When I was a kid, I had a Chewbacca that turned green.... but that was because he was left outside in the grass for two years. I found him and just decided he was in disguise. This was many years before Shadows of the Empire, where chewie did get a disguise. Thanks for the video. I always wondered why that happened and only certain parts. Now I know, and knowing is HALF THE BATTLE!
Thanks for this info and demo, Scott! I’ve read about this before and it’s nice to see it demonstrated in a video. It sure would be great if those who downvoted this would leave a comment explaining why.
The figures will yellow again over time. And three times as fast. Unless you do something more extreme like retrobrite or heavy duty peroxide under blacklite. You also can only basically do this with white figures. It fades other colors especially fleshtones.
@@hercb4388 because this method while immediately effective is not chemically potent enough to reverse years of oxidation. The chemical in the plastic which causes yellowing is still there.
i'm impressed that it worked! And i was going to ask if it would work to restore other coloured figures. My MOTU vintage Skeletor is having the same torso discolouration issue. Now i have to try this.
Yes, I am glad you brought up this subject. And also showed the early Stormtroopers which was one of the first toys where it seemed to really be noticed. It had happened before then, but I think Stormtroopers was when a lot of people really noticed.
Hey Scott! This was most helpful. Much like many others, I thought this was due to UV light exposure. Are you familiar at all with two other phenomena I've encountered? 1) Certain plastics (usually the more 'flexible' or 'rubber-like' items, such as boots) end up with a very sticky, oily substance on them. I have no idea what it is how how to clean it off! 2) Some of my dolls *AHEM ACTION COLLECTIBLES* with 'pleather' sort of plastic end up with the pleather material breaking apart and crumbling away. This particularly worries me with some of my more modern items as they are more expensive- I'm afraid this will happen to them down the line. As always, great stuff on your channel! Oh- I also recently watched "The Power of Grayskull" and when you came on I was like "Hey! Its that guy! Cool!" Great job!
Have their been any studies on the long term affects of this? I have done this because I'm worried it would be just trading one problem for a worse one a few years later.
I've heard this discussed on a Transformers podcast and the verdict is while it does work, the toys will start to yellow again over time. It's not a permanent fix.
@@BrynSmith76 Not sure. It's a flaw with the plastic itself; in that same Transformers podcast, the guys talk about G1 Transformers that were MIB, stored in dark closets for years that still yellowed. But that's in regards to sunlight. Airtight containers? I have no idea.
@@KingBrachion92 yeah, my Star wars collection was stored bagged and boxed and in my closet and the Wampa still yellowed. Shame as it was a perfect example prior to yellowing.
Will this process have any affect on the paint? I have a few collectible WWF Hasbro figures from the early 90’s which are yellowing and I’m considering trying this but I’m worried about it affecting the painted graphics and lettering on their outfits coming off.
I have a old gi-firefly, would it work on the grey? And if so would I need to cover up his black camo splotches? This would be first time doing it so I don't know much about it.
So if you’ve broken down the chemical bond to remove the browning does that mean the risk of… combustion (or whatever it was that meant they added the chemical in the first place ) is also back?
Yeah, I'd like to check that first. If it's just releasing the bonded oxygen and the Bromine stays bonded it should be fine, I'd just like to check to see if the Bromine gets released too.
Thanks, Toy Guru! Great video, as always. I definitely want to try this on some of my old Transformers. Am I right in thinking that this would kill the stickers?
Do you think this process would work on my vintage Mego Sue Storm head? If you don't know that's cool, Toy Polloi didn't have an answer that worked either.
Great video, thanks for posting. My Nikto figure from childhood went yellow on his chest and under his belt..the outfit is originally like an aqua or light blueish color. Can this be reversed back to it's original color also?
Would you like to discuss and explain “shining” plastic used in some action figures? Like the one used by Super 7 in their MOTU toys. I heard that the plastic that they used was corrupted or very low quality.
