How can I remove stickers from the lid of my MacBook Pro?

Question

I've got a MacBook Pro with Retina display and I've got a ton of stickers on it. Is there a method for removing the stickers from the back without damaging the finish and without leaving sticky residue on the laptop?

Is this something I can get help with from the Genius Bar?

Answer 1

Just peel off the stickers.

The best thing for removing the residue is Teatree oil. You can get it from Walgreens in the US, and most chemists in Australia.

Just soak some cotton wool (or other soft cloth) in the oil (so you don't scratch the surface of your MacBook) and wipe until no residue is left.

Because the oil is viscous I would make sure that your TimeMachine backup is up to date before use. Don't kiss your brand new looking Mac as the oil is poisonous if ingested.

Answer 2

I first peeled off the paper sticker and then rubbed softly with alcohol wipes. It came off surprisingly fast. I can see the shiny apple again.

Answer 3

Some stickers are made with a water soluble glue, others with an organic soluble glue. Peel what you can off first, by hand. Once you've pried an edge up, pull slowly and carefully, not letting the angle between laptop surface and label get too large. That encourages separation of lable and glue layer. If it comes off clean, great! If not, fingernails, or a guitar pick can often get the last bits off without surface damage. If you've still got some residue, try soapy water. Give it some time to work, then go with the fingernail/guitar pick. If no joy, the glue is probably organic soluble. Any of the Limonene based orange oil cleaners should take care of that for you. Orange cleaner is available in any hardware store, and most grocery stores.

Answer 4

I've found it most effective to use a combination of hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol. They hydrogen peroxide may seem a little weird, but it does a much better job at cleaning up large clumps of goo (in my limited experience). My process:

1. Peel off as much of the sticker as possible
2. Pat a paper towel (or another cloth) with hydrogen peroxide and rub away large spots of goo
3. Pat another paper towel with rubbing alcohol and rub remaining streaks away for a nice polished finish

Answer 5

If you're in the UK then there's a wonderful thing called 'sticky stuff remover' which pretty much DWISOTT - I have to confess I haven't used it on my MBP yet (though I have stickers on it so I may need to at some point!) but I very much doubt it will damage the surface.

Answer 6

Goo Off will take anything off of anything. It's amazing and highly toxic so wear rubber gloves and be careful not to let it drip into the actual computer or any crevices.

Answer 7

I recommend acetone (nail polish remover). It's not as toxic as some of these other recommendations.

Answer 8

I have used Goo Gone, orange liquid, to remove a sticker from the back of an iPad.

Answer 9

I took the sticker off as best as I could, at a right angle. Then I dabbed the residue with an alcohol swab, and rubbed it with a tissue and it worked for me

Answer 10

I used some nailpolish remover, worked just fine! :)

Answer 11

I've found I can get a lot of the residue off with the sticker itself. After removing, then with your index finger press the backing of the sticker firmly onto a spot of residue and a lot of the residue comes right off on to the sticker backing. Repeat many times. I can get 90+% of the residue off this way. Then rubbing alcohol whatever to get the lingering stuff.

Answer 12

Sticky label remover (UK), it reactivates the glue so you can peel off the stickers and reuse them (i.e. It makes dried glue sticky again) it comes in a spray can with a 90 degree pointy nozzle.

Answer 13

I used nail polish remover with a towel and it worked wonders, I wouldn't anything else. Once I was finished I used these anti-static wipes made by Endust to make it feel new again. Please don't ruin your 1k+ computer with WD40 or Goo Gone.

Answer 14

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhMGB0tLfnc try this. Peel off the stickers. Just apply any perfume with alcohol. Wait a couple of minutes than just clean it off with a clean dry tissue.

http://www.decorsfuk.co for more cleaning stickers from your devices.

Answer 15

In the past, I've also had success with removing whatever residue is left with a rubber eraser! It usually picks up every bit of glue. Unfortunately, I haven't tried on my MB, but I don't doubt that it will work.

Answer 16

Just did this (July 2015) and it's a three-step process:

Step 1: Using fingernail, and going slow, peel sticker off laptop
Step 2: Using a wet paper towel and a thumbnail sized drop of soap, clean laptop surface
Step 3: ... actually I guess it's just two steps.

Worked great! No damage, good as new.

Answer 17

After the stickers are peeled off, alcohol, a washcloth, and iteration worked surprisingly well for me, getting off the residue.

And at least during COVID times, 70% rubbing alcohol is approved by Apple.

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.

Screenshot:

Link:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204172

Answer 18

peppermint essential oil works as well