Getting yellowed plastic white again...

[Level42]

How do I get my yellowed joystick ball head white again ? Yes it's the one from my Galaxian. I sanded it, first with some rough paper, then with very smooth (1200) and used some cleaner/polisher. I even finished it off with toothpaste and a toothbrush !!!
It's OK, but still too yellow to my taste.

I thought about bleach, but I'm scared it will harm the plastic.

Any help ? Thanks !

[NiteWalker]

Try diluted with water bleach.

[ChadTower]

Plastic absorbs things from the environment like smoke.  It also brittles and yellows with age.  Often there is just nothing you can do to completely restore it, the plastic itself has changed.  It's a "living material", less so than wood, but still it does evolve.

[polaris]

Plastic absorbs things from the environment like smoke.  It also brittles and yellows with age.  Often there is just nothing you can do to completely restore it, the plastic itself has changed.  It's a "living material", less so than wood, but still it does evolve.

evolve, you darwinists and your nonsense, god created the ball tops.

no i concur, new one for you level42 (now thats poetry)

[RandyT]

I agree with Chad, however "devolve" might be more appropriate

Almost all plastics break down with age and exposure to UV.  Yellowing is one of the most common indicators of long term UV exposure. 

If you can't replace it, a few coats of lacquer might be the cure.  Your skill in applying it will dictate the finish you achieve, so if you decide to try this, sand between coats and watch for drips.  A nice coat (or two) of clear on the top and some buffing might be in order as well.

RandyT

[ChadTower]

The most famous (to us, anyway) example of widespread yellowing is probably the SNES.  Do a Google on yellow SNES and you'll get pages of links.

[SavannahLion]

The most famous (to us, anyway) example of widespread yellowing is probably the SNES.  Do a Google on yellow SNES and you'll get pages of links.

There's a lot of speculation out there regarding yellowing plastics (especially for the SNES). The most comprehensive article I've seen is at Vintage Computing. The article specifically talks about SNES plastic but it does give examples of other types of yellowing.

[Pac-Fan]

I saw a tip somewhere that said to soak trackballs and white buttons in high concentration bleach, like those bottles of Deck Wash from the hardware store. A few days, a few swirls a day and they come out significantly whiter.  Nothing can return them to exactly the original color but the bleach does remove at least half of the damage.

[SavannahLion]

Nothing can return them to exactly the original color but the bleach does remove at least half of the damage.

Depending on the plastic, it's not the best thing to do. The surface integrity of the plastic is already compromised, swishing it around in bleach might further compromise them and you're going to end up needing to do something else.