On the topic of chemistry and plastics I have two other questions that perhaps you could address: Why do manufacturers seemingly knowingly continue to use plastics that are known to break down and disintegrate over a short period of time, such as the translucent joint pegs in the old DCD figures? Why do the bicep swivel joints on some of my DCUC figures twist apart over time while others do not? Was different plastic used by different factories and can the toy company control this ?
It doesn't need to me submerged. I've been doing this for years with amazing results by just using off gassing of the H2O2. I've de yellowed a USS Flag, a couple of Millennium Falcons, dozens of troopers and some multi colored G.I. Joes. I think submerging might be a better way to more completely restore the structure of the plastic, but the gas method still achieves the aesthetic result.
I have been retrobrighting old electronics for years. Folks have used things like salon cream, UV lights, aluminum foil, and various other additional steps. But good old hydrogen peroxide and natural sunlight always does the trick, as long as you have the patience and cooperating weather!
I suppose my main question about this is, why do some toys have the problem & others don't? Or, why some parts of a toy yellow while others don't? My Matty Collector Blue Lion has yellowing legs, but not the other lions. Another example is my Deep Space Starscream from the 1st movie, & only segments of the mold are yellowing (not comparing to painted parts). I get this is a safety step, but why the inconsistency? It seems we have the ability to prevent this, why is this still an issue?
This video sounds like a kid had to give a report in class but didn’t remember until class started that day so he pulled out his phone and read a Wikipedia article out loud.
If you have a large ship that needs doing,paint it in hydrogen peroxide and wrap it in cling film and leave in the sun for 6/7 hours and that should work to.
I used salon peroxide cream, wrapped figures/ship parts in cling wrap, and exposed to UV light in a plastic tub. brightened everything up! wasn't sure how it worked - just thought it was just a "bleaching" effect. Thanks for providing the science!!
@@carlo2384 I personally do a comb of both, submerge the figures under a UV light for 24 hrs instead of waiting 3 days. On figures with red parts I really love, I mask off the section and use your method.
I heard people say it can cause damage, but I've yet to see anyone actually prove it. I'd expect it from soft plastic that you may be sucking the pigments and plasticizers out of, but not hard plastic.
@@gregg9672 Shouldn't since the paint they use requires a pretty strong solvent to remove. The peroxide is just removing the yellow it isn't bleaching the plastic.
Hey there Scott, So I believe this process is popularly called "Retrobright" by many of us toy fans/restorers. I've actually messed around with different versions of this for years... in fact, as I type this, I have some Lego pieces from a vintage set in the Hydrogen Peroxide right now. I've been trying the 13% concentration (most over the counter stuff is more like 3%), and that often works pretty well. But I usually use UV lights due to a more consistent light source (plus, I like in Western NY, so the outdoors thing isn't that great during the winter). Other versions are to use a hair bleaching solution found at places like Sally's Beauty Supply (I have to admit, considering I'm a guy who cuts his hair to 3/8ths of an inch long, I felt very self conscious stepping into a beauty supply store) to put on larger pieces and wrap in cling wrap. But... are you sure sun exposure has nothing to do with it? I've seen multiple times where sun exposure has yellowed toys... I used to display vintage Transformers in a room with nothing to block the sun from them, and my Ultra Magnus got pretty yellowed on his right (the side facing the window). Also, I've have lego space ships with white parts stored in the attic, again, with nothing to protect from the sun. And... I can see it yellowed more where the pricks were exposed, while I see a lighter white where there were bricks mounted on top for years. Anyway, I'll admit I've been apprehensive about trying to Retrobright painted toy parts, and I never really did use the lower concentration of over the counter hydrogen peroxide... I think I may experiment with that as well. I am hoping to start up a channel of my own sooner or later, and one video I'd do is sharing my results with de-yellowing plastic.
