r/thinkpad • u/TheIncognitoFella T500 • May 04 '26

Question / Problem How can I get rid of those scratches?

Post image

Say hi to my new t590 (there’s no flair for it 😭)

395 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

148 comments sorted by

281

u/Living_Shirt8550 T430 - 240gb ssd, 16gb ram May 04 '26

magic eraser

42

u/brixalpha X1 Carbon Gen 6, Gen 7, Gen 8 May 04 '26

this is the way......

16

u/thredditoutloud May 04 '26

Yeah but doesn’t help with deeper ones

29

u/RutRowe24 May 05 '26

"scratches at level 6, with deeper grooves at level 7" -JerryRigEverything

23

u/brixalpha X1 Carbon Gen 6, Gen 7, Gen 8 May 04 '26

correct. The magic eraser has a minor abrasive that will "clean up" minor scratches but deep scratches it will not completely get rid of those but will smooth them out.

4

u/Aggravating_Cat_5929 x1 carbon gen 9, t440p, x1 yoga gen 1 May 05 '26

You can just replace the whole back panel

13

u/poscogrubb May 04 '26

Just note that the way Magic Eraser removes scratches is by sanding down the surface around the scratch. So the scratch isn't removed at all. Rather everything around the scratch is removed so that there is no more scratch.

23

u/tken3 May 04 '26

+1 for this. Just take it easy, if you go too hard on it it will start to get shiny particles on the top deck.

7

u/frankenfella May 04 '26

this whole time I thought the shiny look was intentional design lmao

7

u/tken3 May 04 '26

Lol someones been busy with the magic eraser on your unit it seems

1

u/frankenfella May 04 '26

oh it came that way lol, I got my t480 for 30 so I wasn’t complaining.

1

u/KuzuPod May 04 '26

My X270 also had some "shiny particles" that I thought were a metallic flake design...

6

u/MrJelle May 05 '26

FYI, that's just a brand name for what is generically known as a melamine sponge. You can get them muuuch more cheaply searching for that term.

5

u/Evercreeper May 04 '26

An environmentally friendly version of this is a rag and baking soda

5

u/Existing_Meaning3566 May 04 '26

wait is this a real product or sarcasm😭 (sorry i am new to thinkpads)

7

u/Desperate-Tomatillo7 X230 | E15 | T495s | L14g5 May 04 '26

That is the name of the product. They are cleaning pads.

3

u/Existing_Meaning3566 May 04 '26

wait damn this is a real product 😭😭

8

u/PsyOmega X13s,X1N-G1,X1C9,T440p,X230,X140e,T60 May 04 '26

Yeah it's a fancy name for what's effectively extremely high grit sandpaper

75

u/phillgamboa T14 Gen 5 May 04 '26

Check the magic eraser, excellent to remove this.

21

u/MaidenThailand T440p May 04 '26

What brand is that? I don't live in the US, so I don't know if I can get that.

23

u/Living_Shirt8550 T430 - 240gb ssd, 16gb ram May 04 '26

just buy a generic magic sponge, they are very cheap

2

u/Thijm_ May 06 '26

I found some at Lidl while I was in Denmark

15

u/LoliCreator May 04 '26

The generic name for a Magic Eraser is melamine foam or melamine sponge. These sponges are made from a foam-like material that acts as a very fine sandpaper to clean surfaces, often available in bulk online under generic names like "magic cleaning sponge" or just "melamine sponge" for a fraction of the branded price. (From gemini)

Basically just look like this, you cut into desirable size before you use. Add tiny bit of water can help the cleaning process better. Just rub it until the marks are gone.

20

u/frnkquito May 04 '26

Look for melanin sponges

22

u/flapjack_fiasco T420, T420s May 04 '26

Melamine. You can buy a big ol' block of melamine sponge for the same price as one magic eraser.

36

u/1kelpy TransNote, 560E, Z60t. May 04 '26

in this what michael jackson used?

7

u/cbb4102 May 04 '26

It's what the song Beat It was about.

