HomePod Leaves Stains on Wooden Furniture; Apple Promises This Is Not Permanent
Recently, many HomePod users and reviews complained that Apple's new hardware seemed to be leaving stains on wooden furniture. However, the company promised that the discoloration can be removed after some time.
Just a little over a week since the official retail release of the HomePod, users started complaining that the Apple smart speaker left stains specifically on wooden types of furniture. It was later found that this was caused by the rubber silicon at the bottom of the HomePod that prevents it from slipping.
Apple actually talked about the issue in its page of tips on how to clean and maintain the smart speaker. "The marks can be caused by oils diffusing between the silicone base and the table surface," Apple explained.
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This was reiterated by an Apple representative in an email response to the New York Times' Wirecutter. In the statement, the company promised that the stain would "improve" a few days after the user moves the HomePod away from the wooden furniture.
However, Apple also advised users that if the oil stain does not fade on its own, they can wipe the stained surface "gently with a soft damp or dry cloth." In the event that this will not work, users may seek for the cleaning product that the furniture manufacturer recommends.
In Apple's HomePod maintenance and cleaning page, it seems that the smart speaker and wooden furniture just do not go well together as the company advised users to situate the HomePod "on a different surface."
Meanwhile, Tom's Guide reported that the same issue occurs with a Sonos One speaker. However, the Sonos One's rubber silicon that touches the surface is much smaller than the one on the HomePod, which goes all the way around the hardware and explains the bigger white ring stain.
In Pocket-lint's review, it also noted that the white ring stain appeared just after 20 minutes of placing and using the HomePod on wooden furniture.
As for the Sonos One, a representative told Tom's Guide that this was the "first time" it received this kind of report and added the company has started investigating the issue.
