# Cn this iPod be salvaged? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 6, 2005, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cn-this-ipod-be-salvaged/334415 "2005-12-06T22:01:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cn-this-ipod-be-salvaged/334415/1 "2005-12-06T22:01:24Z")
one of the salesguys here _tried_ to clean a 4G 20 gigger Clickwheel iPod to prepare it for resale… but he tried cleaning it with **Goof Off** (active ingredients are Xylene and Methyl Carbitol, essentially printing press deglazing solvent), he put some Goof Off on a paper towel, and rested the iPod plastic-side down (i’m sure it’s ABS plastic) on the paper towel, leaving it there for a couple of minutes the face of the iPod is now completely gobbed up , there’s a layer of…stuff on the plastic, it looked like residue from a paper towel, but it feels plasticky, i think it’s the topmost layer of case plastic, i tried using citrus cleaner to remove it, tried even scraping away at it with a knife blade, it’s not budging are there any cleaners that can remove the crud, or is this iPod destined for the parts bin no, he didn’t read the cautions on the goof off, which clearly state; “Always pretest on inconspicuous area first, may damage **plastics** , vinyls, fiberglass and oxidized metals” ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cn-this-ipod-be-salvaged/334415/2 "2005-12-06T22:09:49Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > one of the salesguys here _tried_ to clean a 4G 20 gigger Clickwheel iPod to prepare it for resale… > > but he tried cleaning it with **Goof Off** (active ingredients are Xylene and Methyl Carbitol, essentially printing press deglazing solvent), he put some Goof Off on a paper towel, and rested the iPod plastic-side down (i’m sure it’s ABS plastic) on the paper towel, leaving it there for a couple of minutes > > the face of the iPod is now completely gobbed up , there’s a layer of…stuff on the plastic, it looked like residue from a paper towel, but it feels plasticky, i think it’s the topmost layer of case plastic, i tried using citrus cleaner to remove it, tried even scraping away at it with a knife blade, it’s not budging > > are there any cleaners that can remove the crud, or is this iPod destined for the parts bin > > no, he didn’t read the cautions on the goof off, which clearly state; > “Always pretest on inconspicuous area first, may damage **plastics** , vinyls, fiberglass and oxidized metals” Does it play? Someone will buy it for some price if it still works. Even in the worst case it can be used as a portable hard drive. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cn-this-ipod-be-salvaged/334415/3 "2005-12-06T22:11:31Z")
I’ve seen a website where they used rubbing compound (as in, the kind used on cars to give a factory shine) on an iPod nano to remove scratches and such. My understanding was that it just removed the very topmost layer of the plastic, so that might work for you. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cn-this-ipod-be-salvaged/334415/4 "2005-12-06T22:12:39Z")
My mistake, it was Brasso, and the link is [Here.](http://todd.dailey.info/archives/2005/09/27/restore-your-ipod-nano-to-new-condition-with-a-4-can-of-brasso/) ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cn-this-ipod-be-salvaged/334415/5 "2005-12-06T22:19:02Z")
The plastic surface itself has been messed up. It would take a lot of hand sanding (which would get grit into the innards) to clean it up. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cn-this-ipod-be-salvaged/334415/6 "2005-12-06T22:53:10Z")
[Novus plastic polish](http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/product.php?pid=113&) works wonders on scuffs and nicks, but this is beyond something that can be polished, I fear. There’s scuffs, and then there’s dissolved. As **even sven** says, there’s someone out there that will buy an iPod so ugly it’s theft-proof if it still works. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cn-this-ipod-be-salvaged/334415/7 "2005-12-07T03:35:41Z")
The plastic has been distorted. It’s a goner, aesthetically at least. I actually have experience with this sort of situation. I used acetone to remove a sticker from the back of my graphing calculator. I was left with the same sort of sticky, partially-dissolved mess. In my case, the stickiness disappeared as the solvent evaporated, but the back of my calculator is kinda lumpy and ugly. It doesn’t affect the calculator’s performance, and it’s on the back where it isn’t too noticeable anyway, but the condition is most definitely permanent. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cn-this-ipod-be-salvaged/334415/8 "2005-12-07T15:40:12Z")
that’s what i figured, it’s melted… i’ve called a couple of my parts sources to see if i can get a replacement front case and clickwheel, i’ll simply rebuild it… …i have the technology (sorry, couldn’t resist 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cn-this-ipod-be-salvaged/334415/9 "2005-12-07T16:03:27Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > i’ve called a couple of my parts sources… [Some parts here](http://www.ipodmods.com/shop/ipod-parts.html) While you’re at it: [Mod Your Pod](http://www.methodshop.com/mp3/reviews/podmod/modpod1.shtml)