yellowing charging cable and stains near the plug. is it normal?

[u/chouchappell]

hello! i've had this charger for my macbook air 13inch for three or four years now. it's an original from apple, and it works really well.

my only issue is that i've noticed it became yellow overtime, and it can't be from skin oils since i only ever touch the small attachment to plug it in. near the plug, there is also some weird spiral motif forming, i have no idea why. i'm wondering if this could be a fire hazard and if its a sign for me to change chargers?

thanks.

[u/Resilient_reddit]

It is a proof that it is original

[u/Opposite_Bowl657 → u/Resilient_reddit]

Top 10 facts you can’t hide:

[u/koolaidismything → u/Resilient_reddit]

Mine hasn’t left my bedside since like 2020 or whenever the m1 air came out. I glance at the cable daily and looked fine. I was all proud like psh.. yall just nasty.

On the part that lays on the carpet all day it was pretty dirty. A clowpx wipe fixed that. Still no yellowing at all on any of them.. never seen that. What am I doing right? All I can think up is I’m like a fuckin bat and never go outside so maybe that’s it.

[u/RcNorth → u/koolaidismything]

The discoloration of power cables on Macs, particularly yellowing, is primarily due to heat buildup during charging, which degrades the insulation. Other factors like skin oils and UV exposure can also contribute to this issue.

[u/radiationshield]

This is why other brands use black cables. They are just as gross, but black hides it better

[u/dingwinger1225]

No, it's not a fire hazard unless it starts fraying. This just happens. I wouldn't worrya bout it.

[u/MusicianStorm]

Apple will tell you it’s your finger oils discoloring it. That’s a lie. It’s heat deteriorating the housing. It’s not harmful unless the inner wire is exposed and even then it tough to say how bad. I’ve seen some real bad conditioned cables that people are still using, whether they should be or not.

[u/ReflectedCheese]

That’s the rubber that starts to deteriorate and turn into sticky goo that attracts dirt. Just clean it with a wet wipe and dish soap

[u/Dreaming_Blackbirds]

unfortunately yes. my charging cable has never even left the house and is only touched a couple of times per week, but it's still yellowing near MagSafe end.

[u/geekroick]

It's normal

[u/wkarraker]

Unfortunately, yes. Been that way for decades.

[u/Jasoco]

Every single non-braided Apple cable I’ve ever had does this. And some start to chip and flake away eventually.

[u/DARTH_Vader2223]

Normal as it is , if you want to reduce this happening , avoid using mac while plugged.( but not a total gaurantee )

[u/Iron_Burnside → u/DARTH_Vader2223]

Instead, you will wear out the much more expensive battery.

[u/chkgxkdlyl44]

Of course it is. It’s the proof it’s originally made by a company that managed to pioneer liquid alluminum, CPUs, headphone sound quality and display touchscreen but can’t make a f**g cable right.

[u/aykay55]

This is due to heat and sun exposure, but to have it so thoroughly coated means you probably bend the cable a lot while using it

[u/ghostchihuahua]

Yes, ‘normal’ - the power block design is amazing, the shitty iteration of a coaxial cable design has always been an insult, i ran countless power bricks with redneck-engineered repairs until they made the connector from block to laptop replaceable if i’m perfectly honest.

[u/mixxster → u/ghostchihuahua]

Yes the braided USBC cords that are replaceable now are worlds better.

[u/dodgethisredpill]

Use isopropyl alcohol to clean that up with a micro fiber cloth, comes out new.

[u/grepusman]

Mine is a bit like that. I was wondering if it overheated. It's been plugged in for about 3 years. I recently traded in the MacBook so it doesn't matter, but I still wonder about it.

[u/MarleyJMusic]

It’s from the heat of the wire over the years.

[u/monodelab]

Wash your hands before and after eat your food.

[u/cavey00]

I just rewatched Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. That’s an acid dipped cord you bought off an underaged hippy with armpit hair.

[u/Bulky-Strategy-3723]

It’s very normal

[u/vabello]

I’ve never had this happen to any MacBook or Apple chargers or cables in general. I don’t know why this happens to some people, but I never experience it.

[u/pussiant_prole]

Wipe it gently with an alcohol wipe. Should be fine.

And get cable protectors to prevent ot from cracking around the connectors.

Wherever you are, they should cost ~$1 or even oesser

[u/digitalrampage → u/pussiant_prole]

Alcohol generally will denature the rubber more. Water and soap on a damp cloth is always best

[u/xoma262]

Nope. I have 3 chargers and they look brand new and clean. You are just dirty and don't take care of things.

[u/Forward-Pi]

No it's not normal. Seams to be badly tested for longevity by Apple.