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Best White Bumper Cleaning Method I just discovered!!!

S

stcizzle

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 20, 2011
225
10
NH, USA
So a few months back I gave up on the white bumpers for my white iPhone 4 because no matter how clean I kept my hands and pockets lint free they kept yellowing/greening/dirtying over time.

The threads recommended magic erasers, watered down bleach, boiling it, baking soda, whitening toothpaste, tilex, etc, you name it. I tried them all and some worked okay, but most were abrasive and didnt quite get rid of the yellowing completely and none of them worked well enough to satisfy my super white iPhone fetish until tonight when I was cleaning my Movado, it hit me, JEWELERY CLEANER!!!!!

You know that generic clearish-red fluid cleaner all jewelers sell/give away for stainless steel, gold, sterling silver, watches, etc. so I used a cue tip and dipped it in the solution and rubbed down all my white Apple bumpers and SW box bumpers and WOW. Perfect! Good as new! Totally got rid of the yellowing and brownish dirty look.

Just thought I'd let u all know since many ppl complained about it before when I did. Sure beats spending $29 on a new bumper or shipping on the cheaper ones.
 
M

moptart

macrumors member
Jul 24, 2010
75
14
stcizzle said:
So a few months back I gave up on the white bumpers for my white iPhone 4 because no matter how clean I kept my hands and pockets lint free they kept yellowing/greening/dirtying over time.

The threads recommended magic erasers, watered down bleach, boiling it, baking soda, whitening toothpaste, tilex, etc, you name it. I tried them all and some worked okay, but most were abrasive and didnt quite get rid of the yellowing completely and none of them worked well enough to satisfy my super white iPhone fetish until tonight when I was cleaning my Movado, it hit me, JEWELERY CLEANER!!!!!

You know that generic clearish-red fluid cleaner all jewelers sell/give away for stainless steel, gold, sterling silver, watches, etc. so I used a cue tip and dipped it in the solution and rubbed down all my white Apple bumpers and SW box bumpers and WOW. Perfect! Good as new! Totally got rid of the yellowing and brownish dirty look.

Just thought I'd let u all know since many ppl complained about it before when I did. Sure beats spending $29 on a new bumper or shipping on the cheaper ones.
Click to expand...
If this works, you are a genius!
 
S

stcizzle

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 20, 2011
225
10
NH, USA
TM WAZZA said:
Does your white iPhone turn yellow? The plastic (rubber?) band? And the plastic home button?
Click to expand...

I'm not talking about the iPhone or any part of the physical phone turning yellow. I'm just talking about the bumper cases turning yellow.
 
S

stcizzle

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 20, 2011
225
10
NH, USA
TM WAZZA said:
Ok well have you noticed the iPhone itself discoloring? I'm pretty worried about the home button and the rubber part that goes around the iPhone.
Click to expand...

No, I haven't had any issues with the phone turning yellow. AND SORRY, NO BEFORE AND AFTER PICS. But believe me, it works! I'm actually using my bumpers again! I haven't used them in months because I was disgusted by how yellowish they had turned.

***But I have had issues with dirt get in between the sides of the phone where the stainless steel band meets the plastic part that holds the glass sides in, as well as in between/under the home button. I just wipe it down with a cloth and use a new unused toothbrush to get the stuff out every month or two when needed.

But no discoloring of the phone at all. I'd avoid using chemical cleaners on it though just in case.

----------

IF ANYONE HAS ANY SUCCESS WITH THIS AS I DID, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!! I really don't think I'm imagining that this has worked much better than magic erasers and bleach and such...
 
T

TXAGS

macrumors newbie
Sep 10, 2011
27
0
College Station, TX
stcizzle said:
No, I haven't had any issues with the phone turning yellow. AND SORRY, NO BEFORE AND AFTER PICS. But believe me, it works! I'm actually using my bumpers again! I haven't used them in months because I was disgusted by how yellowish they had turned.

***But I have had issues with dirt get in between the sides of the phone where the stainless steel band meets the plastic part that holds the glass sides in, as well as in between/under the home button. I just wipe it down with a cloth and use a new unused toothbrush to get the stuff out every month or two when needed.

But no discoloring of the phone at all. I'd avoid using chemical cleaners on it though just in case.

----------

IF ANYONE HAS ANY SUCCESS WITH THIS AS I DID, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!! I really don't think I'm imagining that this has worked much better than magic erasers and bleach and such...
Click to expand...

DID SIRI TELL YOU THIS?? :D

It is CLASSIFIED!!

Anyway will try tonight!!
 
S

STC

macrumors 6502a
May 14, 2008
537
6
I have this combo car wax/scuff remover that I bought at SEMA almost 10 yrs ago. I've used this on my 3GS white Incase Slider case and it made it look like new!!
 
TrulyYuki

TrulyYuki

macrumors 6502
Mar 4, 2010
433
0
Washington
my results

I have also tried it all. Jewelry cleaner however was not one of them. So I walked over to Ben bridge, which gave me a free container of jewelry cleaner. I'm willing to try anything on this case since its for the old iphone 4 with AT&T and does not fit my iphone 4s. I have a new white bumper on its way.

I used q-tips at first. cleaned it but did not remove stains. Then I decided the bottle was free so I soaked the case in the solution for a few minutes. All the Jewelry cleaner did for the case was "clean" the case but not a solution to the yellow stains. I then grabbed the magic eraser and went to town. It did ok.

