How To Make Yellow Plastic White Again

White Famicom Comparison

Due to the increased traffic to this article and numerous emails I can no longer offer support or reply to comments/emails.This article is for educational purposes only. We cannot be held responsible for damages to you or your equipment.

Why do plastics yellow?

Manufacturers add bromine to ABS plastic to act as flame retardant. Over time, those chemicals react to the plastic's basic polymers and turn yellow. Sunlight and Heat accelerate this process.

How is it Reversed?

The process uses peroxide and UV light (either a UVA bulb, or simple sunlight) to activate the reaction. This causes hydrogen to bond with bromine free radicals and restore the color.

Before & After Restoration

Methods of Treatment:

Pure Hydrogen Peroxide with no additives. This is the easiest method and perfect for small items. The peroxide strength ranges from 3% to 12%. Higher concentrations above %3 can only be purchased from Hair Salon stores. This is the simplest method IF the item can be completely submerged. Weaker 3% p eroxide requires longer application time.
Hydrogen Peroxide Homemade GEL. This method has many names online: seaglow, sauce & retrobright. Recipes & more info available online. Honestly I dislike to complicated process.
Hydrogen Peroxide ready made GEL. This method is perfect for large items. The peroxide gel will stick to the plastic during application. "Cream Peroxide 40Vol" 12% Strength. Its found in hair salon stores. Simple, cheap & works. Note: Some versions of Cream contain unwanted bleaching agents that can have unwanted effects on the plastic. Test your Cream before applying to your beloved item. I have also noticed the same issue with retrobright recipes.

Before Cleaning

Famicom with the common yellowed plastic.

Pre Clean:

Use protective goggles and rubber gloves. Strong concentrations of oxi-clean will irritate your skin Place the mixture away from children or pets.
Be sure to remove all nonessential items from the plastic. Soaking paper decals and delicate labels is risky. Add 2 Tbsp of Oxi-Clean / Oxi Magic per gallon of warm water. Mix enough solution and submerge the plastic. Allow to soak for 15-30min, scrub stains with a soft toothbrush. Rinse completely after soaking. If plastics are not yellowed stop at this step!

Peroxide Treatment:

Use protective goggles and wear rubber gloves. Peroxide will irritate your skin and can cause blindness! Place the mixture away from children or pets!

Be sure to remove all nonessential items from the plastic. This method is only suitable for previously white or light gray plastics. Colored plastics will have mixed results and damage the surface color. Never treat paper decals and delicate labels. With the Famicom Console below I covered the main logo with clear scotch tape and trimmed the edges. The Japanese arrow stickers were unaffected by the peroxide.

My Ingredients for this Tutorial:

Hydrogen peroxide 12%. "Cream Peroxide 40Vol" Found at hair salon stores.

No mixing or other ingredients needed. The cream version works like a Gel and sticks to the plastic easily.
Use a brush and simply coat the entire piece of plastic. Make sure to coat all areas.

Apply evenly

Once coated, seal the item in a large ziplock bag or large clear garbage bag. Sit the item outside in direct sunlight. After 3-4 hours the item should turn to its original color, rotate item every hour. Rinse and repeat until desired color is obtained. DO not allow the cream to dry! This will cause scars on the plastic surface. Avoid hot areas such as black asphalt.

3-4 Hrs Full Sun

Rinse item completely and remove all traces of peroxide from the plastic. For a complete restoration use a topcoat of Novus Plastic Polish #1 or 303 UV Protectant. These will restore the high gloss and protect the plastic from future degradation.

I hope that you find this website useful and informative. Please feel free to leave your comments or suggestions below. Due to the increased traffic to this page and numerous emails I can no longer offer support or reply to comments/emails for this process.