Alternative to Retr0bright

[HPComputerMuseum]

In restoring a bunch of old HP262X terminals in the HP Computer Museum's collection ( http://www.hpmuseum.net ), I've come across a product that does a really fantastic job of removing effects of UV on the plastics of these devices. It's called Orange Power Sticky Spot and Goo dissolver ( http://awareenvironmental.com.au/product/sticky-spot-goo-dissolver/ ) and no, I have no connection with the Australian company that makes it.

The effects of the product can be seen in the 2 photos at the bottom of this page.. http://www.hpmuseum.net/exhibit.php?hwimg=242 . The brown/orange colouring of the plastic was AFTER I cleaned it with normal mild household cleaner and before the Orange Power product.

or in the following links:

http://www.hpmuseum.net/images/OrangePower1.jpg
http://www.hpmuseum.net/images/OrangePower2.jpg
http://www.hpmuseum.net/images/OrangePower3.jpg
http://www.hpmuseum.net/images/OrangePower4.jpg

Unlike Retr0bright, it doesn't contain any nasty chemicals and can be bought in local Australian supermarkets for about 6 Aussie Dollars (about $US 4.60) for 110ml. It seems to be generally safe for plastics but I have found that the HP PaintJet cases become soft and tacky quite quickly - so not recommended for those.

The only issue for people outside of Australia is it doesn't seem to be sold in any other countries. I've also tried some other orange-based cleaners that while having some effect, aren't anywhere near as good.

The plastic case of terminal in the pictures above was in quite bad shape and was heading for the scrap heap but after about 4 applications of the Orange Power product, it came good. It only needs to be rubbed into the plastic with your fingers and the staining lifts off like dirt in the liquid in about 20 seconds - and the workbench smells like oranges!!

While it's not obvious in the smell of the product, it does contain some hydrocarbons which classifies it as dangerous goods for shipping so not easy to send out of Australia. I haven't tried it but there's a Goof-Off Gunk and Adhesive remover product that has similar ingredients but more hydrocarbons I think so may be tougher on plastics. The orange derived d-limonene appears to be the key ingredient though.

Hope that helps anyone who is looking to restore the appearance of old computing equipment!

 

[Retro_Lover]

Your pics appear to show something more like surface dirt and grime, whereas the yellowing seen in plastics is in the plastic itself, it is not a surface dirt.
Retrobrighting, does not actually cure the yellowing since the yellowing is a flame retardant mixed in with the plastics to prevent a fire hazard. Retrobrighting just temporarily pushes back years of UV light exposure and it does/can come back because the flame retardant is still in the plastic.

 

[HPComputerMuseum]

I can assure you marking on the plastic on the terminal was not 'grime' - the untreated parts of the terminal was what it looked like AFTER I got the dirt off it from storage with a normal mild cleaner and paper towel. The yellow/brown colour was most certainly in the surface of the plastic but the good thing about the Orange Power product is it hasn't affected the grain of the plastic after cleaning, as can be seen in one of the photos.

All it is doing it taking the surface layer of UV affected plastic off (as opposed to bleaching it) and uncovering new plastic to start the UV aging process all over again, but this time for me in an museum environment that has far less UV around so the yellowing will hopefully take much longer.

As I said in my original post, I'm not on Orange Power's payroll, I just thought this was an effective, quick, safe and renewable alternative to what I'm sure is an effective option in Retr0bright, and thought it might be of interest to people in this forum.

 

[irix]

Can you try this as well on a really yellowed mouse for example? Just to see what it does on that.

 

[User4703]

Thats not yellowing, thats just grime. Go and pick up a SNES and try it on that, for science.

 

[Rasta]

It's curious in so much as many of the best cleaning products in the world appear to be derived from a formula that smells citrusy. Carpet cleaner, label remover, etc etc. I'd hazard a guess that this is the same stuff and they've donned the name because of the smell??

No doubt these are fantastic cleaners. I don't know if they'd do much about the ageing appearance.

