Will Magic Eraser clean yellowed plastic? (2023)

FAQs

Can yellowed plastic be whitened? ›

Coat your yellowed plastic gadget and wrap it. In a nutshell, all you need to do is to coat the plastic (cleaned and dried, of course) evenly with the cream peroxide. Avoid having the cream coming in contact with your skin or eyes, as it can cause burns.

Use bleach - Bleach is easily available and is used as a whitening product. Mix 1 cup of bleach in 1 cup of water. Apply this solution pon your plastic items and let it sit for two hours. After this, you can rinse the plastic with soap and water thoroughly.

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

Hydrogen peroxide is a popular liquid for removing stains from anything from clothing to teeth, so it will also work on your yellowing appliances. Here's what to do: Coat the yellowed plastic in hydrogen peroxide using a clean cloth (if it is a big appliance like a microwave) and leave for an hour or so.

Why Plastic Is Yellowing? Plastic yellowing often occurs when polymer chains degrade. This happens either in the presence of oxygen and UV light (photooxidation) or in sufficient heat (thermal oxidation). As a result, “yellow bodies” are created that impart yellow coloration.

On plastic, it would perfectly be fine as long as it's not the industrial 35% grade.

Julie Philips added: “I use bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar. Apply the paste to the toilet seat and leave it to sit for between 10 and 30 minutes. “Scrub the stains, then wipe the toilet seat with a cloth dipped in clean, warm water. If any stains remain, repeat the process.

Hydrogen Peroxide: fill a spray bottle with 3-percent hydrogen peroxide. Let the solution sit for 10-15 minutes and then wipe the tub down with a damp sponge. You can repeat these steps until the yellow staining disappears.

Although chlorine bleach is known for its whitening properties, it contains chemicals that may produce pale yellow stains on objects. Plastic surfaces, such as serving bowls and acrylic bathtubs, are susceptible to yellow streaks when exposed to chlorine bleach for extended periods.

Fortunately, you can easily remove oxidation with sandpaper, vinegar, or a bleach solution. Plastic that has faded to a yellow or brown color was made with bromine, which causes the plastic to change color over time. However, you can reverse bromine discoloration with hydrogen peroxide.

How do you whiten yellowed plastic light covers? ›

Soaking your light covers in bleach for several hours should turn them white again, but if the bleach does not work, using a little elbow grease to sandpaper out the yellow spots is also an option. Whatever you decide, your light covers will be restored back to the beauty they deserve to be.

Lemon, vinegar, and baking soda are all natural cleaners that will lift discoloration from plastic.

Here are my thoughts about using hydrogen peroxide to clean yellowed tupperware, plastic utensils, and stained plastic dishes: Be patient. Use 3% hydrogen peroxide, but expect that it may take more than one attempt to get the stains off. Give the peroxide time to work.

Just take a damp cloth, and sprinkle a good amount of baking soda on it. Wipe the cloth along the appliance, particularly in any yellowing areas. Then wipe the area again with a clean, wet cloth to rinse off the residue.

Simply make a thick-ish paste of warm water and baking soda and rub it into the inside the container. Let it sit for at least one day, then rinse it out thoroughly. Continue until no stains remain and the container smells fresh.

Traditional cleaners such as Windex, Formula 409, or denatured alcohol can cause irreparable damage to clear plastic.

Even though it may seem like a good idea to clean and remove scuff marks on plastic with rubbing alcohol, it can crack and discolor acrylic and plastic. The result: A damaged item with a crack or hole that can serve as a breeding ground for bacteria.

Yes, it is corrosive to plastic. It does not eat up the plastic in one go (we are assuming you are using the diluted bleach or bleach water as the cleaning agent), but the damage it would create is definite.

Apply lye solution (1/4 tsp of lye into a cup of water) with a brush, > wait a few minutes, rinse (water spray again) and mop dry.

Baking soda paste forms a cleaning solution that can not only clean your toilet seat but also the toilet bowl and lid. Baking soda, however, doesn't remove the bacteria, so homeowners may still want to clean the seat after with white vinegar as it has disinfectant properties.

How do you clean yellowed plastic shower seals? ›

Lubey Lou said: “Take it off, rinse off loose dirt then soak in sterilising fluid or bleach for an hour or two. “Use an old toothbrush to scrub in all the crevices then rinse off and reattach.” Most households own bleach, but for those who don't, it can be bought online or from local supermarkets.

Yellow turns to white or off-white when bleached.

Chlorine bleach can be used on cotton fabrics that have yellowed due to storage issues. Always follow product directions, and don't use too much bleach. Check the label for directions concerning water temperature, too. Some chlorine bleach formulas (non-U.S.) only work in cold water, and heat inactivates them.

So in other words, you get yellow, orange or brassy hair after bleaching because you did not lighten enough. Lighten more, all the way to level 10 palest yellow, and most of your yellow hair problems will vanish away.

Although sunlight normally discolors plastic, it can reverse damage as long as your item is coated in hydrogen peroxide cream. A table or a stone surface is a great place to stick your item. Make sure it won't be disturbed there.

Luckily, bringing out the plastic's natural luster is easily done. By rubbing olive oil or using a heat gun on the faded area, you can help your plastic look as good as new. And, if all else fails, you can always use black spray paint to give your plastic a sleek shine again.

CLEAR UP CLOUDY PLASTIC

A better remedy for the haze, though, is a dab of olive oil. Pour a few drops on a lint-free cloth and rub the oil into the affected area. Continuing buffing the surface for a few minutes, and the cloudiness will disappear leaving the plastic looking good as new.

CAN WD-40 BE USED TO RESTORE PLASTIC? Yes, WD-40® Specialist Silicone Lubricant can be used on plastic to help with restoring fading. WD-40® is actually safe* to use on metal, rubber, wood and plastic. It can also be applied to some painted metal surfaces without harming the paint.

Use a nonabrasive, all-purpose cleaner. Rinse with clean water and dry with a clean, soft cloth. Avoid using abrasive cleanser that may scratch the plastic. Use a tub/tile/sink cleaner; nonabrasive, all-purpose cleaner; or a paste of baking soda and water.

Baking soda paste is a great disinfectant that can clean plastics. It can also remove the typical liquid stains previously mentioned. Baking soda paste needs to be mixed with water. Apply directly to the discolored areas of the plastic container.

How do you whiten yellowed plastic with UV light? ›

This is the step where the whitening takes place. Place the plastic pieces under the sun and leave them there for at least a day. It's the UV rays from the sun that in combination with the hydrogen peroxyde will make yellowed plastic white again.

The plastic and glass surfaces on most small kitchen appliances, such as blenders, coffee makers, and toasters, are safe to clean with vinegar, but you want to avoid any rubber parts or metal that vinegar can corrode. This includes stainless steel.

For yellowing, there is a technique called retr0brite that has proven successful, and essentially involves using MORE UV light to break apart the bromine-oxygen bonds. Hydrogen peroxide is then used to get in there and fill the broken bonds with hydrogen, making the bromine more stable and reversing the yellowing.

If you've got white plastic that's faded to yellow, you can actually restore it with hydrogen peroxide! Tape off or cover any colored areas with some clear tape or masking tape so they're protected. Use a 12% hydrogen peroxide cream instead of the liquid and brush an even layer over the area.

White Vinegar and Baking Soda

A spray bottle filled with baking soda-vinegar solution does wonders for cleaning plastic shower doors. Just spritz, leave until dried, and wipe those stains away! Textured floors are more difficult to clean as dirt builds up in the nooks and crannies.