My macbook is about a year old. The keyboard appears to be very clean, however, if you look closely, there is some dust and hairs under the keys. I heard compressed air simply moves the particles into the crevices and can mess with the fan, so laptop mini vacuum cleaners were the better alternative. Is there any vacuum cleaners that anyone would like to recommend that did the job for them?
MacBook
Grant Bennet-Alder, greetings; Perhaps we have discovered a niche that needs to be filled. We can develop a MAC VAC for MBPs and make millions!!!
Serious question; I have difficulty in understanding how an electrical charge can be conducted by a plastic wand and hose since plastic is an insulator, not a conductor (my understanding). It may wound me to shown my ignorance, but I do want to know. Thanks.
Ciao.
How to Clean the Laptop Keyboard
It’s a good idea to clean your laptop keyboard regularly. However, to avoid damaging it, there are some things you need to keep in mind when you are removing dust and particles, or cleaning the keys.
Every so often, you can use a vacuum to clean your laptop keyboard. This effectively s u ck up all the crud in the keyboard. It's amazing to watch.
Some people prefer to clean the keyboard by using a can of compressed air. This is not recommended, because the air can blow the crud in your keyboard further inside the laptop. Instead, use a vacuum.
Remember to have the computer turned off when you do this!
To clean the tops of the keys, use isopropyl alcohol. Soak it up into a soft, dust-free cloth, or use a cotton swab and gently rub the key tops. Try not to drip any alcohol inside the keyboard, and never use a spray cleaner directly on the keyboard.
In addition to cleaning your keyboard regularly, you should also consider washing your hands from time to time.
I strongly disagree with most others here.
Home vacuums (with their plastic wands and tools) produce HUGE static charges that can kill electronics.
Do not use a Home Vacuum on your electronics -- use only a vacuum made for electronics or blast it with compressed air.
Thank you. I'm glad you told me that before I followed through with using my home vacuum.
any vacuum cleaner is fine. most have suction strength setting now anyway, but if they don't....no big deal. for my keyboards I just turn them upside down and using the brush attachment go over the keys so that anything that was under the keys has a better chance to fall with gravity and get sucked away.
what I'm trying to say here is that a vacuum is safe.. just shut your computer off first....there is no difference in a big vacuum vs. a small vacuum....just be smart and use a brush and don't go wild on pressure.
You forgot this from the MacBook Pro User Guide:
"Cleaning your MacBook Pro When cleaning the outside of your MacBook Pro and its components, first shut down your MacBook Pro and unplug the power adapter. Then use a damp, soft, lint-free cloth to clean the computer’s exterior. Avoid getting moisture in any openings. Do not spray liquid directly on the computer. Do not use aerosol sprays, solvents, or abrasives that might damage the finish.
Cleaning your MacBook Pro screen To clean your MacBook Pro screen, first shut down your MacBook Pro and unplug the power adapter. Then dampen the included cleaning cloth with just water and wipe the screen. Do not spray liquid directly on the screen."
...that's great but it says nothing about getting things out of a keyboard. Also the cleaning processes that companies recommend for their products are more aimed at keeping themselves from liability, than actually helping people clean things correctly. a damp cloth is not going to get anything out of a keyboard.
"a damp cloth is not going to get anything out of a keyboard."
Maybe not, maybe yes, but if a user mucks up their MBP using your recommendations their warranty = 0. So you may want to include that caveat when you give advice.
Use your home vacuum. Use it with or without the "brush." No need spending money on something you already have.
Wait, but aren't home vacuums too strong? I thought if I used it, the keys would pop right off and get sucked in themselves.
To build up a static charge, you need a material that is an insulator (or is iolated from ground).
Thanks, I appreciate the effort you took in answering my question. I'll go along with what you said and use a home vacuum while the computer is off.
Recommended vacuum cleaners for macbooks?
