White iBooks

[Rhisiart]

My G4 white iBook is now four years old and looks it's age. Whoever in Apple saw fit to come up with white as a colour scheme needs some serious counselling.

I've tried every cleaning fluid under the sun with no success (I think a previous poster called Amie had similar problems).

Does anyone think T-Cut would work for cleaning it?

[symphonix]

No. T-Cut would not come up good. I've had incredible results with a product called Goo-Off 2 which you'll find in the paint preperation section in paint shops. This will clean it up a treat.

If you have scratches, then head to an automotive store and pick up some Mother's Scratch Remover - or an equivalent. It is expensive though.

Really bad scratches might need to be sanded. Take the case off, use the finest grit wet 'n' dry sandpaper you can get (buy a couple of sheets from an automotive paintshop). Dip the sandpaper in water and sand VERY gently until the scratch starts to disappear - you won't be able to eliminate it completely, just make it small enough for scratch-remover to be able to work. Use a buffing cloth to buff it down smooth and then a bit of scratch remover to finish the job.

[Lt Major Burns]

my 6 year old ibook is covered in scratches, but still looks good, it's still very white. possibly this is because the G3 ibooks were translucent white, but i don't know.

[fryke]

Yep, the iBooks up to the iBook G3/800 had the much nicer translucent white colour. Later on, it was all-white, which looks dirtier much sooner.

[andychrist]

Here are some relatively inexpensive products available that can restore a high gloss and maybe even treat discoloration (though they will not cover up deep scratches).

Rotten Stone is a fine mineral powder that makes a superb polish when moistened. It can be applied with a paper towel or tissue, and the minimal residue is easily wiped away. In the States, it is available in hardware and paint stores as Rainbow sundry products and the little one pound box will last a life time.

If you can get your hands on it, 1600 emory paper will give you an equally high gloss shine, though I would recommend an initial treatment with 800 to 1200 to smooth out the surface a bit more first. As per symphonix's instructions, it helps to moisten the emory. A little soap may be applied to the cloth as well, for lubrication.

Cream of Tartar also makes a good, non abrasive polish, though it has recently gone up a bit in price and is not as widely available as once. I remember my mom using it in a standing solution to whiten coffee cups.

[Rhisiart]

Thanks to all for your helpful contributions. I shall try some of these ideas.

[Gambuchi]

A high end auto body/paint shop could surely give you recommendations after all, look at the finish on show cars...