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User profile for user: No_Alcohol_On_MacBook
No_Alcohol_On_MacBook Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

How to Get Rid of Blue Stain from Old MacBook A1342 (and how to clean Macs in general)

I tried to clean my Apple MacBook A1342's unibody the standard way I'd clean any laptop: that is, with alcohol and a microber cloth.


The microfiber cloth I used is colour black (this'll be relevant shortly)


This isn't a problem at all in cleaning Dell, HP, and Lenovo laptops, so I assumed it wouldn't be for Apple MacBooks aswell.


Big mistake.



Now the top and bottom lids are awfully discoloured. 😟


What I presume had happened was the black colour of the microfiber cloth had stained off into the unibody of the MacBook.


(1) I tried cleaning the stain off with a damp cloth; no luck.


(2) I tried Scotch Brite's Easy (Melamine) Eraser, and the prominence off the stain did manage to rub off.


However, it's not fully gone yet. And upon close-enough inspection one can still see the pigment "rub off".


I merely wanted to clean my MacBook (as it would inevitably get dirty) - but I've done the complete opposite.


Can someone please advise what to do to clean the stain?


And in general, what's the PROPER way of cleaning MacBooks - especially the old ones?

Posted on Nov 20, 2021 6:22 AM

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User profile for user: ku4hx
ku4hx
User level: Level 7
23,448 points

Posted on Nov 20, 2021 7:02 AM

Apple's guidance is the same everywhere you look: soft lint free cloth dampened with water.


Your intentions were admirable, but your execution was off the mark. Unfortunately, solvents do damage an Apple's finish and once damaged there's not a lot, if anything, you can do. Over time, the sweat from your hand can discolor the finish too.


You might try a white, slightly water dampened microfiber cloth, but I doubt that's going to help much. More than likely, you've imbedded dye from the dark cloth into the finish. Using more alcohol to removed what's there now will likely make the situation worse.

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User profile for user: ku4hx
ku4hx
User level: Level 7
23,448 points

Nov 20, 2021 7:02 AM in response to No_Alcohol_On_MacBook

Apple's guidance is the same everywhere you look: soft lint free cloth dampened with water.


Your intentions were admirable, but your execution was off the mark. Unfortunately, solvents do damage an Apple's finish and once damaged there's not a lot, if anything, you can do. Over time, the sweat from your hand can discolor the finish too.


You might try a white, slightly water dampened microfiber cloth, but I doubt that's going to help much. More than likely, you've imbedded dye from the dark cloth into the finish. Using more alcohol to removed what's there now will likely make the situation worse.

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How to Get Rid of Blue Stain from Old MacBook A1342 (and how to clean Macs in general)

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