Retrobrighting - Have we been overthinking this?

If you collect vintage video game consoles or computers, you're pretty familiar with yellowing. You know, that ugly yellow stain that is taking over that Super Nintendo in the corner? It's the one that's got a hole on the side.

Fixing this (the yellowing, not the gigantic hole) involves a meticulous process. Disassemble your console or computer, create a paste from stuff you buy at a beauty salon (highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide), cover your console/computer plastics in the paste, wrap the console/computer plastics in clear wrap, set it out in the sun or under a black light, do something constructive for a few hours, and viola! You now have a less yellowed piece of plastic that will turn back more yellow in a few months. There's a lot of people that swear by this process and show off their success.

But, what if I told you there was a better, simpler way? "No way, it can't be!" As Bill and Ted say, "Yes, way!"

In my YouTube feed, I was taken aback by a video titled Incredible Retrobrighting Discovery! Deyellowing plastic with just Sun! No bleach, dismantling! Whaaaaaat? As far as I was concerned, deyellowing was a complicated, very scientific endeavor. I equated this process to getting a root canal. But just like root canals, the process seems to be getting easier! However, in this case, the equipment has been with us all along: The Sun!

I'm very anxious to give this a try. I'm going to be following this up with some pictures in a future post. I may even make a YouTube video. The process will have to wait as it will be raining for the next few days. But my future's so bright, I gotta where shades!