Letter 8694

Restoring yellow plastic 

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I'm restoring a British sports car. The plastic windshield washer bottle has yellowed with age. Is there any way to restore the white color of the original plastic short of painting? Maybe a dye or chemical treatment?

Thank you in advance.

Tim Stiffy
- Bentleyville, PA, USA

Try some 100% householed bleach. Caution on its use don't get it on you or your clothing. It turn evething it come in contact with white. Also clean the contaner out with water and let dry before using the bleach.

Good luck

Kelly Chadwick
- Ogden, UT

Sorry, Tim, but I think you are up a gum tree.

That 'white' and now yellowed plastic bottle is losing its fight against U.V.

This is a typical behaviour pattern with Polyethylene. In time it should stress crack and fail. That's why all commercial Pe pipe is coloured black along with some other plastics, too.

May I suggest you just paint it. I don't think that bleach will do anything for you.

Cheers !

Freeman Newton
- White Rock, B.C. Canada ...

As far as yellowed parts go, try this: denture whitener. A friend of mine has refurbished many a weathered GI Joe Storm Shadow figures using this technique.

Steven Ray
- Fishers, IN, USA

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