Best way to remove yellow from systems?

[austin532]

Just wondering what everyone's preferred method is to remove the yellow from grey / white systems such as the NES, Gameboy, SNES, PS1, Dreamcast, etc. I figured this would be the better place to ask as most members here are picky like me and want it to look factory new as apposed to some random Youtube user who doesn't know what he is doing.

I tried using 3% Hydrogen Peroxide to fix a slightly yellowed NES. I kept it submerged for several hours outside for two days while periodically checking up on it every few hours. While it did help some, I think it did more harm than good as the Nintendo logo is slightly faded now. I hear 6%-12% is best but I can only imagine the damage that will do to logo's.

I'm thinking about using the Salon Care 40 method which is basically retr0bite in a bottle but I hear it can give bad results if you don't apply it just right and will look spotty or bleached out on some areas.

Also what about parts of the system that are not white? I'm pretty sure leaving the Power and Reset buttons from a NES or SNES submerged in Hydrogen Peroxide all day will bleach them out.

Anyways, I would like to hear your stories / methods if you have any that are good or bad.

[tacoguy64]

I had this yellow dreamcast that i purchased from this dude. He was a smoker and it turned everything yellow. And the controllers also smelled and were a bit discolored as well. So i used a combination of Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and Goo Gone. using that i was able to clean the system and controllers pretty nicely. Took me a while but it was worth it. The entire system is white again and most of the smell is gone.

Not sure if that will work with other systems but so far i have been using it to great success.

[Einzelherz]

I've only cleaned one yellow part, a dog bone NES controller. I placed it in a ziploc with 12% H2O2 from Sally Beauty and left it in the sun two or three days. It looked a million times better (only bleached the front, so I could compare). The silk screening wasn't harmed at all.

This was a test piece for a pink gameboy color I need to clean up (it's currently apricot colored) but I haven't tried it yet.

If you're concerned about ruining a colored plastic, test on the inside first. I don't think the color will disappear due to how plastic dyes work.

[JBC]

There's some stuff sold online called Retrobrite which is supposed to be good. There's a YouTube video about how to make your own as well, but I've never tried the stuff.

[nissling]

It's called retr0bright.

[austin532]

I'm trying to stay away from retr0bright as I hear it's expensive to make and only last a few years before the system turns yellow again. It also can leave some pretty nasty blooming and swirling effects. The Salon Care 40 is basically the same thing that can be bought on store shelves.

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is basically really fine sandpaper which I'd rather not use.

It seems like H2O2 gives out the cleanest results but may do some minor damage to painted labels. Einzelherz, I don't recall Sally's Beauty selling bottles of 12% H2O2. Can you explain what you mean?

[Einzelherz]

Salon Care 40 volume creme. It's H2O2 in a thick form. My controller ended up with one water drop size spot, but I believe it was actually from when I rinsed it off and didn't dry it completely.

When I used it I checked up every hour or two to circulate the goo and remove surface bubbles.

And as far as re-yellowing is concerned, they'll probably always do that, since it's just oxidation/aging.