how to clean clear plastic that has yellowed

How to Clean Yellowed Fluorescent Light Covers. If the Lucite piece is small enough to fit in a bowl, soak the plastic in the peroxide overnight. Why Your Phone Get Hot? Use a nylon scouring brush to clean the plastic. Rinse again until you have a clean shower curtain. I do convert the pieces from food use to craft use. In order to clean your plastic with salt, rub it into the stain with a damp cloth until the discoloration begins to fade. 1. Spray the bleach on the surface, apply the paper towels, and then spray the bleach again. Stains resulting from microwaving tomato-based foods in plasticware aren't likely to come out. Then wipe down the top layer of the plastic with very fine sandpaper. This process to remove yellow from yellowed plastic can takes some manual labor, but it does work on plastics that are white. Rinse your sponge with hot water and wipe down the area to remove excess soap. I soaked them in OC for 10 minutes and they turned white again. How Often Should I Wash My Plastic Shower Curtain? Other common reasons for the yellowing include stains that have sat on the plastic for a long time. Use circular motions all around the surface of the plastic. Required fields are marked *, 7337 Austin St 9A-D When it reaches the desired appearance, rinse the plastic thoroughly. You must identify why does the plastic turn yellow and apply the right solution to restore and clean it. By using our site, you agree to our. 4. Thanks for the tips! Clear phone cases are generally made with a type of plastic or plexiglass, depending on the specific case.If you’re willing to spend a little more the plexiglass is generally a little nicer and it’s going to retain the clean look for longer. There are many ways you can try to tackle these stains, such as soaking the plastic in bleach, rubbing alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide. Test the bleach out on a small section of the plastic before covering it entirely to make sure it doesn’t harm the plastic in any way. Cover the stains in rubbing alcohol to dissolve them. Maybe posted here before but not sure I haven't searched. Although quite harsh, bleach is one of the best chemicals to clean plastic that have been yellowed over time. Even a piece of metal I had used every metal polish known to man came clean … Use a towel to soak up some of your new sodium acetate solution. First, clean any dust, hair, and dirt off the plastic with plain ol’ water. Pour some hydrogen peroxide onto a soft cloth. The downside is that when bromine is exposed to ultraviolet or UV rays from the sun, it tends to break down and work its way to the surface. Move any furniture or other objects located underneath the light cover to ... 2. Susan Stocker runs and owns Susan’s Green Cleaning, the #1 Green Cleaning Company in Seattle. If the item is too large or has areas that cannot be soaked, then dip paper towels into the solution and apply them to the surface of the plastic. You can focus on the areas that are yellowed or wipe down all of the plastic depending on its size. "I had to use a combination of spraying with peroxide and baking soda paste to make it work. That will help with the smell of the bleach, and the sun will remove some of the stains. If you would rather try scrubbing the stain instead of soaking it, try using lemon juice, salt, or a baking soda paste to remove the yellow stain. Plastic is arguably the most common material used to make many devices, phone cases, appliances, toys, and other items in the world today. Take off the light cover carefully. Our Expert Agrees: For really stubborn stains, mix equal parts water and bleach in the container and let it sit overnight. Alcohol. If the yellow stains are in a plastic container, you can pour rubbing alcohol into it and let the rubbing alcohol sit for a few minutes. A small spill of a beverage, food, or oil that was not fully removed may cause that area of the plastic to turn yellow over time. Whether they're from foods, sunlight, or chemical reactions, yellow stains often show up on plastic. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. What is the difference between granite and marble? ". Mix the solution together. You will need the following to remove yellow from plastic. Retro-obsessed geeks have created a cheap, homemade solution for restoring old plastic. Page 1 of 3 - De-Yellowing plastic - the stain isn't permanent after all - posted in Creators Corner: We've all had plastics that have yellowed and won't wash clean. Clear away furniture and other objects from underneath the light cover. Dry the yellowed silicone with a paper towel. If you don’t have rubbing alcohol, you can also use hand sanitizer the same way. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. After you've scrubbed the stain, rinse the paste off with warm water. How to Whiten a Yellowed Plastic Tub Surround. You should fill the bucket just enough so the plastic item can be submerged. Rinse the piece of plastic with soap and water after pouring out the rubbing alcohol. Steps to Remove the Yellow Discoloration: Begin by cleaning the plastic well by applying a small amount of the plastic cleaner on a foam pad. The finer the sandpaper, the better as it will not scratch the surface. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Your email address will not be published. Sometimes it's just a pale gray mouse or keyboard slowly going beige; sometimes it looks like a severe "nicotine staining" and we assume there must be a smoker in that household (I've known nonsmokers to overestimate the … And if the bromine is not cleared away, it will eventually turn brown. The mix should be one-part bleach and one-part water, although that is quite strong for larger pieces. Clean yellowed plastic starts by lightly rubbing the surface with a soft cloth to remove any loose particles. Obviously, the toothpaste can easily clean the tea stains or coffee stains of the tea cup, and even remove the small scratches on the surface of the mobile phone, but from the actual test, the toothpaste can not clean the yellow stains off the phone case. Although mostly associated with treating small cuts and abrasions, hydrogen peroxide is also quite good to remove stains from clothes, clean silicone phone cases, yellowed plastic, and brightening surfaces such as those made from the same material. Item #1: a blue plastic strainer, stained around the bottom, probably from some fruit like cherries. If you decide to use lemon juice, cut a lemon in half and rub it on the affected area. If you’re treating some sort of plastic mechanism, make sure you remove all the parts that aren’t plastic before putting it into the hydrogen peroxide. This process also leaves a nice fresh scent in the bathroom. Use a toothbrush to scrub the solution over the phone case. Acrylic or plexiglass is one of the popular materials used in commercial and residential products — and for a good reason. We know because we've been manufacturing acrylic displays for over 40 years. Once the stain is covered in juice, take the item outside and let it sit in the sun for a few hours before rinsing it. Rub the solution onto the headlight lens. You can help prevent plastics that contain bromine from yellowing if you keep them away from UV rays or out of the sunlight. Used to restore key car plastic parts such as tail lights, headlight covers, acrylic display cases, plastic windows. If you’re trying to remove stains from a piece of plastic that can’t hold liquids, pour the white vinegar mixture into a container and then set the piece of plastic inside. You will need the following. How To Clean Clear Phone Case That Turned Yellow?. Step 2 Rub the peroxide onto the surface of the plastic. Pour hydrogen peroxide over the plastic and scrub with the brush. Novus plastic polishing system for professional results. Toothpaste works on our teeth because it is mildly … 1. This requires plenty of elbow grease and time, but will take the yellow out with some scrubbing. You can also use an old toothbrush to scrub the hydrogen peroxide onto the plastic, if desired. References. Continue scrubbing in circular motions until dirt and grime is removed. To remove yellow stains from plastic, try scrubbing it with common household items, like lemon juice, salt, or baking soda. Allow to soak for 15-30min, scrub stains with a soft toothbrush. You have all been there. She is well known in the region for outstanding customer service protocols — winning the 2017 Better Business Torch Award for Ethics & Integrity —and her energetic support of fair wages, employee benefits, and green cleaning practices. This article has been viewed 138,168 times. Make sure you spread the lemon juice into the nooks and crannies of a stained piece of plastic, such as the yellowing marks on a cutting board. If the stain didn't come off, you can reapply the same liquid and follow the same process, or you can try out a different method to see if it works better. But first, you have to know what causes, and why does the plastic turn yellow. Nobody wants an ugly yellow light switch. Hydrogen peroxide will help to lighten the yellowed areas significantly. A magic eraser can sometimes work on yellow stains, as do many cleaning powders. The oxygen that makes up part of the peroxide will lift the yellow from the surface. Dry it off with a rag when you’re done. I have older plastic lens covers on my car’s headlamps, and they have yellowed. A simple cleaning solution and instructions are as follows: Make a mixture of one cup of warm water (or 240ml) and a few drops of dish soap. You will need the following items. The containers are often semi-opaque, waterproof and bug proof, and easy to label. Clean the Lens Alcohol has excellent cleaning … You have probably seen this yourself, especially with older plastic items that have not been cleaned in a long time or have been left out in the sun. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Answering that question will help you avoid yellowing with many plastic items you have in the future. Bromine is a flame retardant that was used in many plastic casings, especially ABS casings used on old video games and other devices made decades ago. How to Clean Your Headlights with Household Items. https://foodal.com/knowledge/cleaning/11-ways-remove-stains-plastic/, https://www.familyhandyman.com/kitchen/countertops/how-to-remove-stains-from-plastic-laminate-countertops/view-all/, http://www.momables.com/how-to-remove-stains-from-plastic-containers/, http://www.retrofixes.com/2013/10/how-to-clean-whiten-yellowed-plastics.html, https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/removing-stains-from-plastic-cutting-boards, http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/techniques/how-to-remove-turmeric-stains-on-plastic, Remover Manchas Amarelas de Recipientes Plásticos, retirer des taches jaunes sur du plastique, प्लास्टिक पर लगे पीले निशानों को हटाएँ (Remove Yellow Stains from Plastic), consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. To learn how to clean plastic by soaking it in vinegar, keep reading! The vinegar smell will disappear once the plastic is washed and left to dry. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/54\/Remove-Yellow-Stains-from-Plastic-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Remove-Yellow-Stains-from-Plastic-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/54\/Remove-Yellow-Stains-from-Plastic-Step-1.jpg\/aid10102156-v4-728px-Remove-Yellow-Stains-from-Plastic-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"