Green metal deposit on charger?

I've noticed a powder-like green deposition on the metal post on the Shuffle charger, which has also been getting into the Shuffle's headphone/charger hole. It's causing my Shuffle to pause in the middle of songs without the Pause/Play button being pressed; I have to press Play every 10 seconds to get it to continue playing.

I think my sweat (I use the Shuffle when I am running, usualy clipped to my shirt) is oxidizing the metal either in the headphone hole or on the charger. Anyone else having this problem? Any solutions?

Mac Mini, Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Posted on Mar 19, 2007 10:41 PM

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9 replies

Mar 26, 2007 12:23 PM in response to ElDuderino1977

Yup...saw it on mine too. I have now had two shuffles fail for this very reason (sweat). Looking for a "sport case". I wear baseball caps when I run, so I clip on to back of hat or the bill. Keeps it out of harms way.

I think Apple should have been forward in warning users about this. I mean, its marketed for "active types"...surely they could have used a better sealed package...think?

Mar 26, 2007 12:37 PM in response to slackkeymike

Yup...saw it on mine too. I have now had two
shuffles fail for this very reason (sweat). Looking
for a "sport case". I wear baseball caps when I run,
so I clip on to back of hat or the bill. Keeps it
out of harms way.

I think Apple should have been forward in warning
users about this. I mean, its marketed for "active
types"...surely they could have used a better sealed
package...think?


Think of it as a test for the adept. IF you position the Shuffle so that the earphones plug points downward any sweat will NOT enter the Shuffle that way.

Mar 27, 2007 6:48 AM in response to 0Ari0

I'm pretty "adept"...but how about the ipod shuffle engineers? The "belt" clip forces the shuffle to be worn a certain way... a certain way that forces the phone jack to be "sideways". Maybe I should clip it to my "fly"? Oops, running shorts do not have flies. How about the bottom of my shirt or shorts, or top of my shirt? Ooops, just reversed the problem.

Funny how I never had this problem with my mini and nanos. Guess I am just inept. This thing is a sweat trap for active types...pure and simple.

Mar 27, 2007 7:44 AM in response to slackkeymike

There are a few ways of removing this type of stuff but I must warn you that these suggestions I offer are more geared for automotive application. However, with care and attention they may offer some help with your situation.

You may be able to free a bit of this up by rubbing the area with a regular eraser from a pencil. Make sure that you clean the area well (lint free cloth) after the rubbing.

Depending on how careful you are you could also use a paste of baking soda and water as this is a good way to get corrosion off of battery terminals. You have to allow the stuff to dry a bit so it will come off in chunks. Again a good work for a car battery but may be a bit too risky for your iPod.

The last solution and one that might have the highest risk would be using battery terminal cleaner. It can be purchased at any auto parts store and I would only suggest applying it with a q-tip that you have applied the spray to. If I was using this solution I would have a lint free cloth close by to wipe off the area as soon as I rubbed it down.

Again, risky cleaning solutions but they are ways to remove some corrosion from areas. I only offer this advice as a last ditch effort.

In the event that you do get the corrosion off perhaps you could wipe the area with a lint free cloth that is lightly saturated with rubbing alcohol. This would clean the area and dries quickly. Cleaning your product well after a workout might be the best route to make sure this isn't a continued problem.

I hope something here might have helped. Good luck to you.

20in iMac 2GHz Core Duo / 6GB iPod mini (Silver) Mac OS X (10.4.9) Dell Insperon 8200

Mar 27, 2007 2:59 PM in response to 0Ari0

Yeah... AND consider how it got there (from INSIDE your Shuffle).


This is a good point to bring up. Now there is a chance that the corrosion was simply sweat reacting to the metal then once it's clean and you work to keep the sweat off of it than you shouldn't see it return. This would be like how some peoples skin reacts to gold plated jewelry and causes the piece to tarnish and discolor the skin green.

However if by chance it continues to appear there might be a chance that the battery has been damaged and it is leaking. In my experiences I often see a green, white(ish), or brown (dirty yellow) when I come across leaking batteries.

I would suggest against CLR because of the remote fact that this problem is caused by a leaking battery. The solutions I listed earlier leave less of a chance for a chemical reaction. Battery Terminal Cleaner is made to clean a car battery.

CLR is used on lime scale and rust usually on household items (coffee pots, silverware, and sinks) or the side of a house. The chemical contents in CLR may have a bad reaction to a leaking battery and could cause a release of toxic fumes.

I don't know if that would be the result but the risk is there and as such you should take precautions to ensure your safety. Your life is worth more than a consumer electronic device.

I am not a chemist but I would try erasers and baking soda before moving up to the more powerful cleaning agents. For one it's easier on the device as well as being cheaper.

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Green metal deposit on charger?

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