Apple products are made with a variety of materials, and each material might have specific cleaning requirements. To get started, here are some tips that apply to all products:
Following these tips, you’ll clean up your hard drive and make your Mac run faster. 4) Close Memory-Hogging Processes. Memory shortage is another classic cause of slow performance. The Activity Monitor in your Applications folder will show you which processes and applications hog the most memory (random access memory, or RAM). May 10, 2018 CleanMyMac 3 is MacPaw’s catch-all utility to scan your Mac and remove gigabytes of assorted cruft and gunk that builds up over time.
- Use only a soft, lint-free cloth. Avoid abrasive cloths, towels, paper towels, or similar items.
- Avoid excessive wiping, which might cause damage.
- Unplug all external power sources, devices, and cables.
- Keep liquids away from the product, unless otherwise noted for specific products.
- Don't get moisture into any openings.
- Don't use aerosol sprays, bleaches, or abrasives.
- Don't spray cleaners directly onto the item.
Apple says that 'runaway applications can cause the processor to work overtime.
Is it OK to use a disinfectant on my Apple product?
Using a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, you may gently wipe the hard, nonporous surfaces of your Apple product, such as the display, keyboard, or other exterior surfaces. Don't use bleach. Avoid getting moisture in any opening, and don't submerge your Apple product in any cleaning agents. Don't use on fabric or leather surfaces.
If liquid makes its way inside your Apple product, get help from an Apple Authorized Service Provider or Apple Retail Store as soon as possible. Liquid damage isn't covered under the Apple product warranty or AppleCare Protection Plans, but you may have rights under consumer law. If you plan to visit an Apple Retail store, make a reservation at the Genius Bar (available only in some countries and regions).
For more detailed instructions, select your Apple product:
Notebook computers
Learn how to clean your Mac notebook computer.
MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air
When cleaning the outside of your MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air, first shut down your computer and unplug the power adapter. Then use a damp, soft, lint-free cloth to clean the computer's exterior. Avoid getting moisture in any openings. Do not spray liquid directly on the computer. Don't use aerosol sprays, solvents, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide that might damage the finish.
To clean the screen on your MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air, first shut down the computer and unplug the power adapter. Dampen a soft, lint-free cloth with water only, then use it to clean the computer's screen.
MacBook Pro models from 2016 and later with Touch Bar and Touch ID: Clean the Touch Bar and Touch ID (power button) on these computers the same way you would clean the display. Shut down your Mac and unplug the power adapter. Dampen a soft, lint-free cloth with water only, then use it to clean the Touch Bar and Touch ID.
MacBook (13-inch, Late 2009) and MacBook (13-inch, Mid 2010): The bottom case of these computers uses a soft nonslip material. Use a 3M Gray Microfiber or soft dye-free, lint-free cloth to clean the bottom case.
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Desktop computers
Learn how to clean your Mac desktop computer.
Mac Pro, Mac mini, and iMac
If your iMac has nano-texture glass, learn how to clean the nano-texture glass on your Apple display.
First, shut down your Mac and unplug the power cord along with other connected devices. Then use a damp, soft, lint-free cloth to clean the computer's exterior. Avoid getting moisture in any openings. Don't spray liquid directly on the computer. Don't use aerosol sprays, solvents, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide that might damage the finish.
To clean the display on your iMac, dampen the cloth that came with your iMac—or another clean, soft, lint-free cloth—with water only, and then wipe the screen.
Don't clean the screen of your iMac with a cleaner containing acetone. Use a cleaner intended for use with a screen or display. Never spray cleaner directly on the screen. It might drip inside the display and cause damage.
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Displays
If your Apple Pro Display XDR has nano-texture glass, learn how to clean the nano-texture glass on your Apple display. The following guidelines are for cleaning the Apple Thunderbolt Display and previous Apple displays.
First, disconnect the display from power, from its connection to a computer, and from any external devices. Then use the cloth that came with your display or another soft, dry cloth to wipe dust from the screen.
If additional cleaning of the display panel or case is required, use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth. Avoid getting moisture in openings. Don't use window cleaners, household cleaners, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide to clean the display.
Don't clean the screen of your display with a cleaner containing acetone. Use a cleaner intended for use with a screen or display. Never spray cleaner directly on the screen. It might drip inside the display and cause damage.
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Peripherals
Apple wireless or USB keyboards, mice, and trackpads
First, power off the device. If your device uses removable batteries, remove the batteries. (If your device is wired, simply unplug it from your computer.)
Next, clean the outside of your device with a lint-free cloth lightly moistened with water. Don't get moisture in any openings or use aerosol sprays, solvents, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide.
