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I accidentally spilled rubbing alcohol on my Mac is there a chance it’ll survive??

I accidentally spilled rubbing alcohol on my Mac is there a chance it’ll survive?

MacBook Air 13″, 10.15

Posted on Aug 31, 2020 7:30 AM

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Posted on Aug 31, 2020 11:27 AM

Then, unfortunately, having it powered-on when the spill occurred, and continued use, may have caused irreparable damage as I mentioned earlier. If you continue to use it, and elect not to have an Apple technician look at it, it most likely, will continue to get worse.


As you are probably already aware, Apple's 1-year hardware warranty does not cover liquid damage. If you elected to purchase an AppleCare+ plan with this notebook, and it's still active, you may get any repairs done at a discount.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 31, 2020 11:27 AM in response to adilene49

Then, unfortunately, having it powered-on when the spill occurred, and continued use, may have caused irreparable damage as I mentioned earlier. If you continue to use it, and elect not to have an Apple technician look at it, it most likely, will continue to get worse.


As you are probably already aware, Apple's 1-year hardware warranty does not cover liquid damage. If you elected to purchase an AppleCare+ plan with this notebook, and it's still active, you may get any repairs done at a discount.

Aug 31, 2020 8:17 AM in response to adilene49

Potentially, but it will depend on a number of things. What % alcohol was it? Was the notebook powered-on when the spill occur? If not, did you try using it soon after?


The important thing right now is to allow the alcohol to completely evaporate. This may take a day or two, especially if the alcohol entered into the notebook. I would suggest not using it for at least that time period.


Typically 90% isopropyl alcohol can be used to "clean" electronics, and if used properly, should not cause any harm doing so. However, rubbing alcohol is not the same as it contains a mixture of compounds that can leave residue traces that can potentially short out circuitry.


At this point, I would suggest that you stop using your notebook and make a Genius Bar appointment at your local Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider to have them take a look and provide you with your options.

I accidentally spilled rubbing alcohol on my Mac is there a chance it’ll survive??

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