Getting the yellow out?
#1
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Getting the yellow out?
Does anybody know of a good way to clean up video game systems (or other plastic hardware) that have been "yellowed" or am I just out of luck? I'm getting a very nice toy in the mail this week that was originally white but was listed as "slighty yellowed, as most this old are" and was just wondering what I could do to clean it up (if possible).
#2
DVD Talk Limited Edition
You're SOL.
When plastic goes yellow (like with the Super Nintendo) its the plastic itself, not something on it.
The best you can hope for is either painting it or buying another one.
When plastic goes yellow (like with the Super Nintendo) its the plastic itself, not something on it.
The best you can hope for is either painting it or buying another one.
#4
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Originally Posted by Groucho
I think it's a good idea to hit the pause button and get the yellow out at least every couple of hours each gaming session.
I was going to make an asian joke, but this tops anything I could hope to come up with.
#5
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Damn. I don't think it's TOO bad (the pictures looked pretty good) but I've got that collector's mentality of wanting something in the best possible condition.
#6
OK, maybe this will help. I saw a tip for getting the yellow/rust stains off of a sink. basically you get a paper towel wet with bleach and 'stick' it on the side of the sink. eventually it takes out the stain. Maybe this will only work with ceramic and could ruin plastic. Im not sure how bad bleach is for plastic.
#7
some reference: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf500711.tip.html
#8
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by Save Ferris
OK, maybe this will help. I saw a tip for getting the yellow/rust stains off of a sink. basically you get a paper towel wet with bleach and 'stick' it on the side of the sink. eventually it takes out the stain. Maybe this will only work with ceramic and could ruin plastic. Im not sure how bad bleach is for plastic.
#9
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by Save Ferris
some reference: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf500711.tip.html
#10
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
More than one of those suggestions involves placing in direct sunlight. *looks outside* Christ we've got plenty to go around.. I'm just not sure how comfortable I'd be leaving a $230 toy out in the sun.. and of course, Murphy's Law has decided that my apartment's balcony is covered by enough trees to keep sun from every getting there.
#11
Sunlight fades everything over time (just look at any old car dashboard). The heat/humidity might hurt it. The UV light is what fades things. Can you keep cool air blowing on the unit while the sunlight does its thing?
#13
I have an old reptile light bulb ($60 'mercury vapor bulb') and that thing put out WICKED UV rays. You put your hand under it and you FEEL your skin get irritated--not HEAT, but the UV rays boring into it!
#14
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
I got an interesting response elsewhere:
I have used this process on other plastics:
Step 1 Metal Polish
Step 2 Plastic Polish
Step 3 UV Resistant Protector.
The metal polish will remove a thin top layer of plastic. The plastic polish will then smooth out the top layer. Finally, the protectant with UV inhibitors will help prevent any future yellowing. I've also heard of using nail polish remover with acetone, or a car buffer in the place of the metal polish.
Just be sure to be careful of any decals or labels - anything that takes off a thin top layer of plastic will take off decals and labels as well.
Step 1 Metal Polish
Step 2 Plastic Polish
Step 3 UV Resistant Protector.
The metal polish will remove a thin top layer of plastic. The plastic polish will then smooth out the top layer. Finally, the protectant with UV inhibitors will help prevent any future yellowing. I've also heard of using nail polish remover with acetone, or a car buffer in the place of the metal polish.
Just be sure to be careful of any decals or labels - anything that takes off a thin top layer of plastic will take off decals and labels as well.
#16
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Yeah it seemed a little risky to me too. I've got some more information coming in though from a mailing list that deals specifically with this system; unfortunately I can't access the sites from work but apparently there are several suggestions and solutions on cleaning them up. If I get something to work I'll post it in case anybody here has an SNES they'd like to spruce up, since it was the most notorious US system to yellow-up.
#20
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Well, it came today.. sort of. I have to wait until tomorrow to pick it up at the post office. Torture I tell you, pure torture. After some snooping around this seems to be the best sounding method.. it came specifically from a forum dealing with these and more than one person reported success with it. Hopefully I can stop playing it long enough to do the cleaning!
Take the electronics out of the soon to be white case. take the 2 halves of the case and submerse them in a a bucket of common clothes washing soap like TIDE with color safe bleach. this should very diluted. soak for and hour and remove and scrub the surface with a tooth brush.. preferabley not yours.
Then next use a product called Clorox Gel. Its a mild bleach in a non abrasive form. intended for counter tops and such. put it on the tooth brush and scrub every where but do not sped time on the LOGO. Go around it for the msot part. It wont hurt the logo but its better to be safe than sorry. I was able to remove every bit of the yellow. I could not see any sign of age.
Then next use a product called Clorox Gel. Its a mild bleach in a non abrasive form. intended for counter tops and such. put it on the tooth brush and scrub every where but do not sped time on the LOGO. Go around it for the msot part. It wont hurt the logo but its better to be safe than sorry. I was able to remove every bit of the yellow. I could not see any sign of age.
#21
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Originally Posted by PixyJunket
#22
Retired
I assumed that's not a picture of the one he received given that he posted it before posting that his was at the post office waiting to be picked up.
Unless it's the ebay picture of the one he ordered.
Unless it's the ebay picture of the one he ordered.
#23
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by Josh Hinkle
I assumed that's not a picture of the one he received given that he posted it before posting that his was at the post office waiting to be picked up.
Unless it's the ebay picture of the one he ordered.
Unless it's the ebay picture of the one he ordered.
#24
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by Outlaw
oooooh nice! Doesn't look that yellow to me, but then again maybe its the lighting in the picture. Do you have Dracula X too?
Oh, and I'll be on the look-out for Dracula X. It's worth every inflated dollar it goes for.