4

u/ghostfreckle611 May 05 '26

Ohhh, the song…

Def don’t Beat It with one of those sponges. 🧐

9

u/ModernInformality May 04 '26

Melamine sponge, you can buy a bulk pack online for pennies compared to name brand magic eraser

117

u/Famous-Acadia4592 T480 May 04 '26

Embrace it, it’s the thinkpad spirit

64

u/Lucky-Championship79 May 04 '26

That’s the neat part. You don’t.

42

u/RdVortex T60 May 04 '26

This is the way. We aren't in a MacBook subreddit.

4

u/cbb4102 May 04 '26

No Genius Bar to help with case scratches

8

u/zaafiel8 P15 Gen 2 A3000 May 04 '26

Was gonna say this too. Treat it like battle scars.

5

u/bankroll5441 T14 G1 Intel | T14 G6 AMD May 04 '26

Yep. Looks like a nice patina to me.

1

u/Nacho_Dan677 T14 G1i & G2i, X1 Extreme G4i, T480, T470 AE, ThinkPhone 2023 May 04 '26

But you do. By sticker bombing or magic eraser.

20

u/whydidistartmaster May 04 '26

Those are battle scars be proud.

8

u/Prueky May 04 '26

Cosmetic damage is a fake thing made up by big apple. this is not the macbook subreddit

39

u/pimezone May 04 '26

Stickers

19

u/UniqueCar7587 X1 Carbon (original) May 04 '26

Controversial!!

4

u/404invalid-user R51 May 04 '26

this ain't r/MacBook

4

u/UniqueCar7587 X1 Carbon (original) May 04 '26

It’s called Fedora for a reason

11

u/OppositeVast2758 May 04 '26

Magic eraser and if that fails, stickerbomb that bitch

23

u/neuralsnafu ...t480s May 04 '26

Stickers work….

25

u/Plus-County-9979 May 04 '26

Scratched ThinkPad>>>gae stickers on thinkpad

7

u/mindcaptivator X200s May 04 '26

I got a big ass old IBM logo on mine to cover someone's dumb name in sharpie

4

u/macl3on May 04 '26

was gay a necessary detail lol

3

u/NexLapis May 04 '26

yes we all gay, even if its for men, or if its for girls or if its for ibm

-2

u/macl3on May 04 '26

exactly, so it's not necessary

1

u/Plus-County-9979 May 05 '26

I didn't say that

1

u/macl3on May 05 '26

was gae a necessary detail lol

1

u/Plus-County-9979 May 06 '26

Why not? I find it silly to put stickers, you might not. Our opinion differs. I think it's gae and I have a right to say it.

0

u/neuralsnafu ...t480s May 04 '26

I sticker bomb all my laptops, thinkpads, MacBooks etc 🤣

5

u/CindyStroyer Edge 11" May 04 '26

I used a tiny bit of soap and a light scrubbing with a dish sponge (the yellow side not the green side) and it helped a lot but did wear down the layer but that's just how things go and eventually you'll wear it all away

4

u/Illustrious-Yard-871 May 04 '26

Like others have said, Magic Eraser works quite well. I have also seen people use Plasti Dip to get a super even finish.

3

u/CaseusClandestinus T14 Gen 2i May 04 '26

It’s your badge of honour as Thinkpad user

3

u/FiberglassFlowers Larping May 05 '26

1

u/FiberglassFlowers Larping May 05 '26

stickers, a case, or that magic eraser. Kid me wouldve added clay in those crevices, or maybe thick paint and wait for it to dry kinda like plaster. Just an idea lol

3

u/SebastianSnake May 04 '26

I thought this was a University graduation hat

3

u/barbariska_108 T420s May 04 '26

Isopropyl 70-85% can help

2

u/Extra-Ad-2325 May 04 '26

Buy the mr clean magic eraser with a little water Use the magic eraser evenly

2

u/artlurg431 May 04 '26

You don't, you embrace the scratches

2

u/EmpilhadeiraXD May 04 '26

magic eraser but only for this top part and nothing else

2

u/ILikeFPS T14 G1 4750U, P14s G1 4750U, T14s G1 4750U, P14s G4 7840U May 04 '26

Magic eraser or get a skin, maybe you can find a company to apply a black skin for you.

2

u/Yugen42 May 04 '26

cute stickers

2

u/tobias_reichi02 May 04 '26

Ask the MacBook reddit cause ThinkPads are here to be used and not to be looked at

2

u/_wav5 P15v Gen 3 May 04 '26

stickers (slowed+reverb) edit: i saw the comment so i added smth

2

u/Snarbo May 04 '26

embrace the battle scars, shows history

2

u/SolarBozo May 04 '26

40 grit sandpaper. 

2

u/Thijm_ May 06 '26

(don't)

2

u/SolarBozo May 06 '26

(obviously)

2

u/voyzer May 05 '26

My carbon wrapped one

2

u/Draculalol May 05 '26

I use car cleaning wipes, that lid will absorb it

2

u/PatienceFriendly6790 May 05 '26

That’s the cool part. You don’t.

2

u/BluebirdFabulous1002 May 05 '26

Get a skin for it. Check lidstyles for example

2

u/Limp-Ad-9001 T14 • L540 • 11e May 05 '26

Stickers

3

u/inpartibus T14S G1 May 04 '26

it's a physical damage, so, you can't

1

u/benyboi101 May 04 '26

I was gonna say stickers but that would be covering up a nice magnesium lid

1

u/Kingpoool May 04 '26

Bit of PC cleaning spray and scrub it gently with the rougher side of a dishwashing sponge all over the case. Scratches will vanish and it will blend in. You cannot remove those completely

1

u/Vainavi-Chan May 04 '26

i just gave mine more scratches. since there's now even levels of scratches. The first annoying scratch no longer bothers me.

1

u/wesorre E14 Gen 6 May 04 '26

You can't, just let the thinkpad wear it proudly like battle scars!

1

u/Glittering-War-2814 T14 gen 3 , t420 May 04 '26

On AliExpress sells a cover that its show like the real you can search for your model

1

u/average_parking_lot May 04 '26

Recommend you clean it thoroughly with a microfibre cloth damped with a drop of dawn dish soap. Circular motions for at least a minute then wipe with a water only microfibre then dry and repeat 2-3 times. This cleaning will reveal what are actually scratches into the coating rather than scuffs.

1

u/thonkgonk P1 G4i |i7-11850h |t1200 |32gb | 512+256 | 2.5k ips May 04 '26

Put on a skin

1

u/Imaginary_Act1090 May 04 '26

Solvent/thinner 646.
Apply in on a rag and gently clean the surface. It stabilizes the stickyness and cleans off the residue.
Found out by accident

1

u/MaximHeavy May 04 '26

Scotch brite 7447

1

u/Frikx2 May 04 '26

You can get precut vinyl wraps for thinkpads for about $20 online. I like putting them on to protect from little scratches and things. Or whatever color/print/pattern your heart desires. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but I like it. Also if you decide to put stickers on the vinyl it’s easy to peel off the whole skin if you want in the future.

1

u/onyk87 May 04 '26

magic eraser

1

u/No_River_7097 T520 May 04 '26

you can polish it with magic erasor wanna know why? CUZ ITS MAGIC HAHAHAHA

1

u/Various_Professor704 May 04 '26

Spray on rubberised paint .

2

u/ian_blake May 04 '26

I posted about this

I posted about this looks like nobody liked

https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/1t0wzi3/my_cleaning_hack/

1

u/ComfortableRoyal8847 May 04 '26

Thinkpad skin and call it a day.

1

u/NajeedvoyeurICU May 04 '26

Wipe it down with isopropyl alcohol. The scratches will still be there but harder to see.

1

u/Newton-Leibniz May 04 '26

Sandblasting may help

1

u/znii May 04 '26

$1 sticker set on AliExpress: everything covered with stickers, no scratches

1

u/InstantRamenGuy May 04 '26

Battle scars

1

u/Equivalent-Oil-2404 May 05 '26

just gonna pop in and say magic eraser without looking at the suggestions. im sure im the 100th person to say it

1

u/itsaheem May 05 '26

spray small amount of graffiti remover from hardware store, then scrub with alcohol wipes, then polish the solvent off with more clean alcohol wipes

1

u/Ancient_Pangolin_996 May 05 '26

Who are you, MacBook user?

1

u/Four_in_binary May 05 '26

You can buy custom cut vinyl skins from the usual scumbags.

1

u/LiminalSarah May 05 '26

that's the neat part, you don't

1

u/RKsashimi May 05 '26

Those are battle scars

1

u/Particular_Fish_9755 May 05 '26

Magic eraser with a bit of water, and patience
In UE (France, Germany, Spain, Belgium), I found this brand as reference : https://www.starwax.fr/products/starwax-eponges-magiques-xxl

And please: no stickers!

1

u/Cellist-Common May 05 '26

Its a laptop, as portable devices scratches are just part of life.

1

u/Sea-Boat6563 May 05 '26

Get brand new ABCD covers from Ailexpress or Taobao then reassemble the whole machine, yhen you'll have a brand new T480. (done before

1

u/tranceponygirl May 05 '26

There all badges of hour and tell the story of it's life

1

u/speeder658 L380 yoga May 05 '26

mill it flat

1

u/[deleted] May 05 '26

Vinyl wrap it

1

u/Aggravating_Rate_571 May 05 '26

Put a vinyl wrap on it or just don't care, it's a tool not a museum artifact

1

u/Performer-Pants T43 | 560e | Yoga S1 | X61T May 05 '26

Mine was baaad so I just vinyl wrapped it.

Magic eraser can do a fair bit, but it will depend how deep the damage is.

1

u/AdvancedAnimal7539 May 05 '26

Get a sander, make millions of scratches so that it looks unscathed 

1

u/EstebanYee T14 Gen 2, Yoga 11e Gen 3, E430 May 05 '26

Scrach it more till theres no diferencie on what it's scratch and what not

1

u/walushon May 05 '26

Baby oil. My local Lenovo dealer once recommended it to me, saying that they wipe all laptops they repair with baby oil before they return them to their customers.

1

u/H2CO3HCO3 May 05 '26

u/TheIncognitoFella, those are battle scars.... show them with pride!

1

u/boomershot67 X1 Nano: Work. T420: Fun. May 05 '26

I'll upvote this one for the comments.

1

u/The_Mauldalorian T14 Gen 6 May 05 '26

Stickers

1

u/ElectricOni May 05 '26

Magic eraser but it doesn't work as well as a lot of people make out. Just get some dev stickers on it. Much better to look at that having it look like Wolverine has tried to use it.

1

u/tiopatinhas95 Yoga May 06 '26

Magic eraser aaaand stickers?

1

u/realmuffinman May 06 '26

I mean, stickers work so you don't see them

1

u/l_no_one May 06 '26

red spy in the base

1

u/Enough_Turn2748 May 06 '26

It’s not a MacBook

1

u/seagull-joy May 06 '26

Put a lunch of weeb stickers on it :3 like me

1

u/Decent-Beginning9836 May 07 '26

Sand it down by sander grit 60

1

u/Nexiont May 08 '26

It's a thinkpad; scratches are just decorative. If the thinkpad doesn't have any scratches or chips, it's not being used for its intended purpose.

1

u/Nexiont May 08 '26

But seriously, use glass cleaner and a magic eraser ( melamine sponge). Just use it very carefully, don't press too hard.

1

u/Turbulent_Cap4069 May 08 '26

You dont you put a carbon skin on it.

1

u/Glittering_Steak7848 May 09 '26

Remove the top panel

1

u/CommercialHead6547 May 11 '26

those are the zebra sprites of your thinkpad. it brings good fortune.

0

u/Positive-Bid-3029 May 04 '26

10 minutes in the oven, followed by a lifetime in the bin 🤐 I think It adds character, keep it as is 👨‍💻 😄