I wouldn't have said it if it wasn't true. True as in "science" not "opinion", hydrogen peroxide is a weak acid and it reacts with the bromine in the plastic that causes the yellowing. Obviously the type of plastic and the strength of the hydrogen peroxide comes into play. I would think that it was fine to do what people are doing BUT as I said, a word of caution for people who are doing this.
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Yellowing old consoles - The Solution.
- Thread starter D.Lo
- Start date
Skel1ingt0n
I can't *believe* these lazy developers keep making file sizes so damn large. Btw, how does technology work?
Wow! Bookmarked! Thanks!
D.Lo
Member
I may have a solution for you, I used a nail buffer (note: not nail file - yes more beauty products) to buff off the blooming on a PCE Duo RX.
It's a very very fine abrasive, and leaves the surface shiny.
The blooming is very much on the surface, so it takes it off almost instantly.
That said, it will also take off any text. You could protect the text with tape then do the rest.
D.Lo
Member
it is reacting, and yes technically it is an acid using the oh group to cause a reaction. But I mean it's not dissolving the plastic in any obvious way - that would mean the surface was removed and you'd be left with a residue solution of the peroxide and a surface layer. Which doesn't appear to be the case from what I've read or experienced. It's mode like it 'leaches' the bromine out.
What I mean is I t's not like 'turpentine on polystyrene', it doesn't remove the surface layer. Hence paint on the surface survives unscathed, and untreated parts remain the same surface height and texture.
It's not "technically" an acid, it is an acid. it does dissolve the plastic and exactly the same process is used to dissolve surgical stitching.
There's no maybe or technically about it, irrelevant of whether it is visible to you or not, chemically that is exactly what is happening.
D.Lo
Member
*sigh* I never said it wasn't an acid, I agreed, technically = actually.
However, according to what I've read it does not dissolve the plastic. It removes surface traces of an additive to the plastic (bromine) while leaving the substance of the plastic entirely intact.
This article (and the one linked in the OP) suggests the UV causes the surface bromine to become vulnerable to liberation, which the oxygen takes away. Therefore it works on an atomic level, not a molecular one.
If you can prove otherwise, please do.
And the actual point I was making is that there is no visible dissolution of the plastic in any way.
EDIT; Apologies, I don't mean to come off as argumentative, or pretend I'm an expert. I'm just relaying what I've read and my experiences.
Interesting. I did try a magic eraser (same thing, basically very fine abrasive) but no dice. I think they are well and truly gone but no big loss as the console was ugly as all hell to begin with.
I'm trying out something new today, wrapping in glad wrap to stop it drying out! I will post here with results if it's successful. Just testing it out to begin with on a Super Famicom cart shell which I'm planning to use for my new Super Everdrive. It's only slightly yellow but it would be nice to have it back to new looking. Watch this space...
How well does this method work at cleaning analog sticks, particularly the somewhat rubbery ones found on the Wii and Wii U? I'm thinking of getting a white Wii U Pro Controller, and knowing that there's something I could use to keep it clean would be nice, if only for peace of mind.
Is it the same kind of yellowing do you think? Not just grime?
Coulomb_Barrier
Member
Wow interesting stuff op.
Got some kids toys that have yellowed (blue turning greenish).
Got some kids toys that have yellowed (blue turning greenish).
Well, this worked quicker than I thought! I can definitely recommend the glad wrap method!
theSlacker
Member
I feel good about waiting to start doing this to my stuff. Get to let you guys get though all the problems first. :3
NoirVisage
Banned
I can see a lot of xbox360's benefitting from this many years from now!
whoa..You must think quite hghly of Mina to have her up and not your usual Yaoi fanfiction avatar!
D.Lo
Member
If it's going to dry out, wrapping makes sense. Live covering a simmering pot.
Slightly yellowed things get fixed very quickly, like 20 minutes in decent sun.
The Cool One
Member
i may be the odd one out but i thing the yellow adds a bit of character to an aging console. like a fine wine it gets better with time?
