Thanks for making this video! I bought an old Chromebook that was oxidated on the cover and I used my magic sponge and it worked! My laptop has a matte black finish so I used my Mother's Black to Black to give the surface a slightly fresher look.
Great solution, I've used it many times and works every time. Just keep in mind one thing. Old ThinkPads have rubberized layer and after years it becomes a bit too easy to remove. If you press your magic sponge too hard, you will actually remove this rubber layer and reveal just plain plastic. For some people that could actually be a way to go, since most probably this plastic doesn't have many scratches, so you could just reveal it and you're good to go if your rubber layer is very scratched. But if you want to keep the original plastic layer, be gentle with the sponge. I've bought an X40 some time ago and it had a sticker in corner of the lid. I removed it, but still had some glue on it, so I used sponge and pressed a bit too hard in this area. As a result, the whole lid was pretty nice, but one corner looked aweful. I had to replace the whole lid :(
Really cool, I like my ThinkPad a bit scratched and faded though. That way I know it will never be stolen, because it looks like a old beater. Just like with people it's the inside that counts. :)
In my opinion, they were really ugly people. If you think appearance doesn't matter, you're living in a fantasy world. There are double-standards on things if you're pretty versus being ugly. www.boredpanda.com/socially-acceptable-things-when-you-are-ugly-vs-attractive/ The one that stuck out to me the most is it's only generally accepted as creepy if you're an ugly person with a weird fetish, but if you were hot it would be viewed as "kinky".
i did it on my X61 but with Johnson Baby Lotion. It is still so new looking and non sticky but feel natural afyer 2 weeks. Big thanks bro. Soon trying on my X240
Hello; Thank you for this, my ThinkPad T430 arrives in 3-4 days. I watched all 3 of your videos on this. I was thinking I may try to paint it if the finish is rough but I'll try this first. At least the 'Magic Eraser' trick. I don't have Nivea but I've got shea butter & cocoa butter. I may have something w/ lanolin I'll have to check. I did know what to use for that back in the day. I might try some '303 Protectant' I've been meaning to buy more anyway. Have a GREAT day, Neighbor! PS Just remembered I used to use mechanic's hand cleaner because it has lanolin. I've used Permatex 'Fast Orange Smooth' (no grit), 'Gojo' & 'Goop'. These all contain lanolin which can help the surface of various paints & plastics.
You need to check though if the rubberised paint is sensitive to petroleum. Nivea contains petroleum. If it is, it will rot the rubber. I'd rather use an automotive polish or beeswax-based leather cream. Something that won't oxidise and hold dirt.
The foam doesn't really absorb. It is actually a brittle plastic that has been foamed, so the foam intentionally crumbles and forms a thin layer of abrasive particles, breaking down as you use it. Very much the same as a "no moving parts" abrasive dispenser under a sponge. = Magic.
Fine Sandpaper should work the same but I didn't try it so no guarantees :) You could try different products as well, there are dedicated plastic refresher for the car industry that could work as well.
Thanks But actually I am not clear what is the magic eraser? Please help me , because I have IBM think pad X60 . Almost 14 years old but still I love this laptop.
I will try this. I got T400 for free from my office and it's badly scratched up. I wanted to just cover it with a skin but I like the rubber coating. Hopefully this works
Hey question Clevo laptops use this rubber coating as well would this remove very light scuffs on the surface? they didn't make many of my model and id like to keep it in perfect shape have any advice? Thank you!!!
Definitely a great result! Good job! I have a Thinkpad 600E 2nd (or 3rd) hand with a lot of scratches in the rubber layer. I was thinking of using plasti dip, but I might try your approach first. :)
Very nice video! I think I might give it a go on my X30 as it looks beat up and scratched. (I watched your T23 restoration video and it's what made me come to this video!)
Yeah, the compact size of the X series is pretty nice as it is fairly small. Having the larger screen and built-in drives (CD/DVD) is nice on the T series though. I just picked up a T23 myself recently. Very nice machine. I think I need to give it this treatment as well.