I've read a few articles about this process over the years. I think I first heard about this technique on Facebook on a Star Wars page about five years ago. Appreciate that you covered it again on here for easy reference, Thanks!
@@chrisvellner3922 I've got some Transformers that have yellowed terribly, so I've got to worry about screws and pins if I do this. Still might be worth a try though
I've seen people do this process with Transformers with no ill effects. Even the stickers stay adhered. Of course you can always hit them with a hair drier for a few minutes of you're really worried.
As someone who is currently studying chemistry, you made several mistakes on the details. But I also dabble in almost every type of science, so I probably do the same thing all the time. For future reference, the Lewis Structure is actually a system of drawing out the bonds within a molecule. Any chemical can have a Lewis structure.
This is a very nice instructional video. I did see a Facebook ad with this spray that supposedly reverses the yellowing process on action figures. I wasn't willing to pay to try it out, plus I don't really have any figures that have yellowed. However, if that ever happens I'll be sure to try this little trick.
I've been wanting to do this with some of my figures that have gone yellow, but would the hydrogen peroxide harm metal or any stickers on the figure? I have a G1 Jetfire that has some pretty bad yellowing, but I don't want to risk ruining the stickers or metal on it
I think I must be one of the few people whose toys *haven't* yellowed over time. Unfortunately I don't have any tips to share. I guess I'm just one of the lucky ones.
Wow thanks for giving us the science of why this happens! Now it makes far more sense to me why some parts yellow more than others...the level of bromine in the different parts. Great video!
@@thochaos13 Only trick for that is finding an airtight container large enough that still lets in sunlight. Though I've seen other comments talk about using cellophane
I've used salon grade peroxide gel and a UV light box to restore several G1 Jetfire Figures to bright white. One figure was discolored beyond yellow to a 'peach-orange'. For that one the full process took 144 hours as an experiment to see 'how bad' discoloration can be, and still be restored. 72 hours usually works for the moderate yellowing.
Great work! One question: must you remove any metal parts -like screws and metal hinges- before submerging the pieces in the liquid? Will the peroxide damage or rust the metal?
I was excited when I saw this in my feed. Many have the solution, no one explains the why. Works on yellow Skeletors, blue and gray legos also. Love to see a team up episode with Toy Poloi. Now why do blue lego plates and silver battle armor on vintage He-Man get brittle? Future episode?
Even though I figured the whole yellowing effect was a consequence of "oxidization", I liked this vid because it provided a solution to the issue. This kinda reminds me of the old re-runs of Mr. Wizard I used to watch as a kid. Most informative.
I have used this method in the past but it made the plastic more fragile and in some did crumble and in some toys yes they are white again but in a few weeks they turn yollow again and what do you do you make hydrogen preoxide bath again but the yellowing comes back much faster
Awesome vid!. Got one question, what about actions figures that got some colored details like for example clone troopers, would it be safe to put those in too or will it make the color fade? thanks
8-bit Guy did a video about this on his channel. He showed that you can get the same effect by partially filling a container and then sealing it as the vapers from it sitting in the hot sun work just as well as the liquid itself. He also had success with UV lights indoors rather than sunlight outside making that his default method for restoring computers and electronics.
I love your video. So it gets oxidised over time huh. Will adding oxygen absorbers and silicon gel in my display cabinet helps slowing down the process?
When I was a kid, I had a Chewbacca that turned green.... but that was because he was left outside in the grass for two years. I found him and just decided he was in disguise. This was many years before Shadows of the Empire, where chewie did get a disguise.
Thanks for the video. I always wondered why that happened and only certain parts. Now I know, and knowing is HALF THE BATTLE!
And leaving a toy outside int he elements can cause other issues like fading
Thanks for this info and demo, Scott! I’ve read about this before and it’s nice to see it demonstrated in a video. It sure would be great if those who downvoted this would leave a comment explaining why.
At least they are watching!
Some of the best toy collector content on the tube right here. Constant stream of interesting videos from this channel.