Before the days we knew anything about the 'yellowing' of kit, particularly Amigas, I used something that was named 'barbecue cleaner'. Which inherently was designer for..... well barbecues. You'd spray it on and your gear seemingly went back to it's original form. The more you sprayed on neat and left it, the better cleaning job it did. Most of us were smokers and not knowing anything about 'yellowing' we were convinced that even tho the smoking without doubt added to the problem, it was purely down to that. Its only so many years later that we are better educated.

One word of caution, the cleaners we'd use were very very harsh on plastic. Despite doing an outstanding job, the likes of 'barbecue cleaner' would make the cases more brittle each time you used it.

We were teenagers - what did we know. lol.

 

[Retro_Lover]

As I said in my original post, I'm not on Orange Power's payroll, I just thought this was an effective, quick, safe and renewable alternative to what I'm sure is an effective option in Retr0bright, and thought it might be of interest to people in this forum.

To me, it doesn't show anything other than grime. How about you show a before and after pics of a yellowed mouse, or a key from a yellowed keyboard.

 

[mattsoft]

We have something like this in the US called "Goo Gone". It's a citrus cleaner that removes stubborn adhesive, grease, and dirt. I use it all the time in restoring stuff. No, it does not restore plastic yellowed by flame retardants. Only peroxide-based treatments seem to do that -- other than abrasion where you remove yellowed plastic (and change the surface texture).

 

[custardo]

Exposing the plastics to a solution of chlorine gas does an even better job than peroxide as it has an easier job displacing the bromine. Unfortunately chlorine is extremely dangerous, and also when exposed too long plastics become very brittle indeed.

The citrus oil based products are great for removing stickers etc, but of unlike some of the labels claim it is a solvent (at least it's main component limonene is). The thing you have to watch out for is that the stuff is very good at dissolving styrene plastics. When in contact, polystyrene will dissolve to almost nothing, but harder styrenes like CD jewel cases, will turn into a sticky goo. Hard plastic screens of tabletop LCD/VFD games (Grandstand, Tomy) are usually styrene too, but as a bonus, limonene can also dissolve the paint on those screens really well.

 

[HPComputerMuseum]

Boy talk about a tough crowd. I don’t think HP mice yellowed anywhere near what their 262X terminals did - have never had to use this stuff on them. If I get time i’ll do a video to demonstrate and see if I have a mouse that is yellowed as well, but it's unlikely to be an amiga mouse if that's they type that has yellowing issues.

But seriously, for the doubters in the crowd, if I say it’s not ‘grime’ perhaps consider the option that I’m telling the truth rather than just discard that possibility - it makes the inevitable backdown less embarrassing once proven...

The point made above by custardo that it can affect some plastics is correct though - the HP Paintjet cases behave like the Styrene example he quoted and become tacky after about a minute so this isn't a solution for everything.

 

[mattsoft]

I've got some yellowed plastics, send me a bottle and I'll test it.

Hey, if it works for you and cleaned up your plastics nicely, that's all that matters!

Boy talk about a tough crowd. I don’t think HP mice yellowed anywhere near what their 262X terminals did - have never had to use this stuff on them. If I get time i’ll do a video to demonstrate and see if I have a mouse that is yellowed as well, but it's unlikely to be an amiga mouse if that's they type that has yellowing issues.

But seriously, for the doubters in the crowd, if I say it’s not ‘grime’ perhaps consider the option that I’m telling the truth rather than just discard that possibility - it makes the inevitable backdown less embarrassing once proven...

The point made above by custardo that it can affect some plastics is correct though - the HP Paintjet cases behave like the Styrene example he quoted and become tacky after about a minute so this isn't a solution for everything.

 

[HPComputerMuseum]

I've got some yellowed plastics, send me a bottle and I'll test it.

Unfortunately it's classified as dangerous goods as the Orange Oil is flammable...so not easy to ship... But you could send me a piece of your yellowed plastic...

 

[tbtorro]

I've got some yellowed plastics, send me a bottle and I'll test it.

Unfortunately it's classified as dangerous goods as the Orange Oil is flammable...so not easy to ship... But you could send me a piece of your yellowed plastic...

I'm pretty sure that if a less than an ounce quantity was put in a small tough container it would ship just fine..