How To Clean Plastic That Turned Yellow

Elaine asked: How do I clean yellowed plastic to make it white again?

White plastic turns yellow over time due to a chemical reaction that occurs when it is exposed to light, oils, etc. There are a couple of different ways to get rid of this discoloration, ranging from easy to more difficult. Look through the methods to find one that works best on your particular project. Some are more practical for larger projects, while others are ideal for smaller pieces. If your plastic turned yellow from bleach or food coloring, those are actually dye stains. For those, use our guide How to Clean Food Dyes from Plastics.

Bleach Method

You Will Need:

• Chlorine bleach
• Water
• Bucket or large bowl
• Gloves
• Paper towels
• A spray bottle

Steps to Whiten the Plastic:

1. Fill a bucket or large bowl with one part bleach and one part water. Fill it enough so that it will cover the yellowed pieces when they are submerged. Or, if the item cannot be submerged, only make a small batch.
2. If the items cannot be submerged in the bucket, put on gloves, then soak paper towels with the bleach solution and cover the yellowed plastic with the wet paper towels. Press the paper towels firmly against the surface of the plastic and let them stay there until the plastic has whitened. Re-wet the paper towels with the bleach solution as needed to keep them moist. This can easily be done by putting the solution in a spray bottle, just be sure not to let the solution spray onto any surrounding areas or it may bleach them as well.
3. If the items can be submerged, then put them into the bucket or bowl.
4. Allow the items to soak until they return to the original white color.
5. When they have reached the desired level of white, remove from the solution and rinse with clean water.
6. Wash with a mild detergent and allow the pieces to air dry completely.

Sanding Method

You Will Need:

• Superfine sandpaper
• Water
• Soft cloth

Steps to Whiten the Plastic:

1. For this method, the goal is to lightly sand off the top layer of the plastic that is discolored to reveal a new, white layer.
2. Begin by wiping down the plastic piece completely.
3. Rub the superfine sandpaper over the surface to remove the yellowed portions.
4. When finished, wipe with a moist cloth to remove any dust.

Comet Method

You Will Need:

• Comet
• Water
• Bucket or large bowl
• Dish detergent
• Scrubbing sponge

Steps to Whiten the Plastic:

1. Start by moistening the plastic pieces.
2. Place some Comet cleaner on the scrubbing sponge and start scrubbing.
3. This requires plenty of elbow grease and time, but will take the yellow out with some scrubbing.
4. When the yellow is removed, wash the piece in water and dish detergent.
5. Rinse completely with clean water and allow it to dry.

Peroxide Method

You Will Need:

• Hydrogen peroxide (the regular 3% kind)
• Oxy laundry booster
• Sunshine or UV light
• Water
• Bucket or large bowl
• Rubber gloves
• Goggles

Steps to Whiten the Plastic:

1. Begin by protecting yourself with rubber gloves and goggles.
2. Fill the bucket with hydrogen peroxide.
3. Add ¼ teaspoon of Oxy laundry booster for each gallon of peroxide.
4.  If the items can be soaked, place them into the solution and allow them to soak. If they cannot be soaked, wet a paper towel with the solution, squeeze it out so that it's not dripping, flatten it out again, and press it against the item. It should stick in place on it's own, but if not, you can cover it with plastic wrap and tape the plastic wrap in place.
5. The soaking time will vary with most pieces whitening in 2-6 hours. The mixture will last for up to four days before it needs to be replaced.
6. Set the items under a UV light or out in the sunshine.
7. When the item has reached the desired whiteness, remove and rinse thoroughly to remove any remaining cleaning product residue.
8. If necessary, wash with dish detergent and water.

Additional Tips and Ideas

• While bleach can be an effective color remover, it may weaken the plastic over time.
• Painting the plastic pieces (if they're not food storage containers) with a clear acrylic varnish will help prevent them from turning yellow again.
• For plastic pieces that are discolored from food dyes, see our article about How to Clean Food Dyes from Plastics.
• For additional information about removing stains from plastic food containers, see our article about How to Clean Plastic Food Containers.

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How To Clean Plastic That Turned Yellow

Source: https://www.howtocleanstuff.net/how-to-whiten-yellowed-plastic/

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