Plastic has long become one of the most demanded materials for the manufacture of various things. It is found in toys, electronics, home appliances, cars, and home furnishings. But over time, any white plastic products begin to take on a yellow hue. The reason for this is exposure to sunlight, sudden changes in temperature, improper care and natural reactions with oxygen. In such situations, you can try to whiten yellowed plastic to restore its former beauty.

Windows deserve special attention. Plastic structures used in conjunction with glass very often turn yellow when exposed to ultraviolet radiation emitted by the sun. Bright rays can illuminate them all day. If this happens regularly over several years, then the appearance of a yellow tint is inevitable. Additional factors are sharp temperature drops and improper operation.

The plastic used for window elements contains various substances that can prolong its life. Therefore, clean the window sill with care. Can't use:

• Dishwashing detergents;
• Hard lips;
• Abrasive powders;
• Acetone and agents similar in composition;
• Alkaline substances;
• Hot water.

All other remedies for getting rid of yellow spots can be used without fear.

How to bleach plastic

It is not so difficult to restore the previous look to plastic products. This can be done at home without assistance. You just need to stock up on all the necessary tools that will be used to achieve the goal. There are several cleaning methods.

Useful video on plastic whitening - video:

A simple but very effective remedy. Laundry soap will help renew old plastic by giving it a white tint again. This method is most effective when color changes are caused by exposure to fatty deposits.

How to proceed:

1. Grate (½ bar).
2. Pour in warm water (150 ml), stir.
3. Apply the prepared solution to the problem area. Wait 30 minutes.
4. Wipe with a clean sponge, wash off any soapy residue with clean water.

You can use this method in any case, since soap is harmless.

Special napkins

Electronics stores sell special wipes. They contain various substances that are able to clean computer equipment from contamination without any harm. They also help with yellowing.

How to clean:

1. Wipe the yellow mark with a napkin every 6 hours.
2. Repeat daily for several days until the yellowness disappears completely.

This option is ideal for household appliances and plastic window sills.

Tooth powder with chalk

Such an unusual mixture allows you to return the white color to things, if shades of yellowness have appeared recently. You can also try it for stubborn stains, but you won't be able to achieve significant results.

What do we have to do:

1. Mix a small amount of chalk and tooth powder.
2. Add water to make a thick gruel.
3. Spread over the entire surface of the plastic, wait until dry.
4. Remove powder residues with a dry cloth.

The procedure can be repeated many times.

Soda and washing powder

Baking soda is very often used to remove dirty stains from various things. She also copes well with yellowness.

How to use it:

1. Stir baking soda (1 tablespoon), washing powder (1 tablespoon) and water (500 ml).
2. Apply liquid to a plastic object. Wait 8 hours.
3. Wash off all traces with a damp cloth.

An excellent option for cleaning window sills.

Vinegar

Acetic acid is an equally effective way to restore whiteness to plastic products. To do this, you need a 70% solution of it.

Cleaning process:

1. Soak a soft cloth or large cotton ball in the vinegar.
2. Wipe off the plastic.
3. Wash the surface of the object with water.

When using acid, wear rubber gloves and ventilate the area. It is also not recommended to use a remedy for getting rid of yellowness on sensitive plastic.

Citric acid with chlorine

A powerful whitening agent that can be used on thin plastic items without worrying about their integrity.

How to use:

1. Mix equal amounts of citric acid and chlorine.
2. Apply to stains. Wait 30 minutes.
3. Remove leftover funds.

This mixture can be applied many times until it is possible to return the yellowed plastic to its usual appearance.

Hydrogen peroxide

This medicine is very popular and is present in every medicine cabinet. It helps not only to disinfect wounds, but also to put in order the surface of the yellowed plastic.

Mode of application:

1. Wet a soft sponge with peroxide.
2. Wipe off yellow spots several times.
3. Wash off remaining traces of peroxide.

The product does not harm plastic. Therefore, long-term and repeated use of it is allowed until the required result is obtained.

