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Repair guide

Reduce yellowing on vintage computer plastic (retrobright)

Some old ABS plastics yellow because of a flame retardant that reacts with UV light. Retrobright treatments use peroxide and UV light to bring the colour back, but results vary and the chemicals demand care.

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Case · Careful · about 240 minutes. Worth doing. Reports say this fix helps on many machines.

You are in the right place if: The case has turned from grey or beige to yellow or brown with age.

Before you start

  • Peroxide at higher strengths burns skin and eyes. Wear gloves and eye protection and read the product safety notes.
  • Never treat with electronics attached. Remove boards, labels and rubber parts first.
  • Results can be uneven, and the yellowing may return in time.
  • If you are not comfortable with chemicals, leave the plastic alone.

Board revisions and models

Results depend on the plastic and the age; different cases respond differently.

Parts you may need

  • Hydrogen peroxide cream developer. Active ingredient in common mixtures Amazon · eBay
  • UV lamp or sunlight. Needed for the reaction Amazon · eBay
  • Cling film. Stops the mixture drying out Amazon · eBay
  • UV-protective clear coat. Slows re-yellowing Amazon · eBay

Tools

Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. These links only search by name. Disclosure

Step by step

  1. Identify the plastic and decide Check that the case is the type that yellows (many are) and that you actually want to treat it. Painted or screen-printed parts may be damaged.
  2. Disassemble completely Remove every board, cable, label, rubber foot and metal part. Keep screws sorted.
  3. Clean the plastic Wash the parts with mild soap and water and dry them.
  4. Mask anything you do not want treated Cover labels, stickers and printed legends.
  5. Prepare the treatment Follow a reputable method with gloves and eye protection, in a ventilated space away from children and pets.
  6. Apply evenly Apply the gel or mixture evenly and wrap or protect it so it does not dry out.
  7. Expose to UV Place the part in UV light or sunlight, turning it periodically to avoid streaks.
  8. Check progress Check every hour or so. Stop when the colour matches.
  9. Rinse and dry Rinse the parts thoroughly and dry them completely.
  10. Protect the plastic Consider a UV-protective coating to slow re-yellowing.

Tips, tales and maybes

Found in write-ups and forum threads. These are other people's reports, not tested by us.

  • Story (Medium confidence). A Satellaview refurbishment log includes a retrobright treatment on a console, alongside a recap. Source
  • Maybe (Low confidence). Yellowing can come back, so a UV-protective coat is a common last step. General technique, no source.

Guides we used

We wrote the steps in our own words from these. They have the photos and the full detail, so please read them and support their authors.

Boards and models vary, so check what is in front of you. A repair can involve hot tools, chemicals and, on some machines, dangerous voltages. You do it at your own risk.

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