[Macworld]

Post your comments for New year's resolution: A clean Mac here

[DCJ001]

"it’s held onto your Mac or your display by magnets. (This is the case for Apple’s current and recent iMacs"

Actually, Kirk, the displays on Apple's current iMacs are held on with double-sided tape.

[Dotkhan]

Been using eyeglass wipes for my MacBook Pro for years.

Blowing dust from the inside of electronics reminds me of when I did so for a 25 old college radio transmitter.
I was the only one in a city block sized building at 4AM Sunday morning. The transmitter was like a giant 8 foot tall refrigerator or gym locker on the top story. When I attempted to turn the transmitter back on, there was a lightning bolt like flash in front of me. The dust was acting as insulation for the cracked wires.
That was one of those incidents where one is too scared to be scared so it was exciting.

[rottiepawz]

I was just looking at my keyboard thinking it needed to be cleaned, I decided to do so as soon as I finished reading the RSS feeds...then I saw the article. I used just pure rubbing alcohol as I have in the past. Maybe I plugged in back in too soon... as I typed, random characters were also being "typed", so I used a bit more air to blow on the keys...now I have a dead keyboard. clean... but not a key works on it.

[Ashgrove]

Quote

...now I have a dead keyboard. clean... but not a key works on it.

If you have one of those new Apple aluminum keyboards, you are out of luck. I killed one dead with the recommended cleaning routine. Some keys came back to life after drying it for a few days, but not all.

Those aluminum keyboards were always a bad idea. I have switched since them to a Logitech DiNovo for Mac --best idea I ever had.

[melvinwalker]

I cleaned my keyboard's keys using a Mr Clean Magic Eraser. I can't recommend it highly enough. It took a little bit of scrubbing, and my keyboard looks nearly like new (and it was baaaaaaad before).

[DCJ001]

Quote

...now I have a dead keyboard. clean... but not a key works on it. If you have one of those new Apple aluminum keyboards, you are out of luck. I killed one dead with the recommended cleaning routine. Some keys came back to life after drying it for a few days, but not all. Those aluminum keyboards were always a bad idea. I have switched since them to a Logitech DiNovo for Mac --best idea I ever had.

Once in a while, I clean my Apple aluminum keyboard with a damp sponge. It does a good job and I'm very happy with the Apple aluminum keyboard.

[len5]

I've used 91% rubbing alcohol for years on my aluminum apple keyboard. Works like a charm. Sounds like a couple people here used too much. Just get a rag damp, not dripping wet and use on the key faces. Cleans and kills germs.

[rottiepawz]

Quote

I've used 91% rubbing alcohol for years on my aluminum apple keyboard. Works like a charm. Sounds like a couple people here used too much. Just get a rag damp, not dripping wet and use on the key faces. Cleans and kills germs.

never had a problem with i until today. Oh well.

[rottiepawz]

Quote

If you have one of those new Apple aluminum keyboards, you are out of luck.

Yes, it is an aluminum Apple keyboard.

[GregoriusM]

Actually, almost every report I've ever seen says NOT to use rubbing alcohol or isopropyl alochol in cleaning computer equipment ESPECIALLY screens.

Using a lint-free, microfibre cloth is the only way to go to clean anything on a computer, tablet, smartphone, etc. and slightly damp can be helpful, while SOME of the cleaning agents sold in stores are useful as long as they don't leave a residue.

Even the light drop of dish detergent is iffy, unless it is a VERY light drop on a very clean lint-free cloth.

And regular cleaning is obviously much better than waiting for many months/years and then having to SCRUB, especially screens, to get any muck off.

Alcohol ruins your screens, as does using your breath on them, much like using your breath to clean your eyeglasses actually slowly takes off any special coatings you paid many bucks for. Use a proper cleaning fluid, not rubbing alcohol, and a lint-free microfibre cloth (or preferably, just the cloth), and you're good to go.

Keep a few microfibre cloths handy and use them daily and you should be good to go.

[mrhgua]

As far as I know on a MB the cooling air is sucked into it via the holes under the keys. I guess using a keyboard protector isn't such a good idea on a MB after all...

[dgustavss]

For anyone trying to clean their iMac, on the 2011 models you can do it without suction cups since the display runs all the way to the edge of the body... I just ran a credit card along the side and got between the display and body, then the magnets let the glass come right off.

My 27 inch iMac shipped with dust between the glass and display, and like the article says i thought it was a dead pixel. I thought I'd have to send the giant thing back until I realized it was dust and a simple piece of plastic could get the glass off.

[luvclu]

One of the feet came off of my bottom of my aluminium macbook pro. Any ideas of how to reattach it? I wonder if the Genius Bar charges to reattach it.