Best way to clean mold off my Macbook Pro?

pomology · pomology #1 (**permalink**)

03-27-2012, 08:58 PM

We've had a mold problem due to last year's humidity which unfortunately affected nearly all of my belongings. My computer was even giving me a bad reaction until I cleaned off the outside of it. I have a darker colored Speck cover on it, which I just removed to take out the battery (trying to resolve another issue - My OS won't boot!). On the inside of the cover I found tiny mold spots growing all over! What's more, the same spots are on the metal surface of my Macbook Pro! I have an endless list of chemical sensitivities, so I can't clean with the normal stuff. I've been doing mold remediation with things like borax, hydrogen peroxide, tea tree oil, and anything else I can find that is pretty close to natural. What can I use to safely remove mold from the metal surface of my Macbook Pro? Should I presume that the internal parts are affected as well?

lifeisabeach · lifeisabeach #2 (**permalink**)

03-27-2012, 10:11 PM

Mold? On a computer? WOW! Well I think isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) is probably the safest and most effective thing to use. It should be mentioned that you should remove the battery before cleaning it.

Dysfunction · Dysfunction #3 (**permalink**)

03-27-2012, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lifeisabeach

Mold? On a computer? WOW! Well I think isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) is probably the safest and most effective thing to use. It should be mentioned that you should remove the battery before cleaning it.

It's also going to have to have time to dry completely.. since rubbing alcohol is mostly water (it's not pure methanol). I'd also suspect that ANY area that has air access is infected.

pigoo3 · pigoo3 #4 (**permalink**)

03-27-2012, 10:44 PM

To be honest...this is a real tough one. So many "nooks & cranny's" to clean. It almost sounds like this MacBook Pro should at least be partially disassembled before cleaning begins (at least separate the topcase).

- Nick

lifeisabeach · lifeisabeach #5 (**permalink**)

03-27-2012, 11:00 PM

I concur with the others. Plan on a complete disassembly if you want this done right. Maybe even see if this is offered somewhere as a service.

lifeisabeach #2 (permalink)
Member Since: Sep 30, 2007 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 5,787 Mac Specs: iMac i3 (mid-2010) + OS 10.8; TV 2; iPhone 4S; iPad 1	03-27-2012, 10:11 PM Mold? On a computer? WOW! Well I think isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) is probably the safest and most effective thing to use. It should be mentioned that you should remove the battery before cleaning it. Standing request for all troubleshooting: Please provide your Mac model/year and OS version. Also advise us if you have used or installed any antivirus, security, or "cleaning" software on your Mac. If you have installed MacKeeper in particular, you are hereby advised to uninstall it. --------- If all else fails to fix your problem, read this tip.
	QUOTE Thanks

pigoo3 #4 (permalink)
Member Since: May 20, 2008 Location: U.S. Posts: 20,289 Mac Specs: 13" MB 2.4ghz, 2gig ram, OS 10.7.4	03-27-2012, 10:44 PM To be honest...this is a real tough one. So many "nooks & cranny's" to clean. It almost sounds like this MacBook Pro should at least be partially disassembled before cleaning begins (at least separate the topcase). - Nick - Computer slow, too many "beachballs", read this: Beachballs - Computer seems slower than it used to? Read this for some speedup tips: Speedup - Almost full hard drive? Some solutions. Out of Space - Apple Battery Info. Battery
	QUOTE Thanks

lifeisabeach #5 (permalink)
Member Since: Sep 30, 2007 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 5,787 Mac Specs: iMac i3 (mid-2010) + OS 10.8; TV 2; iPhone 4S; iPad 1	03-27-2012, 11:00 PM I concur with the others. Plan on a complete disassembly if you want this done right. Maybe even see if this is offered somewhere as a service. Standing request for all troubleshooting: Please provide your Mac model/year and OS version. Also advise us if you have used or installed any antivirus, security, or "cleaning" software on your Mac. If you have installed MacKeeper in particular, you are hereby advised to uninstall it. --------- If all else fails to fix your problem, read this tip.
	QUOTE Thanks

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Best way to clean mold off my Macbook Pro?

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pomology #1 (permalink)
Member Since: Oct 24, 2010 Posts: 11 Mac Specs: 2008 15" MacBook Pro 2.6 GHz 185 GB HD (don't ask, I can't explain!)	03-27-2012, 08:58 PM We've had a mold problem due to last year's humidity which unfortunately affected nearly all of my belongings. My computer was even giving me a bad reaction until I cleaned off the outside of it. I have a darker colored Speck cover on it, which I just removed to take out the battery (trying to resolve another issue - My OS won't boot!). On the inside of the cover I found tiny mold spots growing all over! What's more, the same spots are on the metal surface of my Macbook Pro! I have an endless list of chemical sensitivities, so I can't clean with the normal stuff. I've been doing mold remediation with things like borax, hydrogen peroxide, tea tree oil, and anything else I can find that is pretty close to natural. What can I use to safely remove mold from the metal surface of my Macbook Pro? Should I presume that the internal parts are affected as well?
	QUOTE Thanks

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