On the plus side, it smells great!

November 5, 2007 9:49 AM

A friend spilled "essence of pumpkin" oil on her new Macbook laptop's LCD screen, resulting in a permanent stain of shiny glop in the lower righthand corner. Advice on fixing it?

Struggling with a bottle of scented oil, this friend pulled too hard on the cap, and a splotch of essential oil got into her gorgeous new 13 inch Macbook's screen. The resulting wound looks like a glowing patch in the shape of Africa. It'd almost be pretty, if the computer hadn't cost a mint. You can see through the stain, with some difficulty, but it definitely glows more brightly than other parts of the screen.

Specs on the computer? It's a brand spankin' 13" Macbook purchased in August of '07. It's white. And that's about all I can tell you. I have an old, broken iMac coming my way...would we be able to have the screen switched out? What about having it fixed under warranty? (Long shot, I know.) What would they do, if we had it fixed separate from the warranty?

Thanks!

posted by Lieber Frau to Computers & Internet (13 answers total)

It's doubtful that you'll be able to swap screens. Most LCDs are specific to the model device they are installed in.

Your best shot is to either buy the AppleCare plan for the Macbook from the Apple website then send it off for repair, or just take it in to the nearest Apple store and ask then "Genius" what he would do. They might be able to get it repaired for you if you talk real nice and come bearing gifts of chocolate.
posted by grumpy at 9:59 AM on November 5, 2007

Apple won't cover that repair, even if she bought applecare. The warranty (just like every warranty in existence) does not cover 'abuse' as they like to call it. She needs a new LCD panel. Cost is about $500 + labor to install.

Her best bet on finding a cheap fix is to look on craigslist or ebay for another macbook of the same vintage that has suffered an accident not involving the screen. Take the two broken machines to an Apple Authorized Service Provider. Do not take them to the 'genius bar' at a mac store.

Another option, sad as it might be, is to buy a new computer and then try to sell the broken one as parts.... or keep it around so that she always has a supply of spare parts should any other damage occur that is not covered by the warranty.

Sorry, and good luck.
posted by J-Garr at 10:14 AM on November 5, 2007

Oh, and here is a tool for finding an Apple Authorized Service Provider
posted by J-Garr at 10:16 AM on November 5, 2007

Have you tried rubbing alcohol on the stain? It's good for getting essential oil out of things.
posted by cmyk at 10:17 AM on November 5, 2007 [1 favorite]

If she purchased it on a credit card that offers purchase protection, it's entirely possible she might be able to get a full refund. However, purchase protection is only good 90 days from purchase, so if this is an option, she'll need to get in touch with the credit card issuer ASAP.
posted by Nelsormensch at 10:23 AM on November 5, 2007

Have you tried using some oil removing blotter sheets first, like the kind you can buy in the drugstore for your face? It's worth a shot, and even if it takes a good few, it might pick some of it up the oil. Better to exhaust all alternatives before spending that much to replace it. :)
posted by Glitter Ninja at 10:35 AM on November 5, 2007

Along the lines of what Glitter Ninja said . . . wouldn't something like talc powder absorb the oil? I'm hazy on how to go about applying it, but it seems like you could tape off the area immediately surrounding the stain so the powder didn't go into areas it shouldn't, then let it do some magic, and vacuum it off. If the oil is on the other side of the screen, I suppose you'd be crossing over into for-sure-warranty-voiding case-cracking territory, but unless it's actually between the layers of the display itself I don't see why talc wouldn't work.
posted by littlegreenlights at 12:54 PM on November 5, 2007

Or maybe find something more powerful like Oil-Dri?

Or . . . you could try calling these guys to see if they have any ideas. They seem to be pretty well-versed in oil cleanup, but also might be a small enough company to be interested in playing hero to help someone out of the teeniest oil spill ever. :)
posted by littlegreenlights at 1:02 PM on November 5, 2007

You can pay Apple $500, or you can pay TechRestore about $350 for an overnight replacement. People I know speak highly of them.

As I am currently bidding on used Macbook 13.3 inch lcds on ebay, I can tell you that in unscratched condition the part alone goes for $200-250. You can buy them scratched and marred for $100-200. But you won't want to replace it yourself unless you *really* know what you are doing and have taken notebooks apart before (and put them back together). Doing so will void your Apple warranty on the rest of the machine in any case, and given the problems (I at least have had) with Macbooks' internal components, you don't want to do that if it's still under warranty.

And no, the iBook screen won't work.
posted by spitbull at 1:14 PM on November 5, 2007

Response by poster: Thanks guys. Some great suggestions.

I do believe the oil actually permeated the inside of the screen, though I may be mistaken, and I know little of LCD mechanics. I'd hate to put talcum powder or some other wonder material on it for her, just to realize it made an even bigger mess of the situation.
posted by Lieber Frau at 2:02 PM on November 5, 2007

Have you tried cleaning it with anything at all, like per the manufacturers suggestions on cleaning? Most LCD screens can be cleaned of all manner of gunk with a solution of 50% distilled water and 50% isopropyl alcohol (70% dilution). Or maybe try a screen cleaner specifically designed for LCD screens. Use a soft clothe like microfiber or an old tee shirt rag (clean, of course). I'd certainly try to clean it properly first before trying anything like talc or before just replacing the thing.
posted by Orb at 2:19 PM on November 5, 2007

Response by poster: No, my friend hasn't tried anything on her screen yet.

It's really a pretty interesting side effect, I had no idea everyday cheap essential oil made LCD's glow.
posted by Lieber Frau at 2:44 PM on November 5, 2007

I wouldn't try cleaning it with anything but an eyeglass cloth, though I doubt that will do much good. Essential oils are never stored in plastic because they corrode it, so I doubt there's anything that can be done to the screen.
posted by oneirodynia at 5:56 PM on November 5, 2007