I've got an older (11+ years old) Maytag Perfroma refrigerator that is white with white plastic handles. The fridge is ok, but the handles are very yellowed.

Not wanting to shell out close to $200 for new replacements or $100+ for some used eBay replacements, does anyone have any ideas for how to make the yellowed plastic white again? Cleaning them with normal household cleaners don't seem to have done much.

Thanks.

Replacement handles cost that much? Wow!

Sadly, yes. I was unpleasantly surprised.

There's lots of ways to recover yellowed plastic. Bleach or vinegar can often work.

If those ways don't work, I would consider just re-finishing them with some of the new plastic-bondable spray paints.

Did you try magic erasers?

Try what they call retrobrite. Link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZYbchvSUDY&t=1027s

Certain plastics just yellow with age, look at old computers that were once white or light gray or beige and they all seem to yellow like that.

They do make spray paints that adhere well to plastic, I’d maybe sand with fine sandpaper, clean well and put a couple coats of white paint on them.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
Did you try magic erasers?

Yes, and no improvement was noted.

quote:

Originally posted by nshumway:
Try what they call retrobrite. Link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZYbchvSUDY&t=1027s

That looks interesting, and relatively easy. Might be trying that.

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:
There's lots of ways to recover yellowed plastic. Bleach or vinegar can often work.

If those ways don't work, I would consider just re-finishing them with some of the new plastic-bondable spray paints.

Bleach didn't do anything, and I have not tried cleaning vinegar yet.

I was thinking about appliance white spray enamel myself. Of course the surface is lightly textured, so I'm not sure how the paint will lay.

quote:

I was thinking about appliance white spray enamel myself. Of course the surface is lightly textured, so I'm not sure how the paint will lay.

I also thought of appliance epoxy, but the ones I've seen seem to mention only for applying on metal. Not sure if it would work on plastic.

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:

quote:

I was thinking about appliance white spray enamel myself. Of course the surface is lightly textured, so I'm not sure how the paint will lay.

I also thought of appliance epoxy, but the ones I've seen seem to mention only for applying on metal. Not sure if it would work on plastic.

I was thinking about appliance white color, not the epoxy appliance paint, but I'd bet you are right and appliance white might not come in a plastic friendly product.

Hey, someone agrees with me!

(I also saw a review of appliance epoxy used on plastic, and they said it adhered well, but try at your own risk.)

Buy some vinyl sheets like the kind that they make auto decals and body wraps, then wrap and exacto knife it.

They make spray paint and sell it at lowes for plastic. It works quite well.

leave it alone and buy a new one in 3 years as it will be at its max life expectancy

Clean plastic with ammonia so the paint will adhere.

quote:

Originally posted by stuffgeek:
leave it alone and buy a new one in 3 years as it will be at its max life expectancy

I'm planning on selling my house and making it someone elses issue, but figured I'd do what I could to make it show better in the short term.

Definitely paint if it's staying with the house

As others have said either plastic paint or maybe wet sanding like what works with yellowed headlights?