It is inevitable that the transparent phone case of silicone will become yellow after a period of use. But not everyone knows how to properly clean their phone case so it turns white again. So today we sum up 6 effective cleaning mobile phone case tips for you. Take a look!
The reason why the phone case is yellow.
Usually the material for making soft mobile phone case is thermoplastic polyurethane, abbreviated as TPU. According to chemical studies of Tpus, this is a plastic with special elasticity and flexibility that can resist liquids and oils. TPU is widely used in the manufacture of daily necessities, and the mobile phone case is one of them.
But the characteristic of this plastic is that it turns yellow easily after a period of use. Therefore, the plastic phone case will encounter the same problem. Although it does not affect the protective effect of the case, it will seriously affect the appearance.
The reasons for the discoloration of the phone case come from: sunlight, temperature, hand sweat. These are the main factors that cause phone cases to turn yellow quickly.
However, there is nothing that can be done when the phone case turns yellow. There are ways to restore the original color of the clear plastic case. So don’t be in a hurry to throw it away! Here are seven ways to turn your phone case white again.
6 Tips for turning your phone case white
Step 1 Use dishwashing liquid
Dishwashing liquid is the easiest way to whiten your phone case and is readily available at home. Because the ingredients in dishwashing liquid contain linear alkyl benzene sulfonic acid, or LAS. In chemical investigations involving LAS, it is an organic weak acid.
The chemicals are somewhat corrosive, so people often use LAS to make detergents.
Dishwashing liquid can effectively clean the yellowed silicone case of your phone. It’s also the easiest way we should try to whiten our phone case. Simply use diluted dishwashing liquid, scrub with a brush, and rinse with water. This method may not take effect immediately and may take some time.
Note: Please use brand dishwashing liquid to clean, so as not to affect the hand skin!
2. Use isopropyl alcohol to remove stubborn stains
If dishwashing liquid doesn’t remove stains from the phone case, don’t worry! Because in addition, Xiaobian also prepared a lot of good methods for you!
The second trick to turning yellowing phone cases white is to use the chemical isopropyl alcohol. It’s a compound, or IPA, used as a cleaning agent. IPA is relatively non-toxic and is therefore often used as a glass cleaner and soap solution.
IPA can also remove ink stains or printed fonts and patterns from phone cases. However, it is a chemical, so you also need to be careful about the proper dosage to avoid skin damage.
3. Combine borax and dishwashing liquid
Borax is widely used in the production of detergent, soap and so on. Before laundry detergent was invented, people used borax to wash clothes. That’s why borax is mentioned in the method for cleaning phone cases.
The combination of borax and dishwashing liquid will help to improve the bleaching effect of plastic. The recipe is as simple as diluting dishwashing liquid and borax into a basin of water. Then put the phone case into the soak for 1-2 hours, and then wash. You’ll soon see a noticeable change in the color of your phone case.
4. Lemon juice and baking soda
I’m sure you’re all familiar with baking soda bleaching methods. Baking soda can be used to remove stains and oil stains from clothes. So it’s not unusual to use baking soda to clean silicone phone cases. Due to its bleaching properties, baking soda will help your phone case turn white again.
Simply mix baking soda with lemon and you can make your own very effective plastic bleaching mixture. Lemons contain mainly citric acid. According to the chemical properties of citric acid, it is a food additive. Plus, it’s great for bleaching stains. That said, baking soda and lemon are the perfect combination for bleaching and cleaning yellowing plastic items.
Specifically, you simply apply the mixture to the phone case and leave it overnight until dry. After that, pick up the shell and wash it with clean water. With this method, you need to repeat the operation several times to achieve the desired effect.
Step 5 Use Vim cleaner
We know that Vim is a toilet bowl cleaner and has very strong cleaning power. Therefore, this is also a way to clean the yellowed phone case, you should try it. Simply apply Vim cleaning solution directly to the phone case and wait about 15-20 minutes. You will then see a significant reduction in the yellowing of the shell.
However, Vim cleaner is a solution that can be harmful to the skin in direct contact. Therefore, gloves should be worn during operation to prevent direct contact between solution and skin.
6. Vinegar and lemon
Combining vinegar and lemon makes a natural stain remover that few people know about. Because all of these ingredients contain acids. The citric acid comes from lemon and the acetic acid comes from vinegar. So this would be an effective way to whiten the phone case.
You simply mix this solution with water, thicken it in a 1:2 ratio, and rub this mixture onto the shell with a soft cloth. After rubbing, let soak for 10-15 minutes and rinse with water.
Summarize
So there you have it: 6 tips on how to clean and turn your phone case white after it turns yellow. If all else fails, it’s time for a new phone case.