Alcohol

Alcohol has become very popular in cleaning from dirt. It destroys the composition of any dirt, making things clean again. It also effectively helps to whiten strongly yellowed plastic. Its composition not only removes yellowness, but literally destroys the structure of the upper layers of the object. Therefore, it should be used with caution.

How is alcohol used:

1. Soak a rag in it.
2. Wipe off the yellow parts of the surface.
3. Remove all traces of alcohol with clean water.

This method is suitable for coarse, dense plastics on household appliances and various appliances.

Acetone

Another very aggressive solvent that can not only lighten plastic, but also damage it. Before use, it is recommended to apply a small amount of acetone to an inconspicuous area of \u200b\u200bthe object to check the reaction. If everything is in order, then it can be used. Nevertheless, caution will still be useful.

Whitening:

1. Moisten a thick cotton pad with acetone.
2. Wipe off the plastic.
3. Wipe off any traces of the product with a damp cloth.

You can use nail polish remover instead of acetone. Its composition is not so harmful to the coating, but shows less efficiency.

Special products for plastic recovery

You can restore white plastic objects to their original appearance using special tools that are designed to restore plastic in cars. You can buy them in car repair shops and showrooms with spare parts.

How to use:

1. Apply to the problem area, following the instructions.
2. Wait until dry.

Before use, be sure to read the instructions.

Bleach

Option for small items. It involves completely soaking things in chlorine.

How to do it:

1. Dilute bleach or bleach (1 tablespoon) in water (1 liter), adding a little baking soda (1 tablespoon).
2. Put the item to be restored in a container with liquid. Leave it overnight.
3. Remove and rinse the item thoroughly under cool water.

In case of very strong yellowing, soaking in pure bleach is allowed without diluting it with water.

conclusions

The above methods should be enough to deal with the problem and get back your white plastic. If the yellowness turns out to be very old and does not give in to any means, then you can simply carefully cover it up with paint that is most suitable in shade, or paint the entire product as a whole. This will hide all problem areas.

What to do if the plastic molding or other part of the oldtimer made of plastic has lost its appearance, color, or completely cracked and began to collapse? Despite the strength of ABS plastic, it is highly susceptible to negative environmental influences.

Plastic elements in the interior and exterior of cars began to appear in the second half of the 20th century. For example, in the American auto industry, the plastic era began to develop rapidly in the 1970s. From an economic point of view, this was a real discovery - the material was strong enough, durable, inexpensive to manufacture. However, nothing lasts forever, and time still takes its toll. Under the influence of ultraviolet rays, the plastic gradually burns out in the sun, becomes faded and "worn out", and in the case of external decorative elements of the body, there is another aggressor - reagents that are used to sprinkle and water roads in the cold season. In addition, during active use, scratches and cracks will inevitably appear.

As a rule, plastic body elements are made of a material under the complex name acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or simply ABS plastic. It is a shockproof resin that is resistant to moisture and oil. This polymer, which is very popular in the automotive industry, is also used for interior details. However, the material does not tolerate ultraviolet radiation well enough, and some types of this plastic are even destroyed by exposure to sunlight. In 1998, this led to one of the largest car recalls in US history - the seat belt buckle button, made of UV-resistant ABS plastic, broke and blocked the seat belt buckle, preventing the seat belt from being inserted or - much more dangerous - unfastening. As a result, 8,800,000 vehicles were recalled.

It's good if the part has retained its integrity, but has simply faded from time to time. In this case, you can get by with updating the top layer. For this, a whole series of products have been developed that restore the color of the part and extend its service life. Some of them even add details of flexibility that is lost over time, thereby reducing the risk of breakage. The American publication Consumer Reports conducted its own research, studying the characteristics of the products on the market. Depending on their characteristics (and, accordingly, cost), the drugs provide protection for parts for a period of two weeks to two years. It is worth noting that Consumer Reports analysts considered only the means for black plastic elements, although it is not difficult to find the necessary color scheme today. The test was carried out in a rather amusing format: the plastic body lining was divided into several parts (according to the amount of funds that took part in the test), treated with test compounds and ... put on the roof of the building where the Consumer Reports editorial office is located for 10 weeks. Each week, the panels were removed, washed, dried, and sent back to the roof.