Yeh, I think this is definitely gonna be the way to do it for me. Must be our harsh sun? Stuff was drying out in less than 10 minutes before, it was really high maintenance and high risk for blooming.
I'm trying a slightly more yellow controller half now. Fingers crossed.
D.Lo
Member
Sorry no idea. I posted the picture of the ingredients of the bottle in the OP to assist.
I can see this with things slightly yellow. But some things (like my 'white' Saturn) just looked like someone had pissed on them.
Yeah 10 minutes is very quick, sounds like a low humidity area? Also possible your creme is less fluid, you could add a bit of water.
Nah we are very high humidity here. It's a low day today and it's 75%. Often we're in the 90s. Possible about the creme, think I'm gonna stick with the glad wrap though. I've been so pleased with the results so far!
Just wish I had thought of this before I did the SNES systems, ah wells!
Alcahest
Member
Great thread and solution OP.
I wonder if you have any tips on how to make consoles plastic look new and "shiny" again?
My PS1 had no yellowing problem but was a bit dirty. Took it apart and cleaned the shell with just hot water and a cloth.
It came out clean but lost a bit of it shinyness, plastic looks a bit 'dull'.
Is there any product you'd recommend to make consoles shiny again and possibly anti-static versus dust?
I found a vid from lukemorse where he recommends WD-40, but I'm not convinced it's the best solution.. another youtuber actually speaks against WD-40 (oily/smells) and favors Pledge instead.
What are you guys using, if anything?
I wonder if you have any tips on how to make consoles plastic look new and "shiny" again?
My PS1 had no yellowing problem but was a bit dirty. Took it apart and cleaned the shell with just hot water and a cloth.
It came out clean but lost a bit of it shinyness, plastic looks a bit 'dull'.
Is there any product you'd recommend to make consoles shiny again and possibly anti-static versus dust?
I found a vid from lukemorse where he recommends WD-40, but I'm not convinced it's the best solution.. another youtuber actually speaks against WD-40 (oily/smells) and favors Pledge instead.
What are you guys using, if anything?
Bomber Bob
Banned
Guys just don't jizz on your console and you'll be fine.
I've learned this the hard way (pc keyboard)
I've learned this the hard way (pc keyboard)
D.Lo
Member
PS1 was semi-matte plastic, it shouldn't be shiny anyway? the shininess may have been grease added from years of handling? That's certainly the case with controllers in my experience.
Washing with soap, or wiping with alcohol would be your best bet.
sixteen-bit
Member
Hyperkin posted this today
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OlFyGm-TMY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OlFyGm-TMY
D.Lo
Member
It was far too thick and lumpy so UV wouldn't get through, which will create patchy results. I would have thought that would be obvious to anyone that the light needs to penetrate the paste?
Why add Xanthan gum to the 40Vol which is already a paste? Made it lumpy again!
And left in the sun for a whole day?
There's just no common sense in so many of these things.
Lollylops. Lolzords. Ur wierd m8.
seriously that was a bad video, I did better on my shitty first attempt
Alcahest
Member
Thanks for your reply.
Yes the PS1 wasn't shiny to start with, but it just seems water on plastic just makes it look "duller". Maybe the PS1 wasn't the best of exemple, anything you'd recommend for Mega Drive?
Again lukemorse1 says "WD-40", some say "Pledge", I'm just curious what most peeps are using (if anything).
D.Lo
Member
I clean everything with alcohol (methylated spirits/denatured alcohol).
It didn't work for me. They're all bloomy now and the yellowing didn't budge much. I'd like to give it another go but I don't have access to U.S. SNES stuff easily.
Laws00
Member
Holy crap that last one.
The thing im afraid about is that the blacks and what not text of my consoles or controller would rube off and fade but they seem to have the opposite effect. I need to try this in the summer time.
blast processed
Member
I figure I would throw my hat into the ring as well with this, so this is my attempt.