*Important notes* He used standard Nivea so don't mistake it for Nivea for Men because that would hurt your PC since it's designed for thicker skin! And of course the before picture is actually after rubbing that greasy cream which results in a faded surface with some dry crust.
Search UA-cam for ’thinkpad plastidip” video, some guy painted it with plasti-dip (I think that’s how you spell it) and looks amazing- no disassembly required...
I have to say that Lenovo changed the surface slightly with nearly every model, so it is a bit of an experiment here. I can say that wet polish and cream worked fine on all my Thinkpads from 600X to T430.
Yes, this one is lightly rubberized, but I did try it on a more plasticy T430s as well (will make a video about it soon). I don't really know about the Asus, you would have to try it...
OK thanks! Talking about keyboards for Thinkpad (current and vintage) is it normal to find replicate or false keyboards for thinkpad ?, or do they not exist? If there are fakes, how to differentiate them?
Difficult to say as Lenovo (and to some extend IBM) had always produced their parts in China. There are actually multiple manufacturers of keyboards for Lenovo right now. What model are you looking for?
@@panoramacircle3281 I have been owning Thinkpads for atleast 20 years...all that is needed to clean the top cover is a Scothbrite pad and moisturizing dish soap like Dawn. Ofcourse any product that contains oil will give it a nice dark finish but it will also attract all types of dirt.
@@panoramacircle3281 I have an X22, T60P and X60 that still looks brand new, except for a small crack in the palm rest. The key is not to use harsh chemicals to clean the plastics. Dish soap is all I use and maybe distilled water with lemon juice to remove label adhesive, asset tags, old stickers etc. With a non-scratch Scothbrite pad. Dont leave the Laptop exposed to sun light and the plastics should not fade.
I did use that method on a T60 and T410 which are similar generations and it did work for me... I'll make dedicated videos with these machines as well.
Very good, you can wipe off grease easily and you do not get these dark fingerprint stains because the plastic is already soaked and does not absorb more of your finger oils.
My blog article: panoramacircle.com/2018/08/06/best-way-to-clean-and-remove-scratches-on-a-thinkpad-surface/ On a modern T430s: ua-cam.com/video/08QWEFcdzM8/v-deo.html ThinkPad spill resistance: ua-cam.com/video/mgppfpHqEWs/v-deo.html
@@PearComputingDevices same is true for the aluminium finish,.. a thinkpad isnt designed to look beautiful, its design follows function and that is what makes it beautiful
I worked as a technician in Lenovo lab, this is the way we refurbished all thous black covers (it may work for other types of plastic too). for cleaning the inside plastic and bezel with fabric - soak a bit with WD-40 and rub gently. at the end finish with clean fabric - for less marks pay attention to wipe one direction all the time - please pay attention to use WD-40 general purpose oil (sorry for my English)
I lived a full life whilst watchig this
Thanks for making this video! I bought an old Chromebook that was oxidated on the cover and I used my magic sponge and it worked! My laptop has a matte black finish so I used my Mother's Black to Black to give the surface a slightly fresher look.
No wonder why I bought a Lenovo on ebay and it smelled like Nivea.
lol!!!
For real?
LOL
And mine smelled like Nutella...
That new out-of-the-box Nivea smell!
Great solution, I've used it many times and works every time. Just keep in mind one thing. Old ThinkPads have rubberized layer and after years it becomes a bit too easy to remove. If you press your magic sponge too hard, you will actually remove this rubber layer and reveal just plain plastic. For some people that could actually be a way to go, since most probably this plastic doesn't have many scratches, so you could just reveal it and you're good to go if your rubber layer is very scratched. But if you want to keep the original plastic layer, be gentle with the sponge.