Best of all, according to experts, the harsh test of the scorching sun and torrential rains withstood the samples coated with ReNu Finish and Wipe New - the parts covered with them retained a bright black color throughout the entire 70 days of the test. The disadvantage of both products is that they are sold in small bottles, and at the same time they are much more expensive than analogues. Although, the experts recognized the difference in the results as significant. The rest of the products (Turtle Wax Premium Grade, Meguiar’s Ultimate Black, Mothers Back-to-Black) showed a vigorous start, but by the end of the test all the parts processed by them had faded.

The old color of the plastic can also be returned with a building hairdryer: with accurate uniform heating, the color appears on the surface of the part. For black plastic parts, you can use bumper ink (for example, Hi Gear or Astrokhim), however, judging by the reviews, the part quickly loses its attractive appearance again.

A blow dryer can help freshen up the look of a part, but unfortunately this is a temporary measure.

But what to do if the plastic element of your car has received a serious crack, and this is not a molding, but a whole body panel? In this case, welding will help, but here everything is much more complicated, and it would be better to turn to specialists. The fact is that ABS plastic unites a whole family of materials, the characteristics of which depend on the proportions of the constituents - acronitrile, butadiene and styrene. Depending on the proportion, each type of plastic has its own melting point, and therefore also its welding temperature. If you select too high a temperature during welding and overheat the plastic, the material will begin to foam and solidify in a porous state, making the weld brittle and short-lived. It is logical to assume that at insufficient temperature, the plastic will melt very badly, and a strong seam will not work. Therefore, when welding, a special hair dryer is used, on which you can manually set the exact temperature value depending on the type of plastic.

However, if solid strength is not required from the part, then you can do with simpler methods, which are actually enough: for example, use epoxy resin, glue the damaged area with fiberglass or reinforce with a metal mesh. Soldering also belongs to the simplified recovery method, which must be distinguished from welding. Actually, the difference lies precisely in the fact that when soldering it is extremely difficult to "get" to the required temperature, so the seam turns out to be fragile and porous. Enough to visually hide the defect, but will not provide strength and durability. In any case, the first step is to thoroughly rinse the part using a cleaning agent designed to remove tar, salts and other dirt. For this, you can use a special bitumen stain cleaner. There are a lot of offers on the market: АС-395, Hi Gear Buster Bug, Pingo Tar Remover, Liqui Moly Teerentferner and others. You can, by the way, use the old-fashioned way - "white spirit" or kerosene. Also, it will not be superfluous to walk over the part with a brush. A horsehair brush works best for this purpose.

Finally, a very "difficult case" - if the part cannot be easily restored, and it is easier to replace it than to restore it. It is good if we are talking about a mass car model for which it is easy to find the necessary parts. But what if you have a rare specimen, for which it is almost impossible to find components? Today, in addition to fiberglass, 3D printers are gaining popularity. Over the past two years, a host of industrial and scientific initiatives have been applied to master 3D printing technology in the automotive industry. Recently, polymer modification company Techmer PM presented even a full-fledged copy of the legendary Shelby Cobra, fully printed on a 3D printer. In this way, the company has demonstrated that this technology can be easily applied when restoring old cars. True, in this case, the authenticity of the car is lost, which is undesirable when working with autoclassics, and the technology itself is still only developing and therefore is quite an expensive pleasure. However, the growing percentage of 3D printing in the automotive industry gives hope that this option will become more affordable over time.

This Shelby Cobra is fully 3D printed

The plastic parts of the passenger compartment are not easier: the interior is protected from road reagents, but it suffers from the sun, bulky goods and sloppy passengers, earning scuffs, scratches and cracks.