If your Magic Mouse or Magic Mouse 2 isn’t tracking properly, there might be a hair or other debris on the sensor lens. Turn the mouse over and inspect the sensor window using a bright light. If you see debris, use compressed air to gently clean the sensor window.
iPhone cases
iPhone case—silicone
To clean your silicone iPhone case, remove your iPhone from the case. Use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth to wipe the outside and the inside of the iPhone case. Don't use window cleaners, household cleaners, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide to clean the iPhone case.
iPhone case—leather
The leather iPhone case is made from natural leather. Its appearance will change as you use it. It might acquire a patina and might change color due to the oils from your skin and direct sunlight, further enhancing the natural look.
Cleaning the leather iPhone case might affect its color. If you choose to clean this case, first remove it from your iPhone. Use a clean cloth with warm water and mild hand soap to gently clean the iPhone case. You can also use a mild cleaner along with a dry clean cloth. Leather cleaners and conditioners can change the color of leather.
Keep your iPhone case away from prolonged intense sunlight, heat, and humidity. Exposure to water, oil, makeup, and dyed materials (such as denim) can stain tanned leathers.
iPhone case—clear
To clean your clear iPhone case, remove your iPhone from the case. Use a soft, dry, lint-free cloth to wipe the outside and inside of the case. Don't use window cleaners, household cleaners, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide to clean the case.
iPhone Smart Battery Case
To clean your Smart Battery Case, remove your iPhone from the case. Use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth to wipe the outside of the case. Don't use window cleaners, household cleaners, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide to clean the case.
When cleaning the internal Lightning connector, use a soft, dry, lint-free cloth, and don’t use liquids or cleaning products.
Learn how to clean your iPhone.
iPhone MagSafe accessories
MagSafe Charger contains magnets that might attract debris during everyday use. Brush off any debris from the metal ring before cleaning this accessory.
Unplug your MagSafe Charger from power. Then use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth to wipe the silicone middle of the charging area. Don't use window cleaners, household cleaners, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide to clean MagSafe Charger.
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iPad accessories
Apple Pencil
To clean your Apple Pencil, use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth. With the damp cloth, wipe your Apple Pencil from the tip end—but not the tip itself—toward the other end of your Apple Pencil. Don’t allow moisture to get inside the seam between the tip and the body of your Apple Pencil.
iPad Smart Keyboard, Smart Keyboard Folio, Smart Cover, and Smart Case—polyurethane
To clean your polyurethane Smart Keyboard, Smart Keyboard Folio, Smart Cover, or Smart Case, first remove it from the iPad. Use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth. Wipe the front and the inside with a soft, lint-free cloth.
Don't use window cleaners, household cleaners, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide to clean this product.
iPad Smart Cover and Smart Case—leather
The iPad leather cover/case is made from natural leather. Its appearance will change as you use it. It might acquire a patina and might change color due to the oils from your skin and direct sunlight, further enhancing the natural look.
Cleaning the leather might affect its color. If you choose to clean the leather, first remove the cover/case from your iPad. Use a clean cloth with warm water and mild hand soap to gently clean the leather. Wipe the outside and the inside with a soft, lint-free cloth to remove any dirt. You can also use a mild cleaner along with a dry clean cloth. Mild cleaners or conditioners might help remove some stains but might also change the color of the leather.
Keep your iPad leather cover/case away from prolonged intense sunlight, heat, and humidity. Exposure to water, oil, makeup, and dyed materials (such as denim) can stain tanned leathers.
iPad Silicone Case
To clean your iPad Silicone Case, remove your iPad from the case. Use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth to wipe the outside and the inside of the case. Don't use window cleaners, household cleaners, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide to clean the iPad case.
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iPad
Handle your iPad with care to maintain its appearance. If you're concerned about scratching or abrasion, you can use one of the many cases sold separately. To clean iPad, unplug all cables and turn off iPad (press and hold the Sleep/Wake button, and then slide the onscreen slider). Use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth. Avoid getting moisture in openings. Don't use window cleaners, household cleaners, compressed air, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide to clean iPad. iPad has an oleophobic coating on the screen; simply wipe iPad's screen with a soft, lint-free cloth to remove oil left by your hands. The ability of this coating to repel oil will diminish over time with normal usage, and rubbing the screen with an abrasive material will further diminish its effect and might scratch your screen.
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iPod
iPod touch
To clean iPod touch, unplug all cables and turn off iPod touch (press and hold the Sleep/Wake button, and then slide the onscreen slider). Then use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth. Avoid getting moisture in openings. Don't use window cleaners, household cleaners, compressed air, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide to clean iPod touch.
iPod classic
To clean iPod classic, unplug all cables, turn iPod classic off, and slide the Hold switch to HOLD. Then use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth. Avoid getting moisture in openings. Don't use window cleaners, household cleaners, compressed air, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide to clean iPod classic.
iPod nano
To clean iPod nano, unplug all cables, turn iPod nano off, and slide the Hold switch to HOLD. Then use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth. Avoid getting moisture in openings. Don't use window cleaners, household cleaners, compressed air, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide to clean iPod nano.