I've bought an X40 some time ago and it had a sticker in corner of the lid. I removed it, but still had some glue on it, so I used sponge and pressed a bit too hard in this area. As a result, the whole lid was pretty nice, but one corner looked aweful. I had to replace the whole lid :(
Really cool, I like my ThinkPad a bit scratched and faded though. That way I know it will never be stolen, because it looks like a old beater. Just like with people it's the inside that counts. :)
Crafty trick! haha
www.thedistractionnetwork.com/images/ugly-people-unite-342.jpg
Just like people, they must be really beautiful on the inside.
I never said. good looking people can't also be good on the Inside. Might brush up on those reading skills there Studio :^)
If a person is beat up on the outside that's a shame because they didn't take care of them selves... and that's sad
In my opinion, they were really ugly people. If you think appearance doesn't matter, you're living in a fantasy world. There are double-standards on things if you're pretty versus being ugly.
www.boredpanda.com/socially-acceptable-things-when-you-are-ugly-vs-attractive/
The one that stuck out to me the most is it's only generally accepted as creepy if you're an ugly person with a weird fetish, but if you were hot it would be viewed as "kinky".
i did it on my X61 but with Johnson Baby Lotion. It is still so new looking and non sticky but feel natural afyer 2 weeks. Big thanks bro. Soon trying on my X240
ArmorAll the stuff you use to refresh/protect the plastics and vinyl in your car works really well on thinkpad rubberized paint too.
Good idea, that seems more practical! I was watching this video waiting for her to pull out the olive oil next lol
Hello;
Thank you for this, my ThinkPad T430 arrives in 3-4 days.
I watched all 3 of your videos on this.
I was thinking I may try to paint it if the finish is rough but I'll try this first.
At least the 'Magic Eraser' trick.
I don't have Nivea but I've got shea butter & cocoa butter.
I may have something w/ lanolin I'll have to check.
I did know what to use for that back in the day.
I might try some '303 Protectant' I've been meaning to buy more anyway.
Have a GREAT day, Neighbor!
PS
Just remembered I used to use mechanic's hand cleaner because it has lanolin.
I've used Permatex 'Fast Orange Smooth' (no grit), 'Gojo' & 'Goop'.
These all contain lanolin which can help the surface of various paints & plastics.
Alright then tell us how it went for you
thinkpads are the best!
After apocalypse, those machines will be still around. And working as if nothing happened.
And then... Blink of Death... :(
The only issue with 2x thinkpads
true.. !!
I laughed when I saw the cream, but I was surprised with how it looked afterwards. Need to try this
Yup, was using this method for automotive parts for years now, but nobody seems to have used it on laptop parts before...
@@panoramacircle3281 you can use this on your leather shoes too when you dont have shoe polish either...
That laptop gets better treatment than my own skin lol
I should do it to my own ThinkPad, even if it's dead, it still needs to look good.
That's the spirit
Depending on the model you could replace some parts and revive it.
@@ariathyf144 I'm currently saving money on new pc, and I've planned to sell my ThinkPad in parts.
I just bought one. Now I can make it nice. Thank you
You need to check though if the rubberised paint is sensitive to petroleum. Nivea contains petroleum. If it is, it will rot the rubber. I'd rather use an automotive polish or beeswax-based leather cream. Something that won't oxidise and hold dirt.
Very interesting, with petroleum you mean liquid paraffin (mineral oil)?
Came here to say this. A trim restorer would've been a better choice.
I took your advice and it worked wonders. Thanks.
@@-eMpTy-
can you do a video on cleaning the screen, palmrest and keyboard area for a thinkpad?
Step 1 air compressor step 2 anti static foam and microfibre cloth
Great idea. BTW magic eraser is the same as a 3000 grit abrasive or polish. Body shops sell that, 3M Finesse, and sandpaper up to 5000 grit.
Yes, the foam is also porous and might be better at absorbing dirt particles inside.