However, it is possible to update the plastic parts and return them to their former novelty with budgetary funds. If the car is already elderly and represents a certain historical value, with a competent approach, you can increase its value by 500 dollars, while spending ten times less. Although, of course, everything depends on the scale of the problem.

First, the surface of the plastic part of the interior must be properly cleaned. A number of American experts, in particular, American restorer and presenter Stacy David, advise using trisodium phosphate - a compound that forms the basis of various detergents and cleaning agents. The next step in preparing for painting is to ensure sufficient adhesion of the surface to the paint you intend to apply. This can be done with a special adhesion promoter (Stacy David recommends Duplicolor) to provide a secure adhesion by acting as a primary primer before applying the base paint. If this is not done, then the new coating will fall on the old paint and will not adhere well - pretty soon the part will have to be repainted again. The first, rough paint layer is also used as an additional bonding agent. In the case of interior plastic, a very popular tool is vinyl paint (the so-called liquid vinyl) such as Plasti-Kote or Duplicolor. Which of these brands is better is a moot point, and the opinions of Western restorers on this issue differ. The paint is applied in several layers for secure fixing. It is at this moment that the magic happens: the old part turns into a new one, like from a factory, and all the years of its service are hidden under a layer of fresh paint. The final touch is the treatment of the part with a special reducing agent to give shine and additional protection. Armor All and Black Magic are in demand.

You can refresh the detail without painting. To do this, after the washing stage, the part is dried, and then treated with sandpaper, sanding all small irregularities. However, do not get too carried away - the most "gentle" of the coarse-grained, 6-H, which is usually used for the final sanding of soft woods, is enough. After that, the part is gently and evenly heated with an ordinary hair dryer, while wiping the element with a clean rag without much pressure. After such processing, the part will become noticeably younger, however, with severe abrasions, the homogeneous texture of the plastic cannot be completely restored.

If, among other things, there are still cracks on the parts, they can be dealt with using a simple superglue that is applied along the entire length of the crack. For additional rigidity and durability, you can walk along the same place from the inside with a glue gun - this will ensure that the crack does not disperse. Excess dried glue is sanded with sandpaper.

The situation is somewhat different with the steering wheels with plastic rims. A layer of varnish is sanded off, after which all cracks and scratches are drilled out and expanded to make it easier to fill the damaged areas with epoxy. Many people use standard two-component epoxy at this stage, but you can use, for example, a filler called Bondo, a brand from 3M. He has become almost a household name in America, in fact - automobile grinding mastic. When the mastic hardens to the state of molten cheese, the author recommends to process the pouring area with coarse sandpaper 25-H. The main thing here is not to waste time and not miss the right moment: completely hardened Bondo mastic is very problematic to sand with sandpaper.

Andrey Shuldeshov

In the production of modern cars, not only metal is used, but also plastic, which loses its properties and attractive appearance over time. First of all, this applies to external parts, such as headlights. Sand, pebbles, precipitation lead to damage to external elements, plastic fades. The glass of the headlights becomes less transparent, which increases the risk of accidents. Cigarette smoke and ultraviolet light can seriously spoil the appearance of the elements of the car's interior, they become dull, and the white color turns yellow. Not only does the car look not as attractive as it used to be, but the road lighting also deteriorates. However, there is a way out of this unpleasant situation - to polish the plastic parts of the car either in a car service or at home.

The choice of tools and features of polishing

The processing of plastic car parts has a number of undoubted advantages:

• ease of use;
• application at home without the use of special devices is possible;
• antistatic properties acquired by plastic, which prevents dust from collecting.

Plastic allows the use of various methods of working with it, but conditionally they can be divided into the following groups:

• processing with medium-grained abrasive compositions;
• work with fine-grained polishes;
• processing with non-abrasive products.

The greatest efficiency can be achieved by combining these methods. The very process of working on restoring the appearance of plastic parts can be divided into the following stages:

1. composition treatment;
2. actual polishing.

