tanaquil
Well-known member
Having just spent the last two days cleaning up a whole flock of fruit imacs (and I still have the later-generation indigo, ruby and blueberry to do), I thought I'd pass along what I learned for the benefit of others. Apologies if this duplicates threads elsewhere, I didn't find any on a quick search.
The best all-around tools are windex (obviously, spray the cloth and not the computer) and a magic eraser with a bowl of water. I would dust and wipe down, windex lightly all over, use the magic eraser on stubborn spots, and windex again. (Electronic-safe cleaning wipes for the screen.)
A common problem with the colored models - at least, every one of mine had it, and most of them came from a school - is paint scrape stains on the butt and sides of the computer, from being pushed too close to a painted wall. Lessons learned: Goo Gone can be used (lightly!) to remove stickers and gummy residue, but Goof Off (especially Pro strength) is much too strong and will destroy the colored plastic finish, leaving dull whitish streaks. Fortunately I discovered this before I used too much of it.
Unless the plastic underneath is scratched, white paint scrapes can be removed with the magic eraser. It works like, well, magic, but you have to be patient and take your time. Small rubbing strokes, just like using a pencil eraser, dipping the sponge repeatedly in water, until even the thickest stains are all gone. In my case, only a few actual scratches were left in the plastic, and most were nearly invisible compared to the nasty white paint splotches.
In the case of the damaged spots caused by the application of Goof Off, I discovered that the best remedy was - of all things! - Lemon Pledge (again, sprayed onto a cloth before applying). Several coats of Lemon Pledge later, the damage was much less visible.
If you have to clean the inside of the computer, the back plate and lower bucket can be removed (with much swearing), and the lower bucket contains no delicate electronics, so it can be washed and even submerged in soapy water. This was the only thing that got rid of the mixture of nasty stains that had worked its way into every nook and cranny of the base of the strawberry unit that had cola (?) spilled on it. Fortunately the bin of soapy dishwater worked, because I was seriously considering denture cleaning solution.
I'm amazed at how much better the computers look now. Such pretty colors!
The best all-around tools are windex (obviously, spray the cloth and not the computer) and a magic eraser with a bowl of water. I would dust and wipe down, windex lightly all over, use the magic eraser on stubborn spots, and windex again. (Electronic-safe cleaning wipes for the screen.)
A common problem with the colored models - at least, every one of mine had it, and most of them came from a school - is paint scrape stains on the butt and sides of the computer, from being pushed too close to a painted wall. Lessons learned: Goo Gone can be used (lightly!) to remove stickers and gummy residue, but Goof Off (especially Pro strength) is much too strong and will destroy the colored plastic finish, leaving dull whitish streaks. Fortunately I discovered this before I used too much of it.
Unless the plastic underneath is scratched, white paint scrapes can be removed with the magic eraser. It works like, well, magic, but you have to be patient and take your time. Small rubbing strokes, just like using a pencil eraser, dipping the sponge repeatedly in water, until even the thickest stains are all gone. In my case, only a few actual scratches were left in the plastic, and most were nearly invisible compared to the nasty white paint splotches.
In the case of the damaged spots caused by the application of Goof Off, I discovered that the best remedy was - of all things! - Lemon Pledge (again, sprayed onto a cloth before applying). Several coats of Lemon Pledge later, the damage was much less visible.
If you have to clean the inside of the computer, the back plate and lower bucket can be removed (with much swearing), and the lower bucket contains no delicate electronics, so it can be washed and even submerged in soapy water. This was the only thing that got rid of the mixture of nasty stains that had worked its way into every nook and cranny of the base of the strawberry unit that had cola (?) spilled on it. Fortunately the bin of soapy dishwater worked, because I was seriously considering denture cleaning solution.
I'm amazed at how much better the computers look now. Such pretty colors!
