How to clean your MacBook fan

From this article, you will learn how to clean MacBook fan so that the cooling system fulfills its functions properly. You will find out how to prepare your device for cleaning and will get detailed information about the cleaning procedure as well as about assembling the MacBook at the end.

Table of Contents

Cleaning the MacBook fan from dust: instructions

Before you get started, you need to make sure you have everything you’ll need to give the cooler a complete cleaning, including the following:

P5 precision screwdriver;

microfiber cloths;
antistatic brush;
cleaning compressed air (or hair dryer);

precision cleaning toolkit for electronics.

Removing the back cover

In order to get access to the fan of your device and clean it, you will need to remove the cover from the back of the MacBook:

Using a P5 screwdriver, remove all 10 screws and put them aside to make sure that they are not lost;

Gently pry up the edge of the lid until a gap is formed;
Release the fasteners one by one without sudden movements to avoid damaging other parts.

Cleaning procedure

You can proceed with your MacBook fan cleaning procedure according to the following steps:

moisten the cloth with water and wring it out so that it is damp but not wet;
wipe all internal surfaces of the device you have access to and the back cover;
to get rid of dust and debris in hard-to-reach areas, use a can of compressed air or a hair dryer (at maximum power and set to cold mode);

remove residues in gaps and notches with an antistatic brush;
lift the rubber bumper of the cooler and remove dust from the accessible space underneath;
Remove dirt residues with a hair dryer or using a compressed air spray can;

place the fan back (press gently in the center so as not to damage anything);
use a brush to clean the space between the fan blades;
remove dust residues with a compressed air spray can or a hair dryer.

If necessary, some steps can be repeated if you doubt that dust and dirt residues have not been completely removed.

Assembling the MacBook

The final step is to assemble the device. If not all surfaces have dried yet, wait for 15–20 minutes and start assembling.

To assemble the MacBook, follow the below instructions:

carefully place the rubber bumper on the fan;
align the device cover perfectly along the perimeter (otherwise the fasteners may be damaged when trying to snap it );
snap the cover on without pressing it too hard;