SHARP QT50 Sun-Faded Blue Plastic Color Restoration

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Switek

Switek

Member (SA)
Hello, Everyone.

This is my first post. I originally joined Boomboxery to seek helpful suggestions for restoring the sun-faded colored plastic on my SHARP QT50, recently purchased on eBay.

Here are four of the original eBay listing photos.

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This little box is a delightful addition to my small collection. It is in relatively decent shape, both cassette player and radio work like a charm and the antenna is still intact, with minor age-related scuffs and scratches.

Aesthetically, the device appears to be sun-faded. The original color can be seen on the front where the manufacturer's sticker used to be and on the back, behind the battery cover. Even the volume, balance, and tone dials appear to have been affected by the sun's rays. The peach colored antenna ball looks faded, as well.

Does anyone have a suggestion or solution to help me restore the faded color back to original?
 
Fatdog

Fatdog

Well-Known Member
Staff member
To me, it appears to be more nicotine-stained than sun-faded.

Here is an old post where I had a similar problem. I basically used a paste made with baking soda and water. I didn't use any vinegar. You can clearly see the difference the baking soda made.

https://boomboxery.com/forum/index.php/topic/7661-sharp-gf-303sg/#entry97349


How to Clean Nicotine Stains on Plastic

Step 1
Put on rubber gloves. Common dishwashing gloves work fine.

Step 2
Fill a bucket half full with the hottest tap water available. Add one cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar.

Step 3
Spray the plastic coated with nicotine stains with an all-purpose cleaner and allow the cleaner to saturate the plastic for about five minutes.

Step 4
Dip a scrub brush into the baking soda/vinegar/water solution and scrub the plastic vigorously. Repeat until residue or stains are removed. If stains/residue persist, continue scrubbing.

Step 5
Change the bucket solution repeatedly as you clean, especially if you're dealing with a large amount of stained plastic. The water will become brown as the nicotine transfers from the plastic to the scrub brush and subsequently to the water. If the stain is very greasy, pour vinegar straight onto the stain, then scrub with the solution and scrub brush.

Step 6
Use a toothbrush to scrub any fine details in molded crevices on the plastic. Use the same cleaning solution, or liberally sprinkle baking soda onto a wet plastic surface and scrub the soda undiluted directly onto the stain. Rinse the plastic with a rag soaked in water.

Step 7
Wet a rag in cold water and wipe down the plastic, rinsing away the cleaning solution. After rinsing, if you notice any residue/stains still in place, proceed to the final step.

Step 8
Use an eraser sponge to further scrub the plastic. Eraser sponges, such as Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser and Scotch-Brite's Easy Erasing Pad, contain melamine foam, an effective stain remover, but the pads break up and dissolve very quickly. Use a wet rag to rinse away any residue left behind by the eraser sponge.
 
Switek

Switek

Member (SA)
Fatdog said:
To me, it appears to be more nicotine-stained than sun-faded.
Click to expand...
Good point. This was my initial thought, as well. This thing does smell slightly like an old cigarette butt. If this is indeed nicotine stained, I am surprised how much elbow grease may be needed to clean it off. Thank you, Fatdog. I'll give it a shot, tonight.
 
caution

caution

Member (SA)
Retrobrite will probably help, it's the same retardant all the other plastics used, regardless of color.
 
JustCruisin

JustCruisin

Member (SA)
Look into the product from Rustoleum called ReColor.. It's supposed to be a wipe on that restores the color to faded plastic..?
 
floyd

floyd

Boomus Fidelis
That's a great idea James .I was thinking if you can find somebody to match the color just paint It.
 
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