I do not think there is a complete fix for the discoloration of the Apple Bumper case however I do feel like this was the best its gotten yet.

I hope these images are good enough. The lighting wasn't all that great and photos taken on the iPhone 4s.

Before:


After:


Before:


After:


Before:


After:


Before:


After:
 
S

stcizzle

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 20, 2011
225
10
NH, USA
Thanks for posting the pics!!! I didn't think to take before pics when I cleaned mine cuz I really didn't even think it would work, but after it did, without before pics I was unsure how well it worked! but after seeing yours, it was pretty much in the same condition, i think, maybe not quite as beat up, but you gotta admit that worked really well!!!
 
B

brownsmith

macrumors newbie
Nov 10, 2011
1
0
India
stcizzle said:
So a few months back I gave up on the white bumpers for my white iPhone 4 because no matter how clean I kept my hands and pockets lint free they kept yellowing/greening/dirtying over time.

The threads recommended magic erasers, watered down bleach, boiling it, baking soda, whitening toothpaste, tilex, etc, you name it. I tried them all and some worked okay, but most were abrasive and didnt quite get rid of the yellowing completely and none of them worked well enough to satisfy my super white iPhone fetish until tonight when I was cleaning my Movado, it hit me, JEWELERY CLEANER!!!!!

You know that generic clearish-red fluid cleaner all jewelers sell/give away for stainless steel, gold, sterling silver, watches, etc. so I used a cue tip and dipped it in the solution and rubbed down all my white Apple bumpers and SW box bumpers and WOW. Perfect! Good as new! Totally got rid of the yellowing and brownish dirty look.

Just thought I'd let u all know since many ppl complained about it before when I did. Sure beats spending $29 on a new bumper or shipping on the cheaper ones.
Click to expand...
============
Hello,
Nice to know about it. Thank you for sharing with it. Great one..
 
M

Mo91

macrumors newbie
Dec 18, 2011
1
0
Jewelry Cleaner

Hey guys. Thanks for the cool tip! I'm from Germany. And I'm not really sure what kind of cleaner you mean. Maybe you can give me some more information or a brand or something. I don't know where to get that stuff here.

Thanks a lot for your help!

Best regards,
Mo
 
T

Tofuboi

macrumors newbie
Jan 1, 2012
3
0
Name of this beautiful bumper case for iphone 4

TrulyYuki said:
I have also tried it all. Jewelry cleaner however was not one of them. So I walked over to Ben bridge, which gave me a free container of jewelry cleaner. I'm willing to try anything on this case since its for the old iphone 4 with AT&T and does not fit my iphone 4s. I have a new white bumper on its way.

I used q-tips at first. cleaned it but did not remove stains. Then I decided the bottle was free so I soaked the case in the solution for a few minutes. All the Jewelry cleaner did for the case was "clean" the case but not a solution to the yellow stains. I then grabbed the magic eraser and went to town. It did ok.

I do not think there is a complete fix for the discoloration of the Apple Bumper case however I do feel like this was the best its gotten yet.

I hope these images are good enough. The lighting wasn't all that great and photos taken on the iPhone 4s.

Before:
[url=http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/8740/img1169jr.jpg]Image[/URL]

After:
[url=http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/722/img1173r.jpg]Image[/URL]

Before:
[url=http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/1563/img1171v.jpg]Image[/URL]

After:
[url=http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/9462/img1175xj.jpg]Image[/URL]

Before:
[url=http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/7456/img1170d.jpg]Image[/URL]

After:
[url=http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/927/img1174lb.jpg]Image[/URL]

Before:
[url=http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/6411/img1172e.jpg]Image[/URL]

After:
[url=http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/706/img1176ej.jpg]Image[/URL]
Click to expand...

Guys, i just want to know the name of this beautiful bumper case? Can somebody tell me? Im just curious if it will be a good catch for my iphone 4 white. Thanks!
 
Pez555

Pez555

macrumors 68020
Apr 18, 2010
2,287
777
Tofuboi said:
Guys, i just want to know the name of this beautiful bumper case? Can somebody tell me? Im just curious if it will be a good catch for my iphone 4 white. Thanks!
Click to expand...

thats the official white bumper from Apple...am i missing the point here?
 
dizz555

dizz555

macrumors newbie
Oct 20, 2015
3
0
stcizzle said:
So a few months back I gave up on the white bumpers for my white iPhone 4 because no matter how clean I kept my hands and pockets lint free they kept yellowing/greening/dirtying over time.

The threads recommended magic erasers, watered down bleach, boiling it, baking soda, whitening toothpaste, tilex, etc, you name it. I tried them all and some worked okay, but most were abrasive and didnt quite get rid of the yellowing completely and none of them worked well enough to satisfy my super white iPhone fetish until tonight when I was cleaning my Movado, it hit me, JEWELERY CLEANER!!!!!

You know that generic clearish-red fluid cleaner all jewelers sell/give away for stainless steel, gold, sterling silver, watches, etc. so I used a cue tip and dipped it in the solution and rubbed down all my white Apple bumpers and SW box bumpers and WOW. Perfect! Good as new! Totally got rid of the yellowing and brownish dirty look.

Just thought I'd let u all know since many ppl complained about it before when I did. Sure beats spending $29 on a new bumper or shipping on the cheaper ones.
Click to expand...
 
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