So on my quest to figure out the most idiot-resistant way to clean my Macbook Pro, I inquired at the local Apple Store. I was told they use alcohol swabs (similar to ones used in medicine). That seemed ideal; the moisture not only wasn’t sufficient to cause trouble, but would evaporate rapidly. So I bought some. But these were different than the ones I was showed at the store, which folded out. This was more sponge/cotton-like, one-layer, and was soaked with alcohol, enough that a surface I wiped with it had beaded alcohol on it that took a long time to evaporate.
Since it was cheap, I’d like to look some more for a kind closer to that used at the Apple store. Is there any way I can tell from the box what kind I’m getting, so I don’t find out I just have more of the same when I open it at home?
So the object I tested the swabs I bought on was the underside of a silicone keyboard cover I bought to keep the dust and dirt out. I tried putting it on my keyboard (after waiting a while for alcohol to evaporate, and wiping it with the included microfiber cloth), but I missed a spot over the C key; moisture appeared on the key on the right side, near/up to the right edge. Of course, I took it off and (I believe) wiped off the moisture. But what are the odds that some of it got under the key and damaged something? How long do I have to wait to tell? How WILL I tell?
(This one might be more IMHO; feel free to move the thread if so.) I am incredibly paranoid about not getting moisture under the keyboard when I clean. What’s the best way to prevent this, whatever method I use? I’m incredibly leery of wetting any sort of cloth, which is why the alcohol wipes thing appealed to me so.
Rubbing alcohol is safe on just about anything. I use it on computer things sometimes. I like the packaged wipes that are thick felt that doesn’t unfold. The only problem I’ve found is with some printed labels, but even most of those are safe.
A good way to wipe, or vacuum clean, a keyboard is to hold it upside down and work upward. Things you disturb but don’t instantly catch won’t fall further in, and neither will liquid.
Bectin Dickenson alcohol swabs are the spongy type, any name brand should be the better type. IIRC the CVS generic brand are the funky folded tissuetype.
To be honest, I use the BD ones for everything, though if you want something good for cleaning that isnt overly wet, Clean Drultra clear wipes are great, and also come with a small microfiber cloth that is excellent for cleaning glasses, screens, keyboards and mouses …
If the “moisture” is alcohol, it doesn’t matter if it goes under the keys, because (a) it will evaporate fairly quickly, and (b) it doesn’t conduct electricity*, so it’s not going to short out any circuitry.
Well OK, if you’re being nitpicky it’s not a perfect insulator, but much better than water.
I’m not sure what you mean about the swab “folding out”. But if you look on Amazon for “cleaning swabs” you’ll see a variety. There is one product that’s called keyboard cleaning swabs that are premoistened with alcohol that sells for $16 for 24 swabs. I use regular household Q-tip swabs that I dip in alcohol.
Hmm. I was told on another forum that alcohol is a solvent, and that the instructions specifically say not to use solvents on the computer, as it could “craze” plastics and damage finishes and coatings. Yet the Apple Store person said she went through dozens of them a day.
what was intended was not to use a solvent for plastics. neither water or alcohol (ethanol [drinking kind] or propanol [rubbing kind]) are solvents for that.
coatings might exist though LCD displays have the properties of coatings come from the actual plastic.
Instead of buying wipes, it is much cheaper to just wet a microfiber cloth with some alcohol. I have been told that a 50-50 mix of isopropyl alcohol and water is best for cleaning a flat-screen display, but maybe adding the water is not such a good idea for the keyboard.
Cheaper, but it runs the risk of me using too much on the cloth and harming the laptop if moisture gets in. That’s why I’m doing all this in the first place; for peace of mind.
Speaking of my aforementioned question about aluminum, can specific alloy or form or what have you make any difference in how alcohol could affect it?
As long as it’s OFF, unplugged, with the battery removed, you could most likely pour pure rubbing alcohol on a piece of electronics without harming it. It will evaporate very quickly, even if it gets inside. I use an “electronics cleaner” that is 99.953% pure anhydrous isopropyl alcohol on everything electronic I own – I’m paranoid so I usually test an inconspicuous part of anything new to make sure it doesn’t take the paint off – I haven’t found any finish that is damaged by alcohol yet. There are certain epoxies that can be damaged by alcohol, but that’s about it.
I’ve done that with cellphones that took a bath. Took the battery out, left them in a tub of rubbing alcohol for about an hour, and then let the alcohol evaporate out of the phone overnight. It works most of the time.
Just so you know alcohol can remove the paint used to pad print plastics. Get too concentrated an alcohol solvent and your paint can be gone or at least smeared all over. Stick to the low percentage alcohol wipes or you could be sorry. At work we used pure alcohol and a rag to remove dry pad printed ink before redoing the printing.
Hm. Well, if it comes down to risking a paint job and not seeing what letter each key is or risking water getting under the keyboard and $1000+ repair bills, I know which I’ll pick.