Why thank you! And help sharing with others is most appreciated!!
The figures will yellow again over time. And three times as fast. Unless you do something more extreme like retrobrite or heavy duty peroxide under blacklite. You also can only basically do this with white figures. It fades other colors especially fleshtones.
I haven't had that happen, but maybe I am not doing it enough
I think it’s obvious they will yellow again over time but why three times as fast? Just curious.
@@hercb4388 because this method while immediately effective is not chemically potent enough to reverse years of oxidation. The chemical in the plastic which causes yellowing is still there.
@@opinian1068 makes sense its still a better option then just leaving it yellow I guess.
@@hercb4388 agreed!
I used this process on my MOTU vintage Faker, his chest had yellowed and it restored it to the original blue
Nice!!
i'm impressed that it worked! And i was going to ask if it would work to restore other coloured figures. My MOTU vintage Skeletor is having the same torso discolouration issue. Now i have to try this.
Yes, I am glad you brought up this subject. And also showed the early Stormtroopers which was one of the first toys where it seemed to really be noticed. It had happened before then, but I think Stormtroopers was when a lot of people really noticed.
Insane right!
Some Star wars groups will crucify you for reversing the yellowing. They think it damages the plastic. Talk about scaremongering.
Best video yet! Thanks!! I got a snowtrooper just begging for this to be done.
Let me know how it goes!
I love your videos! Truly fascinating stuff. And I’ve never seen a video before that finally explained the cursed yellowing! Thank you for making it!
You are most welcome! Please feel free to share with others, it helps the channel a ton
Hey Scott! This was most helpful. Much like many others, I thought this was due to UV light exposure. Are you familiar at all with two other phenomena I've encountered?
1) Certain plastics (usually the more 'flexible' or 'rubber-like' items, such as boots) end up with a very sticky, oily substance on them. I have no idea what it is how how to clean it off!
2) Some of my dolls *AHEM ACTION COLLECTIBLES* with 'pleather' sort of plastic end up with the pleather material breaking apart and crumbling away. This particularly worries me with some of my more modern items as they are more expensive- I'm afraid this will happen to them down the line.
As always, great stuff on your channel!
Oh- I also recently watched "The Power of Grayskull" and when you came on I was like "Hey! Its that guy! Cool!" Great job!
I have a video on sticky plastic coming soon too
Have their been any studies on the long term affects of this? I have done this because I'm worried it would be just trading one problem for a worse one a few years later.
Not that I am aware of
I've heard this discussed on a Transformers podcast and the verdict is while it does work, the toys will start to yellow again over time. It's not a permanent fix.
@@KingBrachion92 I wonder if you seal the figure back into the empty air tight jar for display, wether it will still come back.
@@BrynSmith76 Not sure. It's a flaw with the plastic itself; in that same Transformers podcast, the guys talk about G1 Transformers that were MIB, stored in dark closets for years that still yellowed.
But that's in regards to sunlight. Airtight containers? I have no idea.
@@KingBrachion92 yeah, my Star wars collection was stored bagged and boxed and in my closet and the Wampa still yellowed. Shame as it was a perfect example prior to yellowing.
Gonna paint my scout trooper anyway, but might as well try to un-yellow/restore to defaults before I paint. Attempting hydro peroxide now.
Great video Scott! Gonna try this out this week to bring some life back to my stormtroopers and clones
Good luck!!! Hope it goes great
Hello. What happens to the painted parts? Will those be removed if I soak them with the solution?
Will this process have any affect on the paint? I have a few collectible WWF Hasbro figures from the early 90’s which are yellowing and I’m considering trying this but I’m worried about it affecting the painted graphics and lettering on their outfits coming off.
I knew that but I have a question Doesnt that damage other colors?
