How To Clean Yellowed White Plastic

How to restore a yellowed plastic drawer front

A reader wants to make these yellowed drawers look white again. (Reader photo)

QWe have acherished bedroom chest, bought in the 1970s or '80s from Levitz, a now-defunct furniture store. The front panels are molded plastic, attached to a wood substrate. The front panels of the two top drawers have become discolored and stained because of excessive application of the product Endust. We've tried many cleaning products and even a coarse 80-grit sanding pad. The plastic appears thick and sturdy enough to withstand extensive sanding, but it's definitely not a hand operation. Painting the panels might be an option. What are your recommendations?

Springfield

AThe culprit might not be Endust, a spray-on dusting product that consists mostly of water, mineral oil and other solvents plus a propellant. The plastic parts on your chest might simply have yellowed over time from exposure to ultraviolet light.

It's sometimes possible to make yellowed plastic look white again by using hydrogen peroxide and, ironically, UV light. Hydrogen peroxide sold in brown bottles at drugstores is too weak, at just a 3 percent concentration. But hair bleach products labeled as "30 volume," with a 9 percent concentration, or "40 volume" (12 percent) are suitable. They have the added benefit of being thick like cream, which helps them stay on plastic during treatment. The process consists of brushing on the hydrogen peroxide (while wearing gloves and eye protection), covering that with plastic wrap so the bleach doesn't dry too fast and then leaving the piece under a UV light for 12 hours or in the sun for several hours. The final step is a thorough rinse.

However, this treatment is risky for your furniture because the plastic drawer fronts are attached to a wood substrate. From the pictures you sent, the wooden parts appear to be manufactured panels of some type. If they get damp — which could easily happen during the bleaching process or final rinse — they might permanently swell out of shape.

When the new owners of this home removed outdoor carpet from this concrete porch floor, the adhesive remained. (Reader photo)

It would be safer to paint the chest. Clean the surfaces thoroughly to get rid of any oily deposits from the dusting product. Although labels on some primers say sanding isn't necessary, paint bonds better if you take a few minutes to scuff-sand with fine-grit sandpaper until the surface looks evenly dull. Wipe off the residue, then prime. When that's dry, top with a coat or two of finish paint.

We recently purchased a 31-year-old home via foreclosure. The previous owners covered the concrete porch floor with outdoor green carpet, which we removed. Although we tried scraping and using Goof Off, we cannot remove the carpet adhesive. Any suggestions?

Glenn Dale

Sometimes it's possible to scrape off carpet adhesive after softening it with a heat gun. But when that doesn't work, the options are chemical strippers and grinders.

Goof Off is a brand with many different strippers and removers. Because the product you tried didn't work, you might try an adhesive remover from a different company, such as Crown Semi-Paste Multi-Surface Paint Remover ($26.98 per gallon at Lowe's). But when you read reviews by homeowners who have used products such as this to remove carpet adhesive, there is always a mixture of praise and "it didn't work" comments. That probably reflects differences in adhesives as well as working conditions, because temperature and air movement make a big difference in how fast the removers dry out.

A more reliable and less messy approach is to grind off the residue with a walk-behind tool that does the muscle work. Home Depot rents a floor polisher for $31 for four hours or $44 a day and a coating-removal tool that fits over the sanding disk on the polisher for $70 a day. You need both. The polisher is equipped with a hose that attaches to a vacuum (rented separately), but vacuuming as you go isn't really necessary, especially on a porch, according to a store representative in Home Depot's South Annapolis store. If you want a vacuum, Home Depot rents those, too, for $17 for four hours and $24 a day. These tools are also available to rent at Home Depot's store in Bowie, but call first to check availability (301-809-3455).

Have a problem in your home? Send questions to localliving@washpost.com . Put "How To" in the subject line, tell us where you live and try to include a photo.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.