Brasso, a metal polish
that works on most iPods
and other polycarbonate plastics.

Brasso is a metal polisher. It is actually a very mild abrasive. (It is made of petroleum distillates and silica. The distillates are just the medium; the silica does the work.) It is so mild it polishes. It is designed for metal, but it works just as well on polycarbonate plastic, such as the cases of the iPod, iPod nano, iPod shuffle, even iBook. (Brasso is not recommended for aluminum, according to the container, and so should not be used on the iPod mini or aluminum PowerBooks; you could try something specifically recommended as aluminum polish. However, Brasso does work on the shiny metal back of the iPod and iPod nano.)

You will also need a soft, lint-free cloth. Microfiber cloths used for cleaning LCD screens and camera lenses work well, but a corner of an old t-shirt is fine. Do not use paper of any kind; paper can be too abrasive and may add scratches!

Just put a dab of polish on the scratched area and rub with the cloth. You will have to rub a lot, and rub longer the deeper the scratch. This is by design--if Brasso were any more abrasive, it would scratch rather than polish.

THREE RULES THAT AVOID MAKING IT WORSE

Some people have complained that using Brasso results in fine swirl marks clouding the surface. I have not had this problem, but here are THREE RULES for best results:

1. Only use a soft, clean cloth. NEVER paper, NOT EVEN facial tissues (e.g., Kleenex). Paper contains fiber that may scratch your iPod more. microfiber is best; a soft cotton handkerchief; lens cloth (not lens paper) for cameras also good. Don't grab any old rag from the rag pile, as any dirt or hard fibers in the cloth will scratch. (This is the same advice your optician will give you for care of plastic eyeglasses .)
2. Vary your rubbing pattern as you go. For example, do not rub in a simple circle in the same place for the entire time. Just like sanding wood, even a light abrasive will show swirl marks if you keep rubbing the same spot the same way. Spiral around the entire surface to be polished in a random manner.
3. Brasso is intended to work best on light scratches. Deep gouges take more rubbing, and hard, concentrated rubbing on a single deep scratch may make violation of rule #2 more likely. Don't try to rub out every deep scratch completely. Use Brasso to takeout light scuff and scratches, and diminish deeper blemishes, but don't expect it to grind out everything.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

My scratched iPod before Brasso polish.
I scratched my iPod 30GB Video (5th generation). Not on purpose, mind you. It was more of a scuff with some deeper scratches. It looked like a smudge that would not wipe off. (It is difficult to photograph the scratches.)

Preparing to polish
I purchased an 8 oz bottle of Brasso at the local WalMart. It was about $3.00. I already had a microfiber cloth on hand.

Brasso liquid
The Brasso polish is a tan liquid. It has fumes, but they weren't too bad. They had a smell that reminded me of ammonia and paint thinner. I used such small amounts that the odor quickly dispersed in the big room I worked in, though sensitive people will likely want ventilation.

iPod during polishing
A little dab went a long way. I avoided the clickwheel; a little of the Brasso did get on the clickwheel but wiped off easily with no damage. I rubbed in little circles with same corner of the cloth I used to dab the Brasso. The liquid evaporated quickly, leaving a smear of abrasive that I continued to rub.

iPod after polishing
I rubbed for five minute stretches, then checked my progress. I wiped off all the Brasso with a clean microfiber cloth. It wiped off easily. It took about 15 minutes of continuous rubbing to get the iPod into the condition pictured. I was able to repair most of the scuff; a deeper scratch that was within the scuff remains, but it is much less evident. It would need some more rubbing. But the visually distracting scuff is all but gone, and I was satisfied with that for now.

iPOD POLISHING TIPS

• It takes a while. Just trust me and keep rubbing.
• Brasso does have fumes that may bother some. Use it with plenty of ventilation.
• Brasso works for the smooth parts of your iPod. Any matte-finish, textured parts, such as the click wheel on the iPod nano, the on/off switch on the iPod shuffle may get stained using this method. I recommend keeping the polish away from any non-shiny parts of your iPod.
• This also works on the screen and the shiny back of the iPod and iPod nano.
• Works on Compact Discs and DVD's too--most hard, smooth, shiny plastics!

FEEDBACK

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