I've only had issues with paint not different colored plastic. And usually red is the color most affected
Not so much
For clone trooper figures with colors eg captain Rex figure can it get rid of the paint like the blue etc
So for a larger playset, this would be difficult to do
Can I used this method for my early to mid 2000 Barbie dolls?
What if it’s yellowing on like a gray or fleshy colored area?
You can try it, but it is really with white this works best
@@spectorcreative1872 do you have anything that’d work for those kinds of figures?
Hey i heard that after some time the toys will be more yellow than before, is that something you can confirm?
Great vid . Does this also apply to figures that turn dark brown ?
I have a giant rocksteady that’s turned dark or brown . Thanks .
Can I use this on skin tones?
I have a old gi-firefly, would it work on the grey? And if so would I need to cover up his black camo splotches? This would be first time doing it so I don't know much about it.
No, it should just remove the yellow
@@spectorcreative1872 ok thanks
So if you’ve broken down the chemical bond to remove the browning does that mean the risk of… combustion (or whatever it was that meant they added the chemical in the first place ) is also back?
Yeah, I'd like to check that first. If it's just releasing the bonded oxygen and the Bromine stays bonded it should be fine, I'd just like to check to see if the Bromine gets released too.
No, it won’t explode
You're not removing the bromine, you're removing a chemical bond between the bromine and oxygen. In other words you're only removing oxidation.
I have heard that there is the potential for plastics to re-yellow again over time...
Thanks, Toy Guru! Great video, as always. I definitely want to try this on some of my old Transformers. Am I right in thinking that this would kill the stickers?
Yes. Stickers are not a good thing to get wet
GUYS - you owe it to yourself to go through the comments - some great suggestions and links to other videos
Couldn’t agree more!
👍
Do you think this process would work on my vintage Mego Sue Storm head? If you don't know that's cool, Toy Polloi didn't have an answer that worked either.
It doesn't work as well on caucasion flesh color
@@spectorcreative1872 Thank you for your time.
What would I do for a yellowing vehicle like a Snowspeeder?
Get a really big jar
Works great with white Lego bricks
Nice use!
What phone are you taking photos with?
My iPhone
Peroxide won't fade the other colors?
Nope
how can i prevent it from hapening or is it impossible not to happen?
Great video, thanks for posting. My Nikto figure from childhood went yellow on his chest and under his belt..the outfit is originally like an aqua or light blueish color. Can this be reversed back to it's original color also?
It can but you may risk fadding the other colors. It works best on all white figs like Stormtroopers
Would you like to discuss and explain “shining” plastic used in some action figures? Like the one used by Super 7 in their MOTU toys. I heard that the plastic that they used was corrupted or very low quality.
As you said it is a lower quality of plastic
On the topic of chemistry and plastics I have two other questions that perhaps you could address:
Why do manufacturers seemingly knowingly continue to use plastics that are known to break down and disintegrate over a short period of time, such as the translucent joint pegs in the old DCD figures?
Why do the bicep swivel joints on some of my DCUC figures twist apart over time while others do not? Was different plastic used by different factories and can the toy company control this ?
It really comes down to these being inexpensive toys. They are simply not designed to last forever
It doesn't need to me submerged. I've been doing this for years with amazing results by just using off gassing of the H2O2. I've de yellowed a USS Flag, a couple of Millennium Falcons, dozens of troopers and some multi colored G.I. Joes. I think submerging might be a better way to more completely restore the structure of the plastic, but the gas method still achieves the aesthetic result.
Nice, I’ll have to try that
So when other figures (such as vintage chewie) get discolored limbs over time- is this the same reason that happens?
Yup
Can water ever damage a figure the paint or figure itself?
Most toys can handle water in limited amounts
Very good explanation, thank you :)
Glad it helped
Hey, I have a question. Will this process remove paint on the figures you're cleaning?
No, just the yellow
I have been retrobrighting old electronics for years. Folks have used things like salon cream, UV lights, aluminum foil, and various other additional steps. But good old hydrogen peroxide and natural sunlight always does the trick, as long as you have the patience and cooperating weather!
