How do I get yellowed appliances white again? For example, the cover of bathroom vent/fans and smoke detectors?
Karen from WI
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Yellowed plastics can be renewed by coating them in a pastey form of hydrogen peroxide and exposing it to ultraviolet light, either an indoor source you buy (UVA bulb)and set up or simply direct sunlight. Regular hydrogen peroxide solution you get at the grocery store is really weak and very liquidy leading to lots of wasted solution.. A stronger and not too drippy alternative is hydrogen peroxide hair dye developer which can be cheaply acquired at a drug store and stays where you put it on the plastic.
You can't use this on anything where you aren't able to remove the plastic parts from other electronic or electric parts.
Remember the key is ultraviolet light exposure after application of the hydrogen peroxide.
Do this with appropriate gloves, eye protection and ventilation.
Rinse well after treatment.
For an awesome explanation of this process on an old famicom see: www.retrofixes.com/
Hi,
First, take them down and clean them really well.
Still yellow?
Try soaking in bleach water.
Still yellow?
Use some Krylon paint for plastic and spray paint them white again.
"FIREFIGHTER" - with ALL DUE RESPECT - is wrong!
Because the plastic is yellow does not make the smoke-detector bad!
It MIGHT BE BAD, because it is OLD.... but NOT because it is YELLOW..
If the plastic is yellow from age, sun or heat exposure , and has become brittle or crumbly, there's not much you can do without chemically melting & reforming the plastic. (you don't want to do this. ever.)
Like the previous poster said, you CAN paint it, but make sure you use a plastic-bonding paint (like Krylon Fusion) or it'll unevenly flake off and look bad. But if the yellowing is only on the surface, and is due to chemicals (aerosol, hair spray, cleaner fumes) smoke, or dirt, you can clean it with bleach & water. Some plastics can be cleaned with isopropyl or denatured alcohol. Spot test first to be sure.
Also, yellowing or clouding on some acrylic or more expensive items can be buffed with a super-fine steel wool or polishing compound to make them clear. Exampels would be those expensive room light covers and car headlight covers. Be careful to spot check, and use the finest abrasive you can find, though, 'cos these things scratch.
sea-glow
Editors Note: This is a product that is marketed for marine, RV and auto use.
Yellowed plastics can be renewed by coating them in a pastey form of hydrogen peroxide and exposing it to ultraviolet light, either an indoor source you but and set up or direct sunlight. Regular hydrogen peroxide solution you get at the grocery store is really weak and very liquidy leading to lots of wasted solution.. A stronger and not too drippy alternative is hydrogen peroxide hair dye developer which can be cheaply acquired at a drug store and stays where you put it on the plastic.
You can't use this on anything where you aren't able to remove the plastic parts from other electronic or electric parts.
Remember the key is ultraviet light exposure after application of the hydrogen peroxide.
Do this with appropriate gloves, eye protection and ventilation.
Rinse well after treatment.
For a good explanation see: www.retrofixes.com/
Smoke detectors need to be replaced regularly (commonly every 10 years). Mine has gone yellow over time (after 5 / 7 years?), which perhaps helps as a reminder to replace them in due course.
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