The foam doesn't really absorb. It is actually a brittle plastic that has been foamed, so the foam intentionally crumbles and forms a thin layer of abrasive particles, breaking down as you use it. Very much the same as a "no moving parts" abrasive dispenser under a sponge. = Magic.
@@lyfandeth
Hey, "Lyfan Deth";
Good to know, "Thank you!" for sharing.
Have a GREAT day, Neighbor!
Polyester sponge is the same as a water sandpaper? Can you use another cream that is not snowy but also moisturizing?
Fine Sandpaper should work the same but I didn't try it so no guarantees :) You could try different products as well, there are dedicated plastic refresher for the car industry that could work as well.
Thanks
But actually I am not clear what is the magic eraser?
Please help me , because I have IBM think pad X60 .
Almost 14 years old but still I love this laptop.
Magic Eraser is the brand name for the white foam sponges, just buy some generic from ebay
I will try this. I got T400 for free from my office and it's badly scratched up. I wanted to just cover it with a skin but I like the rubber coating. Hopefully this works
Dear Mr. Polish-Officer, thanks a lot for these 12 very exciting minutes!
Hey question Clevo laptops use this rubber coating as well would this remove very light scuffs on the surface? they didn't make many of my model and id like to keep it in perfect shape have any advice? Thank you!!!
Definitely a great result! Good job! I have a Thinkpad 600E 2nd (or 3rd) hand with a lot of scratches in the rubber layer. I was thinking of using plasti dip, but I might try your approach first. :)
Yes I have a 600X as well and it worked quite nice.
what is this white sponge, what is its name, and can it be bought in Russia?
Yes it is called Magic Eraser (brand name) or any low cost imitation from ebay.
I like the way u clean very carefull keep on safe
Thanks 👍
do you use water in step two? thanks for your videos dude, i have a lot of old thinkpads that need a deep exterior restoration.Greetings from spain.
Yes it is just water
Very nice video! I think I might give it a go on my X30 as it looks beat up and scratched. (I watched your T23 restoration video and it's what made me come to this video!)
X30 is a nice retro machine, I believe I have to get a older X-model eventually.
Yeah, the compact size of the X series is pretty nice as it is fairly small. Having the larger screen and built-in drives (CD/DVD) is nice on the T series though. I just picked up a T23 myself recently. Very nice machine. I think I need to give it this treatment as well.
Does it feel rough to the touch? I hate those very rough surfaces... thats why xD
Feels pretty smooth and nice I would say...
@@panoramacircle3281 Alright thank you :)
Is this for the rubber thinkpad lid because I have a plastic lid thinkpad I wanna restore
Yes but I have a polishing video for a more modern T430s as well
@@panoramacircle3281 can this work on the thinkpad sl510 plastic lid
Is it a water for wet polish?
Yes it is just tap water.
Does this method remove scratches also or only scuff marks?
small scratches yes but not deep ones
Is that a sponge? What kind of cream is that? SoI can get that stuff in my country
It is a melamine foam, aka Magic Eraser.
*Important notes*
He used standard Nivea so don't mistake it for Nivea for Men because that would hurt your PC since it's designed for thicker skin!
And of course the before picture is actually after rubbing that greasy cream which results in a faded surface with some dry crust.
That is amazing 👍🏻
This is edging dangerously close to pornography for me, seriously.
I tried this with my T420s, it did not help at all unfortunately. I also tried soap, I tried Vaseline, and so on, nothing helps.
Where can you buy the polish material? Is there a brand or link you can share?
It's just Nivea classic or you use another product for refreshing plastic / rubber
Used chili creme and dentist creme, very good result.
my laptop's rubber layer is coming off, what should I do?
The rubber is decomposing from age and sunlight, you might be able to revitalize it with cream like a did at the end of the video.
Search UA-cam for ’thinkpad plastidip” video, some guy painted it with plasti-dip (I think that’s how you spell it) and looks amazing- no disassembly required...
I don’t buy any laptop other than a Thinkpad. They are built like tanks.
