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Clean a MacBook Screen in 6 Steps: Unplug, Use a Soft Damp Cloth

An Apple-guided sequence for removing dust and fingerprints from a MacBook screen without spraying the display or damaging special finishes.

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Wikimedia Commons · Radek Grzybowski / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 · CC0 1.0 Universal ↗

A cloudy screen can tempt you to reach for glass cleaner or paper towels. Apple's instructions instead call for powering off, unplugging and gently wiping a MacBook display with a soft, lint-free cloth lightly dampened with water. Special finishes, including nano-texture displays, need model-specific directions; do not apply this as a universal rule for every laptop.

Your try-it-at-home checklist

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1. Identify your MacBook model and whether it has a special finish such as nano-texture glass. Follow the model-specific Apple cleaning guide for special surfaces rather than substituting ordinary cleaners or cloths.
2. Save your work, shut down the MacBook and unplug the power adapter, devices and cables. Do not rush cleaning if the unit is hot or visibly wet.
3. Gently lift surface dust with a clean, soft, lint-free cloth. Avoid paper towels, abrasive materials and forceful repeated rubbing.
4. For fingerprints, lightly dampen the soft cloth with water and wipe gently. Never spray water or cleaner onto the screen or soak the cloth until it drips.
5. Keep moisture away from screen edges, camera, keyboard gaps and ports. Avoid window cleaners, bleach, hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, acetone, abrasive cleaners and aerosol sprays.
6. Gently remove remaining moisture with a clean dry cloth and allow complete drying before reconnecting power. If liquid entered the computer, do not switch it on for a test; seek Apple-authorised service guidance.

Apple SupportHow to clean your Apple products ↗Apple's support page specifies turning MacBooks off, unplugging and wiping screens with a soft lint-free cloth lightly dampened with water; notes materials that should not be used and special finishes.Apple SupportClean your Mac computer’s screen or display ↗Describes unplugging before cleaning, no direct screen spray, avoiding incompatible household chemicals, gently wiping with water-damp lint-free cloth.Wikimedia CommonsFile:Laptop on a desk.jpg ↗Photo by Radek Grzybowski, explicitly CC0 1.0 per the file page, published under that license before 2017; no cleaning process depicted.Wikimedia CommonsCommons: Reusing content outside Wikimedia — technical ↗Documents source-level hotlink allowance; photo's file-level CC0 terms checked separately.

Your try-it-at-home checklist

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