Awesome. Great post and concepts
Great to know as an empire collector!
Glad it was useful
Cool
Indeed
I suppose my main question about this is, why do some toys have the problem & others don't? Or, why some parts of a toy yellow while others don't? My Matty Collector Blue Lion has yellowing legs, but not the other lions. Another example is my Deep Space Starscream from the 1st movie, & only segments of the mold are yellowing (not comparing to painted parts). I get this is a safety step, but why the inconsistency? It seems we have the ability to prevent this, why is this still an issue?
It is just the specific mixture of plastic that is used. It is never 100% the same
This video sounds like a kid had to give a report in class but didn’t remember until class started that day so he pulled out his phone and read a Wikipedia article out loud.
Yeah the guy who made it is a jerk too
You are a mad genius!
Well mad at least
Science!
It’s the new religion
Great video
Well thank you
Mrs. Toy Guru: Scott what is this strange tea you are making?
You: I'm cleaning my toys dear!
Her: Again?!?
Me: Great video!
Yeah my wife thinks I'm weird
This works on shoe soles too
Nice
If you have a large ship that needs doing,paint it in hydrogen peroxide and wrap it in cling film and leave in the sun for 6/7 hours and that should work to.
Interesting!
Knowing something is half the battle. The other half is sunlight and peroxide.
Clearly
Oh wow so this also works on Super Nintendos!
Yes but those have electronics so I don't recommend it
I'm gonna try it....
A friend gave me a Ghostbusters Staypuft Marshmallow Man pencil sharpener that looks like he's been "toasted "
Nice!
And knowing is half the battle Yo Joe.
The other half is lasers
Noice…thanks for this!
Glad I can help!
UV light is the best solution to make yellowed plastic look perfect white! Their are videos of used Playstations being restored this way!
That is cool, I had not tried that
Toy Polloi is your friend
I love friends!
I used salon peroxide cream, wrapped figures/ship parts in cling wrap, and exposed to UV light in a plastic tub. brightened everything up! wasn't sure how it worked - just thought it was just a "bleaching" effect. Thanks for providing the science!!
Nice method!
@@spectorcreative1872 retrobrite 👍
@@carlo2384 I personally do a comb of both, submerge the figures under a UV light for 24 hrs instead of waiting 3 days.
On figures with red parts I really love, I mask off the section and use your method.
@@YakBat whatever gets the job done!
And now I know, and knowing is half the battle..
The other half is lasers
@@spectorcreative1872 Red and blue lasers.
In this case the other half is sun light and hydrogen peroxide.
A science lesson and how-to tutorial, Scott's picking up on this TH-cam game. Though prolonged exposure can lead to damaging the plastic
I must be finally getting it!
I heard people say it can cause damage, but I've yet to see anyone actually prove it. I'd expect it from soft plastic that you may be sucking the pigments and plasticizers out of, but not hard plastic.
@@emerje0 will it damage the figure of certain parts are painted
@@gregg9672 Shouldn't since the paint they use requires a pretty strong solvent to remove. The peroxide is just removing the yellow it isn't bleaching the plastic.
For years I have read and known about this problem, but never heard a explanation of the phenomenon until now. Thanks for the information.
Glad to help! And assist in reposting videos online is most appreciated too
Hey there Scott,
So I believe this process is popularly called "Retrobright" by many of us toy fans/restorers. I've actually messed around with different versions of this for years... in fact, as I type this, I have some Lego pieces from a vintage set in the Hydrogen Peroxide right now.
I've been trying the 13% concentration (most over the counter stuff is more like 3%), and that often works pretty well. But I usually use UV lights due to a more consistent light source (plus, I like in Western NY, so the outdoors thing isn't that great during the winter).
