How to clean your MacBook screen without damaging it

Cleaning a MacBook screen seems simple, but with the wrong cloth or product you damage the coating on the screen. Then you get stains that never go away. This article explains how to clean your MacBook screen safely, what you had better not use and what to do if stains remain.

At Blue Apple in Amsterdam we regularly replace screens whose coating has been damaged, often by cleaning products. A shame, because the right approach prevents it.

What do you need?

• A soft, lint-free cloth, for example a microfibre glasses cloth or Apple's polishing cloth.
• A little water, preferably distilled or filtered (less limescale).
• Optionally a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe, which Apple mentions for hard, non-porous surfaces, but use it sparingly.

Step by step

1. Turn the MacBook off and unplug the charger. On a black screen you also see the dirt better.
2. Dust off dry first. Wipe the dry cloth across the screen in straight lines. That stops grains of dust from scratching.
3. Make the cloth slightly damp, never wet. Never spray anything directly on the screen: the moisture runs along the edge to the inside.
4. Wipe without pressure. Do not press hard on stubborn spots; rather repeat a few times.
5. Dry off with a dry part of the cloth and let the screen dry briefly before closing the MacBook.

What not to use

• Glass cleaner, cleaning products with ammonia or bleach, and abrasives.
• Kitchen paper and tissues: they contain fibres that make small scratches.
• Wet wipes that are not meant for screens.
• A lot of alcohol or repeated scrubbing with alcohol: it can attack the anti-reflective coating.

If your MacBook Pro has a nano-texture screen (matte glass), only use the polishing cloth Apple supplies for it. Wash a microfibre cloth now and then with a little soap and no fabric softener; a cloth full of old grease only smears.

Keyboard marks on the screen

Do you see light lines or rectangles in the shape of the keys? Those are marks of grease and dirt from the keys that end up on the screen when the MacBook is closed. They usually come off with the method above. To prevent them, put a thin microfibre cloth on the keyboard before you close the MacBook. Do not use a thick screen protector or camera cover: they press on the screen when the laptop is closed and can crack the glass.

Stains that will not go away

If stains do not come off with water and look like dull patches where the reflection is different, the coating itself is damaged. On some older MacBook Pro models that also happened by itself. Cleaning no longer helps and can even make it worse. The only real fix is then a new screen.

If you see lines or patches in the picture itself (also visible with a dark or light image), it is not dirt but a fault in the screen. Then read MacBook screen black, flickering or showing lines.

What we do at Blue Apple in Amsterdam

For damaged coating, patches in the picture or a cracked screen we replace the screen. You hear beforehand which options there are for your model. More on our page about MacBook screen repair.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use glasses cleaning cloths?

A dry microfibre glasses cloth is fine. Moist glasses wipes with cleaning agent, preferably not.

How often should I clean my screen?

Whenever you see smudges. Dusting it off dry once a week stops dirt from setting.

Can I polish scratches off the screen?

No. Anti-scratch polishes damage the coating. Deep scratches only disappear with a new screen.