To successfully polish the plastic of a car, you need to choose high-quality compounds in a package that is convenient for application and storage. For independent daily car care at home, products presented in the form of aerosols, sponges or napkins impregnated with the composition are best suited.

• Sponges, for example, the British CarPlan, are inexpensive, allow you to quickly remove dust, perfectly polish plastic parts, and leave a pleasant citrus scent.
• Napkins, for example - Carwet, Russian production. Cheap, takes up little space, effectively removes dirt, scratches and stains.
• Aerosol, in particular, Italian Lucida Cruscotti, Polish Atas Plak - these and other products are quickly applied, eliminate minor damage and give shine. It is a real pleasure to polish with their help.

For a more thorough work on the restoration of plastic parts, more complex compositions will be required.

Among the means that allow you to put the plastic elements of a car in order at home and polish its surfaces with high quality, it is worth highlighting gel-plasticizers and restorers.

The effectiveness of their use directly depends on the quality of the compounds themselves, the type of plastic and the degree of damage. Paintwork and glass also require special attention to the polishing process.

For example, a restorer is best suited for renovating and even restoring plastic and vinyl upholstery. Once applied, it penetrates deep into the scratch, completely filling the space. And the gel-plasticizer, with the help of which the textured pattern of the part is obtained, is applied to the damaged elements, which makes the plastic homogeneous again.

At the second stage, you can polish the plastic - here the choice of rags for work is important, which should be clean, preferably without lint so that there is no sticking to the surface.

So, the scope of work is outlined, the composition is selected. It's time to get to work. In the process of tidying up the headlights, the following stages can be distinguished:

1. The glass of the headlights is cleaned and dried, and the area around is sealed with masking tape. It is not necessary to remove the headlights.
2. The degree of damage and the depth of scratches are assessed. Then, with the help of a skin, the surface of the headlight is made matte. The degree of its graininess depends on the depth of the scratches; the more, the coarser the material is used at the beginning. So they gradually move on to fine grain. When working with the machine, it is recommended to use abrasive paper from P 320 to P 1200. If done correctly, the headlamp glass will be smooth to the touch and dull.
3. In the final, you can polish with a grinder in a car service or manually at home. By the way, the orbital sander will reduce the work time by 4 times, while ensuring high quality.

It takes less time to work on the interior details. At the beginning, the selected composition is applied to the plastic, and then they try to polish everything to the desired state. In total, the order is as follows:

1. Clean the parts from dirt and seal the adjacent surfaces with masking tape.
2. Apply the restorer or gel to the plastic, following the instructions. In the first case, after the composition-restorer is absorbed, remove the excess with a fine-grained sandpaper. In the second, apply to the area to be repaired a surface pattern made like an impression from an intact area using a gel.
3. After distributing the product, sprinkle with a little water and polish with the machine using it at low speed or by hand. If the plastic is dark, then it can be polished with an antihologram compound.
4. Remove residual products by flushing the surface.

If you follow the instructions and follow the simple rules of work, then even at home, an inexperienced driver will be able to achieve excellent restoration of parts. The car will keep a fresh well-groomed appearance for a long time, glass transparency, and headlights brightness, which is very important for safe driving in the dark and foggy times of the day.

Everyday use of plastic items inevitably leads to the appearance of defects on their surface. To eliminate scratches, chips, abrasions, and other damage to the material, it is worth figuring out how to polish the plastic. With the help of simple and affordable methods, it is quite possible to cope with the problem on your own, without seeking help from specialists.

Selecting Plastic Polishing Solutions

In order to choose a suitable remedy for removing defects on the plastic surface, it is worth assessing the complexity of the damage. Depending on this, in the future, you will need to give preference to one or another polishing method.

You can perform work in the following ways:

• mechanical;
• thermal;
• chemical.

If the plastic is covered with small scratches, delicate manual polishing using chemical abrasives will help. Special substances for polishing coarse and fine grain are useful here. When you have to deal with deep enough damage, thermal effects on the material, as well as rough mechanical grinding, will eliminate the problem.

grinding wheel

Polishing technology in this way assumes the presence of a drill. A special grinding attachment is used here, which will not be difficult to purchase at any hardware store. With its help, cleaning of any surfaces can be performed, not only plastic, but also with toothpaste and other things.

If you need to save a little, then a piece of felt can serve as an alternative to a special grinding attachment. A piece of material must be rolled into a roller and inserted into the drill chuck. felt is quite effective. The only thing that is required to achieve the expected result is a reliable fixation of the material. Otherwise, the felt will jump off the drill, causing a whole lot of trouble in the process.

Application of toothpaste

To polish plastic, it is not at all necessary to spend money on the purchase of specialized chemical compositions or resort to surface treatment with an electric tool. To eliminate tarnishing of the material and remove small scratches from its surface, it is possible to use ordinary toothpaste as an abrasive. The use of such an affordable household product makes it possible to return the former shine to plastic products. As practice shows, it is especially effective

The polishing process involves the following:

1. The surfaces are cleaned of dust and dirt. Any household detergent that has a neutral chemical composition is used here.
2. The plastic is degreased, rinsed and dried.
3. Toothpaste is applied to a clean flannel cloth. The surfaces are polished in a circular motion in one direction.
4. The resulting gruel is washed off. The operation is repeated.
5. Remains of toothpaste are removed with a damp sponge. The plastic product is wiped dry.

Heat treatment

How to polish plastic, the surface of which contains deep enough defects? To do this, it is worth subjecting it to heating with a hair dryer, which will greatly simplify the subsequent grouting of the damage.

For uniform cleaning of plastic products, large areas are processed with a hot air stream. As the material melts, the scratches will gradually heal. You should work with a hairdryer carefully so as not to overdo it, because if excessive heating is done, the plastic can deform.

When resorting to this method, one should not expect a complete, rapid disappearance of defects. It is enough to carry out heating until the edges of the scratches on the plastic begin to melt slightly. Then you must immediately proceed to grout them with a grinding wheel or manually using abrasives.

Plastic polishing paste

Ideal for removing scuffs, chips and scratches on plastic surfaces. There are several types of this product. Each of them has a different grain size. Therefore, the main thing here is to choose the correct number of the substance, starting from the nature of the existing defects.

For rough, rough grinding, a substance with an index is suitable. Such a GOI paste, the price of which is about 200 rubles for a container with a volume of 100 grams, will remove large damage to the material. In this case, you will have to resort to mechanical surface treatment using

To eliminate medium damage, a tool with an index of 3 is suitable. The presented GOI paste, the price of which is up to 180 rubles, is an ideal solution if you need to grout enough textured scratches.

As for the final polish, here it is worth using a paste with an index of 1 or 2. These agents are the least abrasive and are the ideal solution for finishing grouting surfaces.

Processing with polish

How to polish plastic to perfect condition? To do this, it is worth using a special polish designed to work with the presented material. It is recommended to apply the substance on the surface with a thin, even layer. To make the surfaces smooth and shiny, it is enough to grind the polish well with a piece of flannel cloth or a soft sanding attachment. Such a seemingly insignificant nuance will make it possible to consolidate the obtained result, regardless of the method used to eliminate defects from the plastic surface.

It should be noted that polishes do not have protection against moisture and water. Over time, they are simply washed off. Therefore, if a tarnishing of the plastic is noticed some time after the treatment with polish, the surfaces should be wiped from dirt and re-coated with the substance. This approach will allow you to avoid the appearance of new defects and maintain the shine of the product for a long time.

Finally

So we figured out how to polish plastic with our own hands at home. As you can see, for this you just need to use the usual tools at hand, as well as available tools that can be easily found on sale. Thanks to the combination of polishing methods and a competent approach to the task, you can bring back to life any plastic object that has noticeable defects on its surface.

Self-polishing of products makes it possible to save a decent amount. With a little practice, relying on the above methods, you can learn how to qualitatively restore plastic objects not only for yourself, but also for friends and relatives.