Other versions are to use a hair bleaching solution found at places like Sally's Beauty Supply (I have to admit, considering I'm a guy who cuts his hair to 3/8ths of an inch long, I felt very self conscious stepping into a beauty supply store) to put on larger pieces and wrap in cling wrap.
But... are you sure sun exposure has nothing to do with it? I've seen multiple times where sun exposure has yellowed toys... I used to display vintage Transformers in a room with nothing to block the sun from them, and my Ultra Magnus got pretty yellowed on his right (the side facing the window). Also, I've have lego space ships with white parts stored in the attic, again, with nothing to protect from the sun. And... I can see it yellowed more where the pricks were exposed, while I see a lighter white where there were bricks mounted on top for years.
Anyway, I'll admit I've been apprehensive about trying to Retrobright painted toy parts, and I never really did use the lower concentration of over the counter hydrogen peroxide... I think I may experiment with that as well. I am hoping to start up a channel of my own sooner or later, and one video I'd do is sharing my results with de-yellowing plastic.
Of that is a great term!
I know a Neighboor that did this regularly putting them outside on his back porch. Someone came by one day and stole his figures, mason jars and all.
Okay, that is so wrong
U did it
@@sliderx1897 no I would not do that.
I've read a few articles about this process over the years. I think I first heard about this technique on Facebook on a Star Wars page about five years ago. Appreciate that you covered it again on here for easy reference, Thanks!
Glad this could help
Questions: has the hydrogen peroxide process been known to breakdown original paint or damage joints in any way?
I was afraid the peroxide would corrode metal pieces, so I remove all the screws. I do notice the paint is usually lightened in some cases.
@@chrisvellner3922 I've got some Transformers that have yellowed terribly, so I've got to worry about screws and pins if I do this. Still might be worth a try though
Not that I know of
I've seen people do this process with Transformers with no ill effects. Even the stickers stay adhered. Of course you can always hit them with a hair drier for a few minutes of you're really worried.
As a chemist I always get a kick out of how other people talk about chemistry! I love the videos!
how much more us, who work in the health-medical field, deal with everyone acting like a doctor...
Well I certainly am not one. I just play one on TH-cam
As someone who is currently studying chemistry, you made several mistakes on the details. But I also dabble in almost every type of science, so I probably do the same thing all the time.
For future reference, the Lewis Structure is actually a system of drawing out the bonds within a molecule. Any chemical can have a Lewis structure.
can you give your own tip how do we reverse the yellowing of figures
@@gerrysabron yeah!
Well I am clearly not a chemist by trade and I appreciate any correct info
Does this affect paint that's not white?
This is a very nice instructional video. I did see a Facebook ad with this spray that supposedly reverses the yellowing process on action figures. I wasn't willing to pay to try it out, plus I don't really have any figures that have yellowed. However, if that ever happens I'll be sure to try this little trick.
And easy to do
I've been wanting to do this with some of my figures that have gone yellow, but would the hydrogen peroxide harm metal or any stickers on the figure? I have a G1 Jetfire that has some pretty bad yellowing, but I don't want to risk ruining the stickers or metal on it
I’ve heard using peroxides to do this can make the plastics brittle, especially in the case of older figures. Does this seem to be the case?
I think I must be one of the few people whose toys *haven't* yellowed over time. Unfortunately I don't have any tips to share. I guess I'm just one of the lucky ones.
Lucky is as good as it gets
Chemical reaction joke.
Why do toys turn yellow?
ABS plastic fears Oxygen.
"Don't touch my toys! Bro, mine!"
Chemistry puns reaction.
Oh no, not the puns!!
HAA! 🤣
This can work if a toy has yellow plastic of other color plastic? Like if a toy that its blue plastic and got yellowed, This can work with it?
Wow thanks for giving us the science of why this happens! Now it makes far more sense to me why some parts yellow more than others...the level of bromine in the different parts. Great video!
Science: fun for the whole family
My Storm Shadow thanks you.