Got a used T430s 2 weeks ago, the top has a few small scratches and sun faded. Might just cover it with stickers🤓
Well you can polish the sticker residue away with that method too.
Do you know if this method could work in modern thinkpads (T440 series and beyond)
I have to say that Lenovo changed the surface slightly with nearly every model, so it is a bit of an experiment here. I can say that wet polish and cream worked fine on all my Thinkpads from 600X to T430.
Is this ThinkPad using some kind of rubberized finish?
I might Iight end up using the same technique for my asus rog g750jz
Yes, this one is lightly rubberized, but I did try it on a more plasticy T430s as well (will make a video about it soon). I don't really know about the Asus, you would have to try it...
Hi, you have tried to apply WD40 instead of Nivea.
Thank you
I did not but some people said that they did try WD40 and it had a similar effect.
WD40 will rot the rubber coating
Looks gorgeous.
0:16 ; 2:31 ; 5:23 ; 7:47
This video could be cut into a 30 second clip retaining all the information.
People would claim its fake and edited. You can fastplay on youtube if you like.
А для леновы какой крем для лица нужен?
The same should work. However, newer Lenovos are not that faded so you might not need any plastic refresher here.
Для леновы вазелин самое то
Can you do a tutorial for restoring the clear coat on the Z61m ? :)
That sounds very interesting with a titanium cover...
What if the black paint is coming off?
Try it anyway, if nothing works you have to get a new display cover...
Nice, good job!
Something like this for the keyboard?
mmhh just wiping it with some moist towel. Do not polish or you remove the letters. New keyboards are also relatively cheap depending on the model.
OK thanks!
Talking about keyboards for Thinkpad (current and vintage) is it normal to find replicate or false keyboards for thinkpad ?, or do they not exist? If there are fakes, how to differentiate them?
Difficult to say as Lenovo (and to some extend IBM) had always produced their parts in China. There are actually multiple manufacturers of keyboards for Lenovo right now. What model are you looking for?
Im not putting skin creme on my Thinkpad top cover.
You can use plastic refresher from the automotive industry as well but this worked fine for me.
@@panoramacircle3281 I have been owning Thinkpads for atleast 20 years...all that is needed to clean the top cover is a Scothbrite pad and moisturizing dish soap like Dawn. Ofcourse any product that contains oil will give it a nice dark finish but it will also attract all types of dirt.
Did you have any fading rubber or plastics or is it still looking black on the older TPs?
@@panoramacircle3281 I have an X22, T60P and X60 that still looks brand new, except for a small crack in the palm rest. The key is not to use harsh chemicals to clean the plastics. Dish soap is all I use and maybe distilled water with lemon juice to remove label adhesive, asset tags, old stickers etc. With a non-scratch Scothbrite pad. Dont leave the Laptop exposed to sun light and the plastics should not fade.
Which wet polish did you use?
Just water and a magic eraser
@@panoramacircle3281 Thanks! Just tried it on my T440p and it works!
I think using something like ACF-50 rather than Nivea would yield better and more permanent results.
How did you come about the nivea cream method? Seems to actually work and I would have never known! thanks.
I got from the automotive fans, who use similar things to refresh plastics on their cars, many actually use peanut butter!
I would suggest linseed oil. It hardens. Peanut butter and Nivea get rancid.
I have a thinkpad lenovo w700 ,it will work too?
I did use that method on a T60 and T410 which are similar generations and it did work for me... I'll make dedicated videos with these machines as well.
can i use any kind of creams?
Maybe but the classic Nivea has the least amount of ingredients and no perfume.
It would have made much more sense to clean it with soapy water before the dry polish, as the dirt would have been abrasive.
Possible, but the porous sponge can absorb mos of the particles inside and the wet polish will remove micro-scratches anyway.
I know, but having bits of grit will cause more and uneven abrasion, so I suggested washing that away first.
