How to Clean Your MacBook’s Screen

No matter how carefully you use your Mac, you can’t save it from accumulating dirt, fingerprints, and smudges. They not only affect your viewing pleasure but can also negatively affect the display’s performance over time. And while you can clean your MacBook screen and keyboard at home with ease, you have to be very careful and particular about it.

Fear not! We’ll guide you through the right techniques and tools to clean your Mac’s screen properly and restore it to its former glory. 

Safety Guidelines to Clean Your MacBook at Home

Before we proceed with the step-by-step guide, here are some Do’s and Don’ts as suggested by Apple that you should strictly follow.

Do’s

• Unplug all external power sources, devices, and cables.
• Always completely shut down your Mac before cleaning.
• Only use a soft, lint-free cloth, like microfiber.
• To disinfect your display, you can use either of the following,
  • 70 percent isopropyl alcoholic wipe,
  • 75 ethyl alcohol wipe, or,
  • Clorox Disinfecting Wipes.

Don’ts

• Don’t use abrasive cloths, towels, paper towels, toilet paper, etc., to wipe the screen.
• Don’t clean the screen with acetone cleaners or cleaners with hydrogen peroxide. Also, avoid products like window cleaners, glass-cleaning liquids, aerosol sprays, household cleaners, solvents, bleaches, ammonia, or abrasives.
• Don’t apply unnecessary pressure while wiping to avoid streaks or scratches on the screen. Plus, avoid excessive wiping.
• Moisture can severely harm your device, so don’t get moisture into any openings.
• Never spray cleaner directly on the screen. It may drip inside the display or other openings, causing damage.

Let us reiterate: if you want to clean your MacBook’s screen without streaks or scratches, keep these safety guidelines in mind.

How to Clean Your Mac’s Screen and Get Rid of Smudges

Notably, these instructions stay true no matter what MacBook model you’re using or even if you’re using another external or an Apple-manufactured display.

1. Turn off your MacBook.
2. Unplug all the cables and devices.
3. Open it so the screen is in its normal position.
4. Take a microfiber cloth and lightly dampen it in clean water. Make sure there isn’t any excess water dripping from the cloth.
5. Now, support the screen with one hand, and use light pressure to wipe the screen.
6. Once done, use a clean, dry microfiber to remove any residual moisture from the screen.
7. Let the screen air dry completely before turning on the device.

For best results, fold the cloth compactly before you begin and use different sides of the cloth. Furthermore, try and use small, light, circular motions to clean the screen. If you’re dealing with hard-to-remove fingerprints or smudges, lightly dip the cloth in a 70-percent isopropyl alcohol (IPA) solution and gently wipe.

If your screen still doesn’t feel right after cleaning, try these tips to fix the color distortion issue with your MacBook; maybe that’s affecting the visual output.

How to Clean the Apple Studio Display, Pro Display XDR, or iMac’s Display

If you’re using an iMac, Apple Studio Display, or Pro Display XDR with nano-textured glass, Apple suggests that you only use the polishing cloth that came with the display. So much so that you should buy a replacement polishing cloth if you lose the original one.

1. Turn off the display or iMac and unplug their power adapter.
2. Use Apple’s polishing cloth to dust off the display softly.
3. For additional cleaning, you can slightly dampen the cloth with water or a 70-percent isopropyl alcohol (IPA) solution.
4. Let the display air dry completely before turning it on.

Clean the Polishing Cloth

To ensure that your Mac’s display is free from fingerprints, smudges, streaks, or scratches, you also need to take care of the polishing cloth.

1. Use mild dish soap and water to hand wash the polishing cloth.
2. Rinse thoroughly.
3. Air dry the polishing cloth for at least 24 hours before using it again.

How to Clean Your MacBook’s Keyboard

The rules for what you should not do while cleaning your MacBook’s keyboard are almost the same as the display. Avoid using abrasive clothing or harsh products, don’t get moisture into any ports or openings, and do not spray any liquid directly on the device.

1. Shut down the MacBook and unplug the power adapter and other external devices.
2. Wipe the keyboard with a dry, soft, lint-free microfiber cloth.
3. For thorough cleaning or removing stains, slightly dampen the cloth with water and carefully clean the keyboard.
4. Let the keyboard air dry completely before turning the device on.

If you want to sanitize the keyboard, you can use 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipes, 75 percent ethyl alcohol wipes, or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes. However, remember to keep moisture away from all openings of the machine.

How to Remove Dirt Under Your MacBook’s Keyboard

Notably, the method is a bit methodical and risky. So, if you’re not facing a major issue with your MacBook keyboard, avoid using this deep cleaning method. Apple recommends using a compressed air spray to remove dust or debris stuck under your MacBook’s key.

1. Shut down and unplug your MacBook.
2. Hold your device approximately at a 75-degree angle so it’s not quite vertical.
3. Keep the straw of the can about a half-inch away from the keyboard. Spray compressed air over the keyboard in a left-to-right motion.
   
   
4. Rotate the Mac to its right side and spray the keyboard from left to right.
5. Then, rotate the Mac to its left side and spray.
   
   

If the issue persists or some of the keys are still not working, contact Apple support for immediate assistance.

Keep Your MacBook screen spotless and blemish-free.

We hope that this article helped you to keep your MacBook screen or Mac’s display clean and spotless. While you’re on the cleaning spree, check out our guide on how to properly clean your mousepad.

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