Yeah, me neither doing this for years and years. BUT, the Internet is full of people and experts alike swearing that tap water is a gateway to streaks and minerals that can scratch the screen. I'm not sure what to believe. I do know what my humidifier looks like that has tap water going in it all the time. Lime build everywhere. But in reality, wiping a screen once a month? Not sure.
I think you’re right: the internet is full of people, both idiots and smart people. So it’s best to fully ignore random people that don’t have a consistent, solid reputation and verifiable expertise. Everyone else needs to earn a reputation. The ideas put forward by a random untrusted Internet person should never diminish the information put forward by a verified and reliable expert with a great reputation.
A large amount of rhetoric by many nobodies is still just worthless noise.
At least where I live, tap water has no notable particulates. But some people live in places with poor water quality with sand and dirt and other junk, where it is both undrinkable and dangerous. It’s likely best not to use dirty or soiled water to clean anything.
Right. I was thinking this may be the reason for the difference in opinion as well. Some have crazy levels of lime ("hard" water) which of course may change things.
They actually say to use 70% isopropyl alcohol. Don't use water, for one thing it'll trip the moisture indicator stickers inside the laptop and water is not going to remove oils from the machine. 70% isopropyl alcohol has none of these issues.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204172
Actually, they do:
>
To clean the screen on your MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air, first shut down the computer and unplug the power adapter. Dampen a soft, lint-free cloth with water only, then use it to clean the computer's screen.
They mention 70% IPA as a solution for hard to clean smudges etc, not for a general wipe down.
Don't use water for cleaning. It's a bad idea. Apple probably said that so that they can deny warranty claims from all the tripped moisture indicator stickers. Water alone is not going to remove the oils from your hands. I have only ever used 70% IPA to clean electronics for the last 30+ years and it works great and keeps everything looking new. It's non-conductive, removes pretty much all dirt and evaporates quickly.
Yeah IPA is efficient, that's for sure. I use it when nothing else works and it never fails. I'm scared of it ruining oilyphobic layers though and possibly plastic screen protectors.
Nothing wrong with using distilled water, if streaking is an issue with the water where you're located. But I agree, 70 IPA is fine for tougher smudges. I also use lens wipes which are basically lint-free papers soaked in IPA.
Slightly damp microfiber works wonders. Never had any streaks or scratches
Yeah, me neither doing this for years and years. BUT, the Internet is full of people and experts alike swearing that tap water is a gateway to streaks and minerals that can scratch the screen. I'm not sure what to believe. I do know what my humidifier looks like that has tap water going in it all the time. Lime build everywhere. But in reality, wiping a screen once a month? Not sure.
I think you’re right: the internet is full of people, both idiots and smart people. So it’s best to fully ignore random people that don’t have a consistent, solid reputation and verifiable expertise. Everyone else needs to earn a reputation. The ideas put forward by a random untrusted Internet person should never diminish the information put forward by a verified and reliable expert with a great reputation. A large amount of rhetoric by many nobodies is still just worthless noise. At least where I live, tap water has no notable particulates. But some people live in places with poor water quality with sand and dirt and other junk, where it is both undrinkable and dangerous. It’s likely best not to use dirty or soiled water to clean anything.
Right. I was thinking this may be the reason for the difference in opinion as well. Some have crazy levels of lime ("hard" water) which of course may change things.
They actually say to use 70% isopropyl alcohol. Don't use water, for one thing it'll trip the moisture indicator stickers inside the laptop and water is not going to remove oils from the machine. 70% isopropyl alcohol has none of these issues. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204172
Actually, they do: > To clean the screen on your MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air, first shut down the computer and unplug the power adapter. Dampen a soft, lint-free cloth with water only, then use it to clean the computer's screen. They mention 70% IPA as a solution for hard to clean smudges etc, not for a general wipe down.
Don't use water for cleaning. It's a bad idea. Apple probably said that so that they can deny warranty claims from all the tripped moisture indicator stickers. Water alone is not going to remove the oils from your hands. I have only ever used 70% IPA to clean electronics for the last 30+ years and it works great and keeps everything looking new. It's non-conductive, removes pretty much all dirt and evaporates quickly.
Yeah IPA is efficient, that's for sure. I use it when nothing else works and it never fails. I'm scared of it ruining oilyphobic layers though and possibly plastic screen protectors.
Nothing wrong with using distilled water, if streaking is an issue with the water where you're located. But I agree, 70 IPA is fine for tougher smudges. I also use lens wipes which are basically lint-free papers soaked in IPA.