On iPod nano 6th generation, which has no hold switch, you need to press only the Sleep/Wake button to turn the device off before cleaning.
iPod shuffle
To clean iPod shuffle, unplug all cables, turn it off (slide the switch to OFF), and use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth. Avoid getting moisture in openings. Don't use window cleaners, household cleaners, compressed air, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide to clean iPod shuffle.
iPod mini
To clean iPod mini, unplug all cables, turn iPod mini off, and slide the Hold switch to HOLD. Then use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth. Avoid getting moisture in openings. Don't use window cleaners, household cleaners, compressed air, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide to clean iPod mini.
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Learn more
- Learn how to disinfect the Apple internal or external keyboard, trackpad, and mouse.
- For more information on cleaning, handling, and working with your Apple Product, please refer to the User Guide that came with your product or download a copy.
At a Glance
Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Helpful Manu Bar utility
- Several helpful modules to free up storage space or to clear out unnecessary software
Our Verdict
Best Prices Today
MacPaw has shot for the stars with its new version of CleanMyMac X, its catch-all Mac utility that serves as a software crud and gunk remover, as well as a malware scanner, macOS extensions manager, and a universal updater for your installed applications.
Since my initial review of CleanMyMac X, MacPaw made some nice improvements, although some features still fall short of what they could be.
Handy modules
MacPaw set out to make its Menu Bar utility much better and has succeeded. A quick click on the icon reveals handy information such as how much space is left on each of your drive partitions, your Mac’s CPU load, how much RAM is available, your computer’s operating temperature, and other useful information. This is a nice touch and the menu can be customized as you see fit.
The modules are the key to CleanMyMac and it’s handy to be able to quickly enable and disable macOS extensions with the Extensions module, or hunt down extraneous files with the Large & Old Files module, which lets you see which files are devouring space and erase them quickly. The Uninstaller module was able to quickly locate and pick off unnecessary applications during testing and accomplished something I’d never seen before in an application removal utility: it removed multiple applications at once, which is quite useful. The Maintenance module handles tasks such as clearing RAM, running maintenance scripts, clearing the DNS cache, and repairing file permissions quickly, tidying up the macOS’ underpinnings as needed.
CleanMyMac X 4.4.1’s new claim to fame is the Space Lens module, which offers a quick look at your hard drive’s most sizable folders. This is where the truth as to what’s eating your drive space comes out, as a 73GB Pictures folder inside your Users folder could stand to be slimmed down a bit.
Malware removal
Unfortunately, the Malware Removal module shot the previous version of CleanMyMac X in the foot, and in the latest version, it does so yet again. MacPaw cites extensive changes to this feature, and I was curious to try it. After installing every questionable piece of adware and malware I could find, I ran the Malware Removal module to see what the utility would find, categorize as suspect, and what it would remove.
The results were not what I had hoped for. In spite of CleanMyMac X 4.4.1 locating 21 potential threats, it missed several suspect programs, including the infamous MacKeeper and Advanced Mac Cleaner, which, once installed, loads itself into your Mac’s startup items, informs you of how many threats it’s noticed, then offers a phone number to call for 24/7 live tech support.
Upon noticing the malware that was still left over after rebooting, I switched over to a free copy of Malwarebytes, which picked up 11 threats during its scan, including questionable applications such as Advanced Mac Cleaner, Advanced Mac Tuner, and MacKeeper, and proceeded to tear them out by the roots.
Even with CleanMyMac X 4.4.1 and Malwarebytes working together, there were some chunks of adware and malware that still needed to be hunted down and removed on their own. A search engine utility had to manually remove from the Safari > Preferences > Extensions settings and a questionable PDF reader had to be uninstalled through CleanMyMac X 4.4.1’s Uninstaller module, which became another chore.
Neither CleanMyMac X 4.4.1 or Malwarebytes was perfect for the task at hand, but after months of development and promises of significant releases and improvements in this feature, the end result was a letdown. Granted, MacPaw isn’t working to be a malware prevention or security company, but they’ve touted this feature as a prominent component of CleanMyMac X and I feel that it gave far too much questionable software a complete pass, leaving behind software that will happily change your search engine settings to route your web traffic through questionable engines or inform you that your Mac is entirely infected and only a strange firm that charges $30 a month to remotely “clean” your Mac is to be trusted.
CleanMyMac X retails for $34.95 for a one-year subscription or $89.95 as a one-time payment for a single user; the MacPaw store offers different purchase tiers depending on license needs. The software is also available in a trial version, which lets you test its modules and clean up to 500MB of system junk at a time.
Bottom line
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CleanMyMac X 4.4.1 has seen some nice improvements and it’s a reliable, speedy way to remove gigabytes of gunk from your hard drive. Its Uninstaller and Updater modules have become admirable in their functionality and utility, but the Malware module is still a wash and five months of development haven’t brought it to a level where I’d feel comfortable recommending it to other Mac users for its intended purpose.