What to do about keyboard protector grime left on MacBook Pro screen? [duplicate]

For the first couple of years that I had this MacBook Pro (Early 2015, 13 inch) I had a keyboard protector on it. After awhile, the protector left some pretty obvious marks on the screen from it rubbing up against the screen when laptop was closed. I eventually took it off and tried to clean the screen, but none of the regular methods have seemed to do the trick. Instead, they just spread whatever grime was on the screen over the screen more. Never really bothered me, but now I'm looking to sell this laptop and want to fix this issue so it doesn't affect the resell value.

Does anyone have any ideas for a solution? Has anyone else had this same problem?


Cleaning is easy. Follow the steps Apple recommends.

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

For glass, that means

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.

The 3M gray microfiber cloth is a great option if you don’t have lint free cloths around.

Anything else risks damaging the surface coating, which is what you likely have. The physical rubbing first erodes the anti glare covering and then if it continues, etches and erodes the glass itself.

No solvent or cloth will repair that damage, just mask it temporarily with some types of glass cleaners.

  • https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/all-3m-products/~/3M-Glass-Cleaner/

These can damage hardware so use with sense and caution. Depending on your damage, these may make the glass look worse.