Old White Plastic, How To Clean?

[trodies]

I have this Shimano 333 OG 3 speed shifter cover and it is cat pee color. I have tried all the typical efforts already form Mr. Clean Magic eraser to soaking it in Hydrogen peroxide forre a few hours. I have not yet tried to bleach it, but have read that it's a chemical change in the plastic and sometimes is not able to turn back to white.... So does anyone have any other ideas to make this puppy shine? I did think of Painting it but would hate to make it look like I did. And lastly does anyone know where one might come across a replacment cover? Even might be interested in NOS cover. Thanks.

 

[sloar]

i did mine with bleachwhite whitewall cleaner and a scrub brush.

 

[gcrank1]

I used regular Comet type kitchen cleanser (the powder stuff) and toothbrush on three pair of 40ish year old grips that had yellowed and they cleaned up pretty nice. They are still a little 'ivory', rather than bright white, but nowhere near the yellowed they were.

 

[Voyager Al]

Purple Power. Get it at Advance Auto and Car Quest autoparts

 

[KJV]

Simple Green

 

[trodies]

Here's what I figured out...

I tried:
Comet
Simple Green
Oxy Clean
My teeth

And got this....

Then I picked up some Plastic "fusion" Spray paint.... And Now I've got this!

It's perfect. I guess plastic, mostly older plastic, can have a chemical change, which cause unchangeable discolor. But the paint made it like new, no build up, no nothing, just nice and white. We'll see if it stains thru????

 

[junknutz1975]

maybe try denture cleaner?? kindda fake teeth colored?!? :mrgreen: hahahha cant hurt to try i guess


soak em!

 

[Herman]

You could have dyed them white again (or any color) like the BMX guys do with old plastic mag wheels , I think there might be a how to thread already on this using Ritt clotheing dye , I'm sure someone will chime in that knows more about this process

 

[cledry]

The hydrogen peroxide needs sunlight to work. I did a test, one yellowed part was soaked indoors for 24 hours and one part was soaked outside for just 3 hours. The indoor part showed no change, the one outside was already almost white after 3 hours.