I used Salon Care 40 Volume Cream Developer all over once I took everything apart (use gloves this stuff burns).
This is what I started with:
I brushed the cream over everything and sealed in into a ziplock bag and set it out in the sun for 8 Hours (rotating every 2).
This is the result after the first day. It's been pretty cloudy for the last couple of days, so I decided to put it in my basement under a 60 watt black light for 36 hours. The result were not that exciting. In fact I didn't notice any change at all really.
So now that the sun has come back out I tried it again for a full 8 hours and this is what it looks like now.
I put the Super Nintendo top plate and buttons on for comparison but I think it looks pretty good. I plan to do it one more time before I reassemble everything. My son is in 5th grade and has been watching the progress and now wants to pick up old snes controllers and restore them for the upcoming Science fair in school.
I used Salon Care 40 Volume Cream Developer all over once I took everything apart (use gloves this stuff burns).
This is what I started with:
I brushed the cream over everything and sealed in into a ziplock bag and set it out in the sun for 8 Hours (rotating every 2).
This is the result after the first day. It's been pretty cloudy for the last couple of days, so I decided to put it in my basement under a 60 watt black light for 36 hours. The result were not that exciting. In fact I didn't notice any change at all really.
So now that the sun has come back out I tried it again for a full 8 hours and this is what it looks like now.
I put the Super Nintendo top plate and buttons on for comparison but I think it looks pretty good. I plan to do it one more time before I reassemble everything. My son is in 5th grade and has been watching the progress and now wants to pick up old snes controllers and restore them for the upcoming Science fair in school.
D.Lo
Member
Nice work!
I should note I have experienced some items having the yellow come back somewhat now.
The first case is one that was very, very yellowed all the way through (including the non-user facing plastic). I guess the treatment fixed the surface, but there was lots more 'toxicity' allowing it to come back.
The other was an item only exposed to the process a very short time, about two years ago (I used liquid peroxide on that one), so may just need a bigger dose.
Others have stayed perfectly unyellowed for years, so will keep experimenting.
I should note I have experienced some items having the yellow come back somewhat now.
The first case is one that was very, very yellowed all the way through (including the non-user facing plastic). I guess the treatment fixed the surface, but there was lots more 'toxicity' allowing it to come back.
The other was an item only exposed to the process a very short time, about two years ago (I used liquid peroxide on that one), so may just need a bigger dose.
Others have stayed perfectly unyellowed for years, so will keep experimenting.
Just did this with a Super Famicom, only took a few hours and it was much brighter:
Here is an imgur gallery of the various levels of cleaning and sticker removal I went through to do it.
Here is an imgur gallery of the various levels of cleaning and sticker removal I went through to do it.
blast processed
Member
Looks great! I was wondering if anyone was going to post in this thread again. I might go another round on my SNES now that it's warmer and the sun is out longer.
blast processed
Member
Can you upload pics so we can see your results? Also I recently did some NES controllers and had some "white chalky streaks" on them. Haven't tried again to see if it eliminates streaks.
Square2015
Member
Probably already answered but how do you unscrew/take off the top half of the console?
blast processed
Member
Which console?
blast processed
Member
I didn't think they used bromine in newer plastics.
I've heard of the retr0bright method and have been meaning to try it for a while now.
This solution seems easier so I've just ordered a bottle of the 40vol 12% stuff as mentioned. Now I just need to get a good days sunshine - not easy seeing as currently in Bristol, UK, its meant to be our summer and yet we have 14'C temperate with massive downpours...
Thanks OP, I'll post up pics of my consoles results when we get some sunshine.
This solution seems easier so I've just ordered a bottle of the 40vol 12% stuff as mentioned. Now I just need to get a good days sunshine - not easy seeing as currently in Bristol, UK, its meant to be our summer and yet we have 14'C temperate with massive downpours...
Thanks OP, I'll post up pics of my consoles results when we get some sunshine.