How to safely clean your MacBook

When you buy a new Mac, you're investing in a premium computer that should serve you for years to come. Though, for it to actually last long, you will have to properly maintain it. In the software department, you're advised to update to macOS Sonoma to utilize the latest patches, features, and fixes. Meanwhile, in the hardware department, you should polish your Apple computer to keep it shiny and fresh-looking. Whether you have the MacBook Pro (2023) or an older MacBook Air, the process to clean your Apple laptop is pretty much the same. Simply follow the steps we've listed below.

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How to clean your MacBook

1. Shut down your machine. This is to ensure no buttons are clicked when you're wiping the keyboard. To do this, click on the Apple Logo in the top left corner, hit Shut Down, and confirm that you want to turn your Mac off.
2. Apple warns users against cleaning the screen with cleaners containing acetone, window cleaners, household cleaners, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide. You are advised to use water, sparingly, as in dampening a clean, soft, lint-free cloth, not the actual screen. Never spray the screen directly because the liquid could drip and damage the internals.
3. Gently wipe the screen in a horizontal motion, from one edge to the other.
4. If the cloth dries by the time you're done, dampen it again to clean the keyboard and trackpad.
5. Wipe the keys and the trackpad gently to remove any fingerprints or other marks.
6. Close the lid of your MacBook.
7. Wipe the front and back with the same damp cloth.
8. Once you're done, all the fingerprints, dust, and marks left by you and other people should be gone. Your MacBook should look brand-new again!

The cloth you use can be that for a pair of eyeglasses/sunglasses. Don't use a random piece of cloth that you don't know the actual materials of. If you're feeling courageous, you could even buy the Apple Polishing Cloth for a mere $19! Though, as long as the cloth you're using is soft and lint-free, it should get the job done. What matters is cleaning your MacBook from time to time, which would only help you keep it shiny and premium-looking despite its age.