Removing those whitish deposits on postwar plastic, a How-to video

Great post, Jim. I never would have thought to use heat. How did you come up with that idea?

I have always believed the source to be a mold release compound similar to stearic acid that leaches out of the plastic over time, sometimes right through the layer of paint on the surface.

That is my understanding. It is stearic acid.

Great tip Jim!!!  Thanks for sharing it...

Alan

Dennis,

I heard about that technique many years ago from an "old-timer" at a train show.

We've talked about this so often here, I thought I'd show how easy it is in most cases.

Sometimes, when the deposits are on a painted plastic surface there is some dulling of the paint in spots where the white has been removed, but it does less damage overall than scrubbing, etc. would do.

Jim

Hi Jim • I came back to watch the video again. Made a change in procedures. Used Clorox / Clean-Up, with Bleach. The spray bottle says that it, disinfect and remove stains. I also used a hair dryer like you show in the video. Thanks for the tip. 

See photo below, Click on photo to enlarge.

Gary

Hi Gary,

Wow! That boxcar looks like it led an active life in some really grubby hands!

I don't think it had any of the white mold release deposits, but it really does need a good cleaning. I'd be careful though of using a bleach product on postwar cars. It might fade paint and even remove lettering. The disinfecting properties are also not really needed. Milder is better when it comes to cleaning products for use on trains.

For cleaning such as that, a mild dish washing liquid and a toothbrush should do the job. Also try not to rub too hard over the lettering. Lettering of that era was slightly water soluble.

Jim

Very nice video lesson Jim!