Cleaning Question for Silky/Plastic material....

[js]

Hi.

This picture is of a seat of a baby walker. It is sort of smooth silky feeling but guessing more like a
soft rubber/plastic. I got it from a friend of a friend for my dgs.

I sprayed a mixture of bleach/water on it yesterday and had it sit for about an hour and then hosed it off.
Is there anything else I can do to brighten up the white. I don't care if it stains it, I just want it to look cleaner.

Thank you so much!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

It's hard to tell in the light, but if it's yellowing, you may have permanently done some damage with the bleach. Bleach turns synthetic fibers yellow (and bodily fluids... and it destroys elastic). I don't use real bleach on anything but towels and cleaning rags.

I would use a hot water dilution of OxiClean, but it might be too late.

 

[js]

It's hard to tell in the light, but if it's yellowing, you may have permanently done some damage with the bleach. Bleach turns synthetic fibers yellow (and bodily fluids... and it destroys elastic). I don't use real bleach on anything but towels and cleaning rags.

I would use a hot water dilution of OxiClean, but it might be too late.

Thank you.
No, it didn't yellow. It still looks like light dirt on/in the white parts.
I'll try the OxiClean. It may stain it but that is fine. I want it to look brighter and less dingy.

Thank you so much.

 

[mom2rtk]

Another vote for OxiClean.

 

[js]

Another vote for OxiClean.

Thank you. I have a ton of it in my basement since my ds side business is vintage clothing.
I will use tonight. I should have just done that yesterday.

Thank you.

 

[unrequited23]

Magic eraser?

 

[Imzadi]

No, don't put OxyClean on it now. That will make it disintegrate even faster. Google, and you will find it's really hard to get out residual bleach out of fibers. This is why it is often told that bleach eventually destroys fibers. You have to put on some solution to stop the bleaching action completely. (That is also Googleable.) I didn't do that.

So when I used Oxyclean afterward in a different wash load and had a few items of clothing that I normally bleach, (as during the height of the pandemic bleach was no where to be found,) those clothes disintegrated right away. The fibers fell apart and shredded and got huge holes. And where the holes were, the fabric was so fragile, it kept shredding and the holes kept widening further. If it was ONE item that fell apart I may have thought it was just past it's time. A few items, was way too much coincidence.

 

[ronandannette]

Magic eraser?

I agree with this. Rather than trying to chemically dissolve the dirt, I'd always try physically scrubbing it off the surface first. If it seems like an oily/greasy residue, use hot water, nice and soapy with Dawn, and a scrub brush to get into any textured crevices on the surface.

 

[BayouQueen]

I like Simple Green for vinyl and plasticy things. It always seems to improve things. Cuts through old grime.

 

[_19disnA]

Older material tends to fade/discolor overtime from sun exposure. I don't believe there is anything you can use to brighten up the parts that are yellowing.

 

[BayouQueen]

Older material tends to fade/discolor overtime from sun exposure. I don't believe there is anything you can use to brighten up the parts that are yellowing.

I would agree with this.