You can clean a MacBook screen and keyboard safely with two things: a soft lint-free microfiber cloth and a little water — plus 70 percent isopropyl alcohol for disinfecting everything except the display coating. The damage we see on trade-ins almost never comes from dirt. It comes from the wrong cleaner: window sprays that strip the anti-reflective coating, paper towels that micro-scratch glass, and liquid that runs off a soaked cloth straight into the keyboard.
What you need (and what to never use)
Safe kit:
- Microfiber cloth — the kind sold for eyeglasses or camera lenses. Wash it occasionally; a gritty cloth scratches.
- Distilled or plain water — lightly dampen the cloth. Never spray anything directly at the Mac.
- 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes — Apple approves these for the exterior, keyboard, and trackpad.
- Compressed air — for blowing crumbs out from under keys.
Never use:
- Window cleaner, all-purpose sprays, or anything with ammonia — these eat the anti-reflective coating on Retina displays. Once the coating starts wearing off in blotches, cleaning cannot undo it (that is the staingate problem, and it only gets worse).
- Bleach or hydrogen peroxide — Apple explicitly warns against both, even diluted.
- Paper towels, tissues, or your shirt — wood-fiber paper is abrasive enough to leave swirl marks on glass over time.
- A soaked cloth — drips find their way into the keyboard and vents. If liquid ever gets inside, stop and follow our spill first-aid steps immediately.
Cleaning the screen, step by step
- Shut down and unplug. A dark screen shows smudges better, and you want zero power flowing if moisture sneaks anywhere.
- Dry pass first. Wipe the display gently with the dry microfiber cloth in wide strokes. This clears dust so you are not grinding particles around in the wet pass.
- Dampen the cloth, not the screen. A few drops of water on the cloth — it should feel barely damp, never wet.
- Wipe in one direction, light pressure only. Retina glass needs almost no force; pressing hard can mottle the LCD behind it.
- Dry buff. Flip to the dry side of the cloth and buff out any streaks.
For stubborn grease (sneeze marks, fingerprints from snacking), a barely-damp cloth with a single drop of dish soap rinsed mostly out works — but keep it away from the edges of the panel where liquid can wick behind the glass.
Cleaning the keyboard and trackpad
- Power off first so you are not typing gibberish into an open document.
- Compressed air at an angle. Apple's official method: hold the MacBook at a 75-degree tilt, spray the keyboard left to right, rotate the machine to its right side and spray again, then the left side. This chases crumbs out rather than deeper in.
- Wipe keycaps with a 70% isopropyl wipe or a cloth lightly dampened with the same. Wring wipes out a little first — they are often dripping wet from the packet.
- Trackpad gets the same treatment. If the cursor jumps after cleaning, it is just residual moisture — give it a minute.
If a key still sticks, repeats, or types double after a thorough cleaning, the problem is under the mechanism, not on top of it. Butterfly keyboards (2015–2019) are notorious for this — see our full guide to repeating and double-typing keys, or keys that stopped responding entirely.
Disinfecting without damage
Apple's guidance: 70 percent isopropyl or ethanol wipes, or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, are fine on the exterior — lid, keyboard, trackpad, palm rest, ports area. Two cautions:
- Keep alcohol off the display if your Mac already shows any coating wear. On a healthy screen a quick alcohol pass is generally tolerated, but water is the safer default for the glass.
- Never submerge, never spray, never use bleach-based wipes.
What cleaning will not fix
A good cleaning makes a Mac look years newer, but some things that look like grime are actually damage:
- Blotchy, rainbow-edged patches that will not wipe off — that is the anti-reflective coating delaminating, not dirt. Covered in our staingate guide.
- Scratches and pressure marks — see what a screen replacement actually costs before paying for one; on older Macs it often is not worth it.
- Keys that misbehave after cleaning — that is a mechanism or liquid problem, not a hygiene problem.
And if the honest answer is that your Mac is clean but tired, a refurbished machine costs far less than most people expect — our Apple clearance collection is where the deepest-discounted clean, tested Macs land, every one covered by our warranty.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Windex or glass cleaner on a MacBook screen?
No. Ammonia and strong solvents strip the anti-reflective coating, which leads to permanent blotchy wear (staingate). Use a microfiber cloth barely dampened with water.
Are alcohol wipes safe on a MacBook?
Yes on the keyboard, trackpad, lid, and palm rest — Apple approves 70% isopropyl wipes there. On the screen itself, water is the safer choice, especially if the coating shows any wear.
How do I get crumbs out from under MacBook keys?
Compressed air with the MacBook tilted at about 75 degrees, sprayed left to right, then repeated with the machine rotated to each side. Do not pry keycaps off modern MacBooks — the clips break easily.
Why does my screen have smudges that will not wipe off?
If wiping does nothing and the marks look blotchy or iridescent, the anti-reflective coating is wearing off rather than dirty. Cleaning cannot fix that — read our staingate guide for the real options.
Should I clean a MacBook before selling or trading it in?
Yes — a clean machine photographs better and grades better. Also erase your data properly before it leaves your hands; that matters far more than the fingerprints.