I have put stickers on my Thinkpad ,, and I don't know how to remove it 😫
I have seen people using WD40 oil to remove stickers, soak it in and remove the scrubs
Undo .. from any craft store will remove stickers. So will goo off.
How does it hold up to fingerprints?
Very good, you can wipe off grease easily and you do not get these dark fingerprint stains because the plastic is already soaked and does not absorb more of your finger oils.
whats a wet polish?
What you see, water & polish sponge
What is that product that u put first, before the nivea cream? look like whater !
Yes it's just plain water
whater
I just take a rattle can of Plasti-dip black into the garage and come out with a like-new factory finish.
Plasti-dip is only temporary
Relaxing :3
Nice job
Wow that is great vid!
If anyone even touches my T61 after this I will surely beat them.
ah now i see. so this is a "Magic Eraser" sponge?
Yes it is
Simple automotive polishing compound would probably be better than face cream.
I feel like before should be on the left and after on the right
That is probably true for the Western world...
This is how you care about an ThinkPad
wow crazy how much a difference the eraser makes
I did the same and now I have a ThinkPad with sticky rubberized surface
Then wipe it off
@@panoramacircle3281
And how? =)))
as good as new bro
My blog article: panoramacircle.com/2018/08/06/best-way-to-clean-and-remove-scratches-on-a-thinkpad-surface/
On a modern T430s: ua-cam.com/video/08QWEFcdzM8/v-deo.html
ThinkPad spill resistance: ua-cam.com/video/mgppfpHqEWs/v-deo.html
get a cheap dry toothbrush to remove the extra hand cream from the hinges :P
Polish 🇵🇱
lechistan hehehe
ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ it was funny
xD
U left handed? Nice job tho. ;)
You didn't wash away the cream?! Then how do you plan to touch the laptop? Every time you touch it, you will get full hands of cream!
The cream was wiped away as you can see in the video
Vast improvement.
That's really nice. But do you know how to avoid all this? Buy a bussiness machine made out of tougher stuff, like say aluminum.
Ha, maybe, but fixing brushed aluminum can be quite difficult.
But that's why you ebay a new lid if it's too bad. But yes this is true.
Wrong, there is nothing more beautiful than a ThinkPad Finish
@@3LFL3DA that's highly subjective, obviously.
@@PearComputingDevices same is true for the aluminium finish,.. a thinkpad isnt designed to look beautiful, its design follows function and that is what makes it beautiful
where I work, old notebooks are also processed,
Sometimes they are so destroyed that everything is lost :-(
Polish, Poland? 🇵🇱
To działa!
Instead all this, just use WD-40 oil spray and wipe gently with cotton fabric. working immediately like a charme
did you actually try that out?
I worked as a technician in Lenovo lab, this is the way we refurbished all thous black covers (it may work for other types of plastic too).
for cleaning the inside plastic and bezel with fabric - soak a bit with WD-40 and rub gently.
at the end finish with clean fabric - for less marks pay attention to wipe one direction all the time
- please pay attention to use WD-40 general purpose oil
(sorry for my English)
the thing about magnesium thinkpads he won't tell you is water + a paper towel does the same shit
the scratches are sill there
Can only polish small scratches away, large scratches will stay forever.
Was I seriously supposed to watch someone clean a laptop?
Lol
Yes, keep watching,
I have thta before
As a Polish guy, I expected something else ;)
polish macbook next
I was getting sleepy watching this. By the way open the lid and switch on the power button. Let's see if it's getting on LOL😁😂
wtf use nivea..... i don't think use nivea. nice idea!
You can try a commercial plastic refresher as well from the automotive industry but Nivea worked fine for me for the last ten years
Самое грязное - это клавиатура.
Смысл так крышку натирать, если внутри всё грязно останется.
laptop asmr
GT85
Please learn how to fast forward your video, we really don't need to see every second.
best
Laptop looks like new.
My fourth attempt and this on worked quite well.
wow
one loooong nivea commercial... lol...
nice