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5:56 pm
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February 11, 2012
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I found a Super Nintendo I had in my house for several years. It’s all yellow on top except for the area around the cart slot. Anybody ever have success in getting rid of that yellow? A simple rag and alcohol doesn’t cut it.
6:21 pm
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May 12, 2012
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No that wont work, you need to bleech it. Im not fluent enough in english to tell you what chemicals you will need, but there are some guides also on youtube. They give varied results though. Doujindance on ebay has good results cleaning up old Pc Engine DUO-R systems, but im not sure exactly how he does it..
The yellow isnt on the surface really, so scrubbing it wont help, its a chemical reaction, most probably from the fire retardent they mixed into the batches while creating the plastic shells. Some batches were better mixed than others, which is why some are still very clean, while others are extremely tacky looking. Sunshine/UV seem to be the main culprit. Aparently cigarette smoke is also discolouring the plastic.
Ive given up trying to clean them, and just tracked down the cleanest examples of the snes i could find. They are out there to be found still.
I have Asperger's Syndrome, which means i can come across as rigid and overly argumentative. Please try and look past this and contact me if you have a problem with what/how i type. I type and read very literally and use no undertones. Thank you for trying to understand. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.....r_syndrome
2:57 am
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March 14, 2012
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Sounds crazy, but a mixture of Bleach, Hydrogen Peroxide, and Arrowroot are extremly effective at fading soem of that yellow.
But as Grimm stated it is a chemical reaction so scrubbing does nothing.
I will actually be elaborating on how to do this in a future article about SNES Cleaning.
Exploring the New World on Nintendo Switch. Currently Playing: Zelda BOTW, Octopath Traveler, Sonic Mania, Yoku's Island Express, Mega Man 11. Currently Watching: Marble Hornets, Luther, Black Mirror, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 5. Currently Reading: Influence by Robert Cialdini.
4:55 am
July 10, 2012
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Indeed I feel there’s nothing to be done about the yellowing. My snes has it too, and the new one I bought doesn’t.
I blame it on the hours and hours of non stop gaming. I remember times I had to leave the console on for an entire night just to start playing again in the morning all because I couldn’t save a game. The snes get’s warm, and as stated above, a chemical reaction can occur. Also I’ve been told uv light has an affect on the yellowing. Smoke on the other hand is out of the question, since I left the NSes in a smoke free environment. I love to read that article about Snes cleaning:)
8:40 am
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May 23, 2012
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Likewise mine has also got discoloring, though only slightly at the front. The popular opinion is that its caused by the chemicals the manufacturers used in the casing, whether it be some resistant that yellows when exposed to light or air etc or that it was a cost-based strategy to do with the plastic and Nintendo changed it once they discovered the problem. You will sometimes find early manufactured cartridges with yellowing too, i know a couple of mine have it on the back of the cart. Im not that fussed about the actual console, it looks alright in my eyes. If i were to get another id get a classic nes gold/crimson custom paint job with a 50/60 switch, that would look nice
10:29 am
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May 12, 2012
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From what ive researched so far, its down to UV lighting mainly. Sure, tobacco discolours everything, but the main thing is UV lighting. Your snes isnt likely to go yellow just because you played it alot. You simply didnt have it away from the sun, or other UV sources. And the presumed cause is the fire retardant agent in the plastic mix, in relation to dosage. Not many people knew this was even gonna be a problem back then.. Hell, look at the white PC engines.. Good luck finding a white one today!
What i suggest you do, if you want the yellow gone, try bleaching it, in several stages.. Or look for a “new” system online or something. if you can find a used one in good shape, chances are good it wont go yellow on you in the future either. Some batches of plastic mixes were more affected than others, this is why you see some parts of the same console extremely yellow, while some are less discoloured, and other parts are looking brand new. And they are often not the same bits! Especially the US snes its very noticable. The best part on those is generally the piece with the cartridge opening. But other than that, its a missmatch back and forth.. So if yours has a yellow bottom half but a fresh upper. try finding one with the oposite.. Snes’es are cheap when they are discoloured. So getting one like that would be more cost effective than getting a really nice and gray one. My two US sneses are in pretty good condition. the only yellowing i have is the controller port piece, on both. One is noticable just by looking, but not AWFUL, the other you really gotta look closely. I did find a loose controller piece on ebay which was looking brand new though. so the one with the worst discolouring has a replacement. Or you can do what Ghostsweeper mentioned, give it a custom paint job. If done properly with proper preperation of the case etc, it can look really nice. I personally prefer the stock look of electronics.
So this is why i prefer BLACK/DARK CONSOLES! They may look dull and uninspiring, and a bright console is sometimes a nice change, i do like the white NEC consoles for example, but the black/dark ones WILL STAY BLACK…
I have Asperger's Syndrome, which means i can come across as rigid and overly argumentative. Please try and look past this and contact me if you have a problem with what/how i type. I type and read very literally and use no undertones. Thank you for trying to understand. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.....r_syndrome
4:45 pm
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February 11, 2012
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Mongunzoo and I have cooked up an excellent and detailed article to reverse the yellowing process. Will be ready on Wednesday!
7:24 am
July 27, 2012
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My SNES is still fine, but mymy pink, LE Sakura Taisen Dreamcast’s pink plastic has yellowed. Ugh! I’ve heard that using a solution of peroxide, Oxiclean, and other household chemicals can be used to restore plastics. Apparently this was concocted by chemists who were Amiga enthusiasts. The site that gives instructions on how to make it is here: http://retr0bright.wikispaces.com/
5:31 pm
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February 11, 2012
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Exactly Greg! The article covers my chronicle of using RetroBright with a lot of details and pictures!
12:59 am
July 10, 2012
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Yes! It’s wednesday! Today we get to read about this solution! You sure got ne interested 
5:38 am
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February 11, 2012
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Article is here.
9:46 pm
February 12, 2013
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Mine was yellowed, but it was later custom painted.
Currently looking for the following SNES games:
Chrono Trigger
EarthBound
Final Fantasy II (Final Fantasy IV)
Secret of Mana
Illusion of Gaia
Super Castlevania IV
Super Mario RPG
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Zombies Ate My Neighbors
TMNT IV
Contra III
10:20 am
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February 12, 2013
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I think that I’m going to color mine black. The retrobrite will eventually need to be re applied, and painting it black would look sick anyhow.. Especially worth a copy of Killer Instinct!
9:20 am
April 19, 2020
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Masamune said
I found a Super Nintendo I had in my house for several years. It’s all yellow on top except for the area around the cart slot. Anybody ever have success in getting rid of that yellow? A simple rag and alcohol doesn’t cut it.
Hi, my sister dug her SNES out and it was yellow, I’ve had success with those magic sponges, I found them in a £/$ shop. All you do is moistened it and rub the yellow away.
7:54 pm
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February 11, 2012
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Adrian,
What are the magic sponges called? Or are they called magic sponges?
3:20 am
October 16, 2024
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I’ve had similar issues with yellowing on old consoles. One method that worked for me was using a hydrogen peroxide solution, which can help reverse the yellowing over time. Just be sure to apply it carefully and let it sit under UV light for a few hours. As for cleaning up other areas around your home, if you’re ever in need of professional cleaning services, you can check out a helpful Website for expert assistance.
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