[jim]

hello there I have a white macbook circa2007 (the supposed new plastic) and took it on holiday.I applied some p20 suncream to myself before breakfast. after breakie 1 hour later i checked some emails and then headed off to the beach.later when I came back I found that my immaculate white outer casing had what resembles a grey grease palm print plus numerous finger prints.i went to my local apple store but they could’nt get the stains out and said i would have to pay £240 for a new case and that my apple care does’nt cover it…please has anyone else got a fix ? or does anyone know how i stand legally because as far as I know there are no warnings about suncream products damaging plastics and there were no warnings with the mac or the suncream.

cheers
james

[Weird Fish]

Welcome to the forums!

Not to be a jerk, but Macs don't have a warning sticker for Pepsi or Honey either.

(Also, I assume you meant to say sunscreen as opposed to sunscream)

[lightsguydave]

hey Jim

I'm sorry to hear you've had this problem with your MB and you've had no joy from your local apple store. I'm sorry to say that in all likelihood that's all you'll ever get from them. It's not a manufacturing fault, and they can't protect against every eventuality. the plastics on my white MB are pretty bad too, so chances are, you'll have to find a home made solution.

The reason you have these colour defects is there are chemicals in the sunscreen which protect you from the UV light, but are also highly damaging to polymers and other shiny finishes (the number of handprints on my car will attest to this fact xD)

These chemicals break down the polymers to form shorter chains which are degraded and oxidised. This is why balloons lose their colour and go soft and dull if you leave them in the sun. However the damage is superficial and only affects the very top layers of molecules.

You can fix this by dissolving out the damaged areas by using strong alcohol solution which will act as a solvent, dissolving out the affected areas, leaving the areas white as white (theoretically - IE this has worked when I have cleaned the plastics on my MB with rubbing alcohol)

Unfortunately, this will also likely take the shine away too which probably isn't what you want.

Of course, your alternative is shopping around for a replacement case yourself and doing the job DIY style, but if it's still within warranty, doing so will void any warranties.

Dave

[fleurya]

Wow, that sounds like some really bad luck. Who would guess something that can be applied to your bare skin would have such a damaging effect on your computer casing!

I hope you find a solution, and it's really good of you to post a warning for other owners.

[rman]

I believe that I read it here on the board about using the magic eraser or you can try ice creme.

[Mac Chooser]

I sympathise. Something similar happened to me recently. That's why I've taken the step of joining this forum as I want other MacBook owners to be aware of it. I've got a white MacBook. The keys were getting a bit grubby so I wiped them with an acetone-free nail varnish remover pad - I've used these to clean grease off other laptops before without problem. This time, however, I found doing so instantly roughed up all surfaces the chemical touched really badly. Unsightly. Was told in dealership that it would cost £190 to buy and fit a whole new set of keys and the plastic surround (you have to buy it as a package). The plastic on MacBook keys has proved far more sensitive to chemical damage that that of any other.

[jaster]

WOW, That sucks. One idea is apply the stuff to the rest of the outside. At least that way it all matches

[torchy]

Try the white foam Magic Eraser on the case bottom first.
Clean the keys and the screen several times with a clean damp micrfibre cloth
Fingers crossed.