How to Restore Sun Damaged Plastic
- Method 1 Using Commercial Restoration Products. Wash and dry the plastic surface. Dampen a microfiber cloth in lukewarm water, then use it to wipe down the plastic.
- Method 2 Bleaching White Plastic with Hydrogen Peroxide. Wear plastic gloves and safety goggles. ...
- Method 3 Repainting Plastic with Spray Paint. Wash off the plastic with soap and water. ...
How to restore weathered plastic?
Method 3 Method 3 of 3: Cleaning Foggy Headlights With Sandpaper
- Soak your sandpaper in water. Before cleaning your foggy headlights, place the sandpaper in water. ...
- Tape off the area surrounding the headlights with painter’s tape. Before you begin cleaning foggy plastic headlights, you’ll need to protect the metal area surrounding the headlight with tape.
- Spray the headlight with water and soap. ...
- Sand the headlight. ...
How to renew faded plastic?
Methods To Restore Black Plastic Trim
- Restoring using detailing products
- Using peanut butter or an oily substance
- Using heat to bring out the oils
- Painting the defective plastic
How to restore faded or oxidized ATV plastic?
Methods For Restoring Faded Plastic
- Linseed Oil. Oils will generally restore faded plastic. The best oil for this is linseed oil. ...
- Store-bought Plastic Restorer. There are plenty of products in stores that claim to restore plastic. ...
- Heat Gun. This is the controversial one that we don’t recommend. ...
- Painting. Instead of trying to restore faded plastic, you can just give it a new layer of paint. ...
How to restore oxidized plastic?
Method 4: Using Ammonia
- Mix a cup of ammonia with three cups of warm, clean water. Shake the solution well.
- Next, blot the mixture with a clean, soft clean cloth. Apply it to the oxidized areas of your chair.
- Give a few minutes to dry (say 5 minutes). Then rinse and air dry.

Can you restore sun faded plastic?
If you've got white plastic that's faded to yellow, you can actually restore it with hydrogen peroxide! Tape off or cover any colored areas with some clear tape or masking tape so they're protected. Use a 12% hydrogen peroxide cream instead of the liquid and brush an even layer over the area.
How do I permanently restore faded plastic?
How to Permanently Restore Black Plastic TrimHeating/Melting the Plastic with Heat Gun or Torch. This is a short term solution. ... Applying a Trim Dressing. This has the shortest life and it's the most time consuming. ... RECOMMENDED: Use Solution Finish Trim Restorer. This is our preferred method.
How do you fix oxidation on plastic?
A mixture of five cups of vinegar and one gallon of hot water can be applied via a spray bottle onto the affected area. Long-handled, soft-bristled cleaning brushes help to remove the oxidation. Continuing this manner in small sections works best so the solution does not dry out.
Does Vaseline restore plastic?
If you have some old, faded electronics or other plastic gadgets in your house, you can make them look great again with just a dab of Vaseline. Flickr user linux-works discovered, after buying some old audio equipment on eBay, that a simple wash with soap and water didn't do much to help the old, faded, plastic knobs.
What is the best plastic restorer?
Best car plastic restorer detailsBest car plastic trim restorerBrandNameOverallCerakoteCeramic Trim CoatFor the moneyChemical GuysVRPSpray plastic restorerMeguiar'sUltimate BlackPremium plastic restorerCarfidantTrim & Plastic Restorer1 more row•Dec 26, 2021
Does wd40 restore plastic?
0:563:12Top 9 car uses of wd40/how to use wd40 on car/how to restore plasticYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipHere another great use of wd-40 for detailing restoring plastic from old faded look to brand newMoreHere another great use of wd-40 for detailing restoring plastic from old faded look to brand new plastic.
How does heat restore faded plastic?
Heat brings the oils in the plastic up to the surface. It's temporary and will eventually fade again. A new heat cycle will do it again until there are no oils left in the plastic.
Can you restore brittle plastic?
Plastic is very brittle and prone to breaking. Welding joints and cracks actually make plastic stronger, allowing you to repair an object instead of spending money on a replacement. To perform the weld, melt together metal and plastic with a soldering iron.
Hydrogen Peroxide to the Rescue
To reverse some or all of this aging plastic can either be submerged in Hydrogen Peroxide liquid or coated with paste and exposed to ultraviolet light.
UV as a Restorative
Ironically, the same light that damages plastic can be used to speed up the restoration process. Plastic repair can occur in as little as four-hours, but typically takes 24-to-48-hours or longer.
A working Setup
The photo below shows an indoor setup consisting of a stainless-steel container, and an LED Ultraviolet light source. You might need to add stainless steel weights to keep plastic pieces from floating up if you use the solution rather than the paste.
Safety Considerations
Use a 12% (40V) Hydrogen Peroxide solution rather than anything stronger.
Try It!
Here are the steps for a typical restoration. Your first attempt should be on a radio you can live without if you damage it.
Low Cost Container
If you don’t want to spend money on a stainless container, a plastic storage tote will work just fine. If the container is transparent, wrap aluminum foil around the outside of it so that the UV light will reflect back into the container.
Why does plastic fade?
Modern plastics may take long to show fading signs because they contain additives that help stabilize them.
How to prevent plastic furniture from fading?
One way to minimize fading through oxidation is to make sure you bring your plastic furniture inside the house whenever you are not using it outside. This will shelter them from direct sunlight, responsible for the discoloration.
How to whiten yellowed plastic?
To whiten the yellowed plastic, fill a large bowl or bucket with one part bleach and one part water. Then wear gloves and soak paper towels with the bleach solution and cover the yellowed plastic with the wet paper towels. Let them sit there for an hour . Then thoroughly rinse the chair with a garden hose.
What to use to clean plastic furniture?
Do use a mild cleanser such as automatic dishwasher detergent and baking soda on plastic furniture. Do use a brush with soft bristles or toothbrushes when scrubbing plastic furniture.
How to remove graying from plastic chair?
To remove the discoloration, wet the chair again and scrub it with a nylon scrub pad. The pad should remove the graying discoloration on the plastic surface. Next, sprinkle a little baking soda onto a damp rag or sponge and scrub the surface of the faded plastic with it .
How to get rid of discoloration on plastic chair?
Discoloration from the reaction of plastic and particles in the air can also be responsible. To remove the discoloration, wet the chair again and scrub it with a nylon scrub pad.
How to renew old furniture?
Method 5: WD-40. To renew your furniture using WD-40, start by cleaning the furniture thoroughly and allowing it to dry. Then spray WD-40 onto the faded plastic and rub it in with a microfiber cloth. Once done, use a clean microfiber cloth to wipe away any extra WD-40 off the surface of the plastic.
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After months of being out in the beaming Oklahoma sun, you likely experienced sun damage to your skin. From sun spots to pigmentation to new wrinkles – the sun can wreak havoc on your youthful features.
Fraxel
Fraxel is a laser treatment that uses 2 laser beams to reduce wrinkles, fine lines, freckles and dark pigmentation. These laser beams penetrate top skin layers to stimulate collagen and resurface the skin. Your collagen will then begin to fill your wrinkles and lines naturally.
Clear & Brilliant
Owned by the same company as Fraxel, Clear and Brilliant is a single laser beam treatment that refreshes skin tone and texture. Clear and Brilliant results are less dramatic than Fraxel, so this treatment works best for people who don’t need much skin correction. The best way to think of it is an additional regimen to the skin care you do at home.
How to restore hard plastic?
1. Use soapy water and sandpaper to restore hard plastic. For hard plastics that haven’t been painted, fill a bucket with soap and water. Then, dip 150-grit sandpaper into the soa py water and rub the surface in a circular motion. Cover every faded area 5-6 times.
How to fix fading on plastic?
If your plastic has been painted, the only way to fix fading is to repaint it. Set your plastic down outside on top of a drop cloth and spray the entire item with a spray primer designed for plastic. Wait 1-2 hours for the primer to dry.
Why is my plastic not discolored?
Faded plastic that isn’t discolored is typically caused by oxidization. There are multiple ways to remove oxidization using a variety of different cleaning solutions, so choose the cleaning solution based on the type of plastic that is faded.
How to clean plastic with bleach?
Mix 1⁄3 cup (79 mL) of liquid laundry detergent with 2⁄3 cup (160 mL) of all-purpose household cleaner. Then, add 1 US quart (950 mL) of bleach and 1 US gal (3.8 L) of water. Mix the ingredients together and add it to a spray bottle. Take your plastic outside and spray the discolored area.
Why does my car have discolored plastic?
On vehicles, discolored plastic is usually a combination of dirt and sun damage. This creates a layer of discolored plastic on top of your vehicle. The heat gun literally melts this discolored layer off. Since the exterior layer is worn down, it will melt at a lower temperature than the unblemished plastic underneath.
How to clean vinyl plastic?
For vinyl plastic, mix 5 cups (1.2 L) of distilled vinegar with 1 gallon (3.8 L) of hot water. Mix the ingredients together and pour it into a clean spray. Take your plastic outside and hold the spray bottle 1–2 feet (0.30–0.61 m) away from the vinyl.
Why does plastic fade?
There are a variety of reasons for plastic to fade. Most fading is a result of oxidization, which causes plastic to wear down and develop a rougher texture. Fortunately, you can easily remove oxidation with sandpaper, vinegar, or a bleach solution.

Hydrogen Peroxide to The Rescue
- Wash and dry the plastic surface. Dampen a microfiber cloth in lukewarm water, then use it to wipe down the plastic. This should remove any dirt, dust, or other debris that can interfere with the cleaning products. Dry the surface fully with a clean microfiber cloth before you apply the conditioner.[1] X Research source To handle tough stains, clean the plastic with a mixture .5 f…
- Squeeze plastic conditioner onto the affected area. Purchase a specialized plastic conditioni…
UV as A Restorative
A Working Setup
Safety Considerations
Try It!
- Ironically, the same light that damages plastic can be used to speed up the restoration process. Plastic repair can occur in as little as four-hours, but typically takes 24-to-48-hours or longer. Although placing submerged or coated objects in strong, direct sunlight will work, there are risks with that approach. Plastic can melt or distort in the heat from strong sunlight. Moreover, sunlig…
Low Cost Container
- The photo below shows an indoor setup consisting of a stainless-steel container, and an LED Ultraviolet light source. You might need to add stainless steel weights to keep plastic pieces from floating up if you use the solution rather than the paste. The hardware items are all available on Amazon and elsewhere for Under $75.00. A one-gallon container of 12% solution or paste will se…