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Well, my MBP cable has gone yellow after a while. I've tried cleaning it with water, and also toothpaste (with whitening) and that doesn't seem to have removed the yellow stains. I guess I'll try mouthwash next; I may have to gargle that myself first. Anyone have the same problem? I haven't been keeping it in unusual places, in my bag and on the desk.

On the left is the whiter clean cable.

enter image description here

Daniel
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Aram Kocharyan
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  • So, are you asking for ways of whiten it or... ? – Thecafremo Jun 06 '12 at 10:58
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    Does it sit out in the sun regularly? If so, it may just be the plastic discoloring and there may be nothing to do except replace it (or just live with it). If not, it may be another environmental factor causing the same thing. – gaige Jun 06 '12 at 13:03
  • Yellowing could due be to exposure to sun, or food-stained fingers (doritos, nachos, curry), or heat (from nearby heater or worse from damage inside cable). Without knowing how it occurred, it's difficult to prevent a recurrence. – Global nomad Jun 06 '12 at 16:25
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    Thanks for your responses, sadly I don't eat any of those, have a heater, or get enough sunlight :P It's quite likely to be caused by some kind of use of course, because the yellow parts are the bit that sticks out when folded up and the section closest to the laptop. – Aram Kocharyan Jun 07 '12 at 03:46
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    Are you a smoker? – macaco Jun 07 '12 at 09:21
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    no, I don't smoke either – Aram Kocharyan Jun 07 '12 at 09:24
  • Aram, you mentioned "yellow parts are the bits that sticks out when folded up". If I understand you correctly, you fold your cables (power, USB, etc) instead of rolling them in a loop. Be careful when doing that, wiring inside the cable may snap (which you can't see it) and that's a very real fire hazard. Stay safe. – Global nomad Jun 07 '12 at 09:47
  • Thanks @Globalnomad, I roll them in a loop around the two appendages that fold out of the adapter, but I have noticed that the head of MagSafe is warped. – Aram Kocharyan Jun 07 '12 at 12:44
  • Warped? May I suggest buying another genuine Apple power cable (make sure it's the right one, different Watt-age for 17" versus non-17"). Cost of replacing cable is still less than cost of replacing laptop, data loss, and lost productivity. – Global nomad Jun 07 '12 at 14:45
  • thanks I'll look into getting a replacement if possible, preferable through AppleCare – Aram Kocharyan Jun 07 '12 at 16:21

4 Answers4

2

Cleaning the cable with a baking soda solution is likely to help. Baking soda will act as a mild abrasive. Alternatively, some web sites suggest using a bleach mix.

Do not soak the cable and do not get either end of the cable wet. Please be careful!

Graham Miln
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    After using alcohol, soap, baking soda and toothpaste my floor now has a very clean patch that I used as a work surface. The cable is still yellow. – Andreas Aug 28 '20 at 12:57
  • @Andreas have you found a method that worked for your cables? – Graham Miln Aug 28 '20 at 13:22
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    None that seems worthwhile without owning some sort of powered multi-tool, but the one that had the most effect was using an eraser/rubber. – Andreas Aug 28 '20 at 13:30
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Depending on how old the charger is, it is possible the agent causing the discoloration is leaching through from what the casing covers instead of being caused by an external source. In this case, bleaching and cleaning will affect only the surface of the cable.

I used to have several cables like this, on old barrel-shaped (non-MagSafe) chargers, but when the laptops were recycled, so were the chargers, so I don't have anything to dissect to prove my assertion.

The power charger can also get quite hot when charging, and if the charging cable is partially or wholly wound on the charger body's cable-storage fingers, they may become very hot as well, causing some of the discoloration you see. I always fully unwind the connection cable before charging.

IconDaemon
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2

Typically when I clean my power adapter, I use a paper towel or cloth which is damp with rubbing alcohol. I have found this is be very effective for removing dirt. Rubbing Alcohol can leave a residue so you may also consider using a paper towel or cloth which is damp with water to rinse afterward.

DMan
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  • Instead of the usual 70% rubbing alcohol, CVS, Stop&Shop & other stores can sometimes carry a 91% or 93% isopropyl alcohol. It is purer than 70%, which will have additives which can leave the residue DMan mentions. These higher-percentage formulations are great solvents for many cleaning tasks. – IconDaemon Jun 08 '12 at 15:25
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I got it replaced at the Apple Store. The "genius" explained that the old ones (pre-2011?) were softer and contained halogen from memory, whereas the new ones were more rigid and environmentally friendly. This probably means they don't change colour as easily and break.

Aram Kocharyan
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