it.