Tell him I have enemies he can take out
Retro gamers know this problem all too well (you’ll be hard pressed to find a Super Nintendo that hasn’t gone yellow).
But I don't suggest putting electronics in liquid!
@@spectorcreative1872 haha yes, be sure to remove the electronics from the outer shell before submerging in chemicals
My Sega Dreamcast has gone a weird yellow now too. Might be time to test this out.
@@thochaos13 Only trick for that is finding an airtight container large enough that still lets in sunlight. Though I've seen other comments talk about using cellophane
I've used salon grade peroxide gel and a UV light box to restore several G1 Jetfire Figures to bright white. One figure was discolored beyond yellow to a 'peach-orange'. For that one the full process took 144 hours as an experiment to see 'how bad' discoloration can be, and still be restored. 72 hours usually works for the moderate yellowing.
Nice, I’ll need to try that
do you reccomend using that on pvc figures?
Great work! One question: must you remove any metal parts -like screws and metal hinges- before submerging the pieces in the liquid? Will the peroxide damage or rust the metal?
I was excited when I saw this in my feed. Many have the solution, no one explains the why. Works on yellow Skeletors, blue and gray legos also. Love to see a team up episode with Toy Poloi. Now why do blue lego plates and silver battle armor on vintage He-Man get brittle? Future episode?
Anytime!
Even though I figured the whole yellowing effect was a consequence of "oxidization", I liked this vid because it provided a solution to the issue.
This kinda reminds me of the old re-runs of Mr. Wizard I used to watch as a kid. Most informative.
Get me out of here Mr Wizard!
@@spectorcreative1872 😆
I have used this method in the past but it made the plastic more fragile and in some did crumble and in some toys yes they are white again but in a few weeks they turn yollow again and what do you do you make hydrogen preoxide bath again but the yellowing comes back much faster
Oh no... That sounds bad
@@blackdragon5274 yeah thats why today if i want to whiten up some old toys i just use paint them,or i just leave it that be
In no way will this work with every figure in every situation
How long does this fix last though? I used a similar method to restore a Super Nintendo, but a year later it was just as yellow as ever.
Awesome vid!. Got one question, what about actions figures that got some colored details like for example clone troopers, would it be safe to put those in too or will it make the color fade?
thanks
Adulthood, what is that?
No clue
Does Hydrogen Peroxide damage the paint or the figures?
What happens if my toys also has diecast in it? What happens to the metal screws and rubber parts? Thanks for this video!
Will it work on transformers?
I tried this but didn't use a Mason jar. My results weren't as good without the air tight seal. I'll use a jar next time!
I have seen it both ways, good reasoning here with the lid
Yeah you need the air tight container
@@spectorcreative1872 The bubbles makes a person think of when you fill a battery and you leave the covers off for 1/2 hour
8-bit Guy did a video about this on his channel. He showed that you can get the same effect by partially filling a container and then sealing it as the vapers from it sitting in the hot sun work just as well as the liquid itself. He also had success with UV lights indoors rather than sunlight outside making that his default method for restoring computers and electronics.
I love your video. So it gets oxidised over time huh. Will adding oxygen absorbers and silicon gel in my display cabinet helps slowing down the process?
What if the plastic is attached to a plush? Is there a way to do this without sealing it separately?
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and now I shall go drowned my toys 😁 lovingly.
Hi. I have sone beyblade launcher grips that ve turned pale yellow from white. Are you sure this won’t melt the plastic or damage it ?
Would it work for transformers specifically Kingdom Tigertron
how much hydrogen peroxide would you recommend? will 50% be enough to remove the yellowish color?
does anyone know of a really big jar? i have a transformers siege skyfire and hes too big for any average sized jar
Scott saving toy lives 3 days at a time 😎👍
At least three
Instead of sunshine can you use a lightbulb that replicates the Sun if you're in a non Sunny season
is there a way to speed up the yellowing? i'm trying to make my yellowed toy more yellow