Asked on Jan 03, 2013

Getting the white back from freezer water/ice cube dispenser area AND refrigerator door handles.

Robyn Farwell
by Robyn Farwell
I am looking for a solution to get the yellowing (and brown from where the light switch is) white again. Any solutions
  33 answers
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Jan 03, 2013
    Old tooth brush and some dilute bleach solution ..I do not have an ice maker or water but it does a decent job on the main doors handle.
  • Lulu Dubin Lulu Dubin on Jan 03, 2013
    Have you tried Mr. Clean Magic Erasers?
  • Robyn Farwell Robyn Farwell on Jan 03, 2013
    Yep, sure have Lulu, with no success :(
  • Robyn Farwell Robyn Farwell on Jan 03, 2013
    Thank you KMS Woodworks. I'm on a roll and will start right now. It's been driving me craaaazy!
  • I had an issue with discoloration/mold on a different surface, and a bleach solution did not work. I made a similar solution with water and OxyClean, and the stain came right out. Be careful if this surface is plastic, as you may scratch when trying to clean.
  • DeeDee DeeDee on Jan 03, 2013
    I like to use a paste like solution of peroxide and baking soda for stain removal. But, if all else fails you could use white paint for plastics and paint them white again....if they are removable that is! :)
  • Robyn Farwell Robyn Farwell on Jan 05, 2013
    Straight Nails Construction.....When u say OxyClean, I assume you are relating to the "powder" and no the liquid (as in the laundry stain remover?)? I'm a a bit leary to do this (I will, but I don't want to scratch it), do you have any mixture amounts, or approximate mixture amounts? Thanks so much!!!
  • Gail Salminen Gail Salminen on Jan 05, 2013
    @Robyn Farwell - I am having the same problem. I don't think there is a way to restore plastic that has yellowed. I have used scrubbing bubbles with bleach with some success. Hoping that each application will help, but only doing once a week or so. The removable rack is white now and all lime build up is gone. Good luck.
  • Robyn Farwell Robyn Farwell on Jan 05, 2013
    Gail - When u say the "removable rack" are you talking about the rack that can be removed to clean inside from all the water that goes in? That is pretty much white (although it does not look it in the pictures as I clean it weekly), it's the back & siding part. Uggh...there has to be a solution somehow. This is what I get for being OCD LOL
  • Frances S Frances S on Jan 05, 2013
    the mr clean sponge
  • Robyn Farwell Robyn Farwell on Jan 05, 2013
    Tried it Frances - thanks :)
  • Robyn, when I wash my clothes, I use the powder Oxyclean in every load. I had a similar problem with staining, and tried using a bleach/water solution that did not work. I figured I would try the powder, and it took the stain right off. I used the mixing directions on the back of the package. (In this case, it states line 4 of the measuring cup included in a gallon of water) and changed it to my need, since I didn't need that much. I just took about a tablespoon and mixed with water in an old plastic container that butter comes in. I used a toothbrush to apply the solution, and it worked great.
    • Robyn Farwell Robyn Farwell on Nov 21, 2014
      @Straight Nails Construction Are you talking about the Oxyclean that comes in the round plastic container?
  • I thought when plastic yellowed it had lost it's UV stabilization (breaking down the plastic) I think the only fix is a coat of plastic paint.
  • Robyn Farwell Robyn Farwell on Jan 05, 2013
    I used to buy "Plastic Boosters" that I always used on my clear tupperware containers if someone put spaghetti in there and it stained it. This was a miracle worker but no longer sold in stores.The only place you can purchase it is online, at drugstore.com. I am actually out, therefore I am going to order 5 tubes right and see if this works.Thank you all for your help.
  • Before putting spaghetti sauce in a plastic container, spray it with cooking spray first. When the leftovers are eaten, the dish should clean right up with no stains.
  • Robyn Farwell Robyn Farwell on Jan 07, 2013
    Thanks for the tip Straight Nails!!
  • Kathy Kathy on Feb 03, 2013
    Simple and toxic free. make a baking soda Paste and scrub. if needs more boost, spray the area with vinegar/water mixture first then scrub down with a paste. Worked really well for me..:)
  • Robyn Farwell Robyn Farwell on Feb 03, 2013
    Thank you so much Kathy. I will definitely tack this project tomorrow.
  • Sherrie Sherrie on Feb 04, 2013
    Kathy is right. I use baking soda and peroxide and make a paste. If it doesn't take all of it off you can use a whitening tooth paste to get the rest of it off. That being said since it is heat related due to the bulb it might be harder to get off. Let us know what works and alway try a area first to make sure it won't damage it.
  • Robyn Farwell Robyn Farwell on Feb 04, 2013
    Sherrie - I will definitely let you know what I use and what works. Thanks a bunch!
  • Tim D. (The Retro Den) Tim D. (The Retro Den) on Nov 02, 2014
    Remove the door handles and spray with three light coats of Rustoleums 2x. Emphasis on the work light... Three thin coats an hour or so apart are better that One thick coat...Then spray with two coats,of their clear spray... Both dry very quickly. But best to wait 24 hours... Me curing in the sun helps too. Problem solved
  • Karen Karen on Nov 19, 2014
    Robyn: 1/4 cup of baking soda in a glass bowl and squirt hydrogen peroxide until it makes a paste. Rub it on the offending dirt/stain/grease...whatever. You can use your fingers or a small sponge. This also works great if you have grease stains on cookie sheets, pots and pans. Good Luck
  • Robyn Farwell.... I used the oxy clean that came in a container that looks like an ice cream carton.
  • Robyn Farwell Robyn Farwell on Nov 22, 2014
    @Kathy, @Straight Nails Construction, @Sherrie - Thank you everyone for all of your suggestions. I will not call myself OCD, (but I do like like house clean, etc...) but something as this, every time I'd look at it, my nerves cringed. I tried all f your suggestions with no luck. I went to a lighting store and they said it was due to the light on the freezer discoloring the white. I appreciated what they said but I could not accept it. I came home and found my appliance spray. I sprayed it on around 6pm, in the morning, due to the "spray" it felt gritty. All I did was take a dry paper towel and lightly rubbed it, and all the gritty feeling came off (no paint came off and no sticky feeling) and is now smooth as can be. Then I sprayed a clear coat on it, and that did not grit at all. I see a few areas I need to touch up which I am going to do with the actual Appliance Epoxy "paint". I am very happy as to how it turned out. Yaaaay!!! Next tackle? The handles. I see no screws, etc....so I have to pull out my manual to see how these buggers come off. Thanks again everyone for all your inputs. It was greatly appreciated.
    • See 4 previous
    • Debbie Debbie on Nov 14, 2016
      Help Robyn, What did you use. You just say "my appliance spray". I have the same problem. What did you use. It worked beautifully!!!
  • Tim D. (The Retro Den) Tim D. (The Retro Den) on Nov 22, 2014
    Please let everyone know what worked for you. Even the Rustoleum Appliance spray in the previous post looks like it was the best solution... It a very versatile paint... I should be compensated for always plugging their product... :-)
  • Jeannie Andrews Jeannie Andrews on Jan 10, 2015
    consider yourself "compensated". :)
  • Barbara Kegebein Barbara Kegebein on May 30, 2015
    I used the Mr Clean magic erasers to clean my fridge where it had turned yellow.
  • Mfk Mfk on Jan 10, 2016
    neither magic erasers nor baking soda with H2O2 works. what else can I try?
  • Kkyucatan Kkyucatan on Jun 22, 2016
    Has anyone tried these?
  • Robyn Farwell Robyn Farwell on Nov 14, 2016
    Hi Debbie...I used everything from a Mr Clean to a product that removes yellowing from whites in clothing. Nothing worked, so it was what it was for that time. We no longer have it (Thank GOD), the freezer was leaking water so we bought a stainless steel.
  • Mogie Mogie on Oct 15, 2022

    If you're trying to remove yellow age stains from a plastic appliance you use to prepare or store food, you may not want to use a harsher chemical solution. If that's the case, you can use a vinegