I had a mishap with an apple in my backpack along with my laptop, and it ended up smashing and making a mess around the charging port and some other ports. I did my best to clean it using a toothpick, and surprisingly, it worked fine last night. However, this morning, my laptop won't charge at all and only works on battery. I'm wondering if the remnants of the apple might be causing this issue.
3 Answers
Funny enough, you can't get any juice from your laptop right now! The previous commenter has given you solid advice about using isopropyl alcohol. Just stay away from sticking hard objects in the port as you might cause more damage.
At least you had an apple and not a banana; that wouldn’t have helped your MagSafe!
What about bananas, though?
First off, make sure to completely power down your laptop before you do any cleaning. You shouldn’t leave it on. Grab a flashlight to inspect the charging port for any shiny wet spots, brown sticky residues, or dried flakes. A toothpick alone won't cut it for sticky sugars. You should use 90 to 99% isopropyl alcohol with a soft brush or a cotton swab—it evaporates quickly and will help dissolve the sugar. Gently clean inside and around the port, then let it dry for about 30 to 60 minutes. If you have another charger or cable, try that too!
Thanks for the tip!
Can you also unscrew the back to check and disconnect the battery? It might help you see if any goo got inside.
That urge is so tempting, though!