How to clean your MacBook screen without damaging it

• You should clean your MacBook screen with the recommended materials, like a clean, lint-free cloth with water.
• The screens can also be wiped with certain cleaners intended for use on computer monitors.
• Be sure to keep water and other cleaners out of the ports on the monitor.
• Visit Insider’s Tech Reference library for more stories.

Despite your best efforts, given that your MacBook is often moving around with you, it’s bound to get dirty for any number of reasons. Their on-the-go nature means fingerprints and smudges on a MacBook screen are fairly common problems that Mac users experience. So when the gunk and blurriness of your screen starts to become too much, it’s a good idea to clean it to maintain the best picture quality that you can. 

Before you start, be sure not to use any abrasive materials, whether that’s the cloth you’re using or the liquid. Apple warns not to use any of the following cleaners: anything containing “acetone, window cleaners, household cleaners, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide.”

Here’s the proper way to clean your MacBook or another Apple-manufactured screen.

How to clean a MacBook screen properly

1. Shut down your Mac and make sure that its power cord and any accessories are unplugged.

2. Dampen a clean, soft, lint-free cloth with water and wipe the screen. Do not spray directly on the screen as the liquid may cause damage if it seeps into the display.

3. Let any residual moisture dry before you plug in your MacBook or power it on.

How to clean other Apple-manufactured screens

These instructions are fairly similar to the above and apply to iMac computers and other external displays manufactured by Apple.

1. Turn off the display (in case of iMac, shut it down). Be sure to unplug its power cord and any accessories that are plugged into it.

2. Use a clean, soft, lint-free cloth to wipe away any dirt or smudges.

3. If the above proves to not be enough, dampen the cloth with water and repeat.