Cleaning a 6128+

[ComSoft6128]

I recently purchased the Klear Screen Display Cleaning Kit which did a good job on the Plus monitor I have here. I now want to clean up the 6128+ itself which has suffered 25 years of exposure to a "nicotine rich" atmosphere - the once cream plastic case is looking more than slightly yellow. I don't expect it to ever look like new again but is there a product that would improve the appearance?

Cheers,

Peter

[Duke]

I recently purchased the Klear Screen Display Cleaning Kit which did a good job on the Plus monitor I have here. I now want to clean up the 6128+ itself which has suffered 25 years of exposure to a "nicotine rich" atmosphere - the once cream plastic case is looking more than slightly yellow. I don't expect it to ever look like new again but is there a product that would improve the appearance?

Try googling for retrobright or BBlonde.

[||C|-|E||]

Yup, it is going to be either the chemical treatment or a fresh coat of paint, I am afraid... 

[Bryce]

I recently purchased the Klear Screen Display Cleaning Kit which did a good job on the Plus monitor I have here. I now want to clean up the 6128+ itself which has suffered 25 years of exposure to a "nicotine rich" atmosphere - the once cream plastic case is looking more than slightly yellow. I don't expect it to ever look like new again but is there a product that would improve the appearance?

Cheers,

Peter

It's not nicotine, it's the bromine fire retardant migrating through the plastic. You can retrobrite the case, but the results can vary and it can end up looking worse than it did before. It also isn't a permanent solution, the plastic will go back to being yellow after a while.

Bryce.

[Gryzor]

Speaking of nicotine:


I recently witnessed an air-conditioning repairman washing down the filters and covers of an A/C unit. Those parts had already been thoroughly washed with water and soap. AND YET, the guy used a chemical that washed away a ton of nicotine! I was very impressed.


So, maybe that is a solution for machines suffering, indeed, from nicotine yellowing. But I have no idea what he used...

[||C|-|E||]

It was probably tar more than nicotine     You would need to use a stronger detergent or and organic solvent in that case    There are a few products that contain both and also some solutions based in bleach. Bleaching in many cases does not remove the tainting crap, but makes it colorless    In all these cases however it is essential to know that you will not destroy the material you intend to clean.

[rpalmer]

you can also see tutorials on how people have restored yellowed computers on youtube. Just search for retrobright. I recommend looking at "8-bit guy" as he has done a test of the different strategies to restore yellowed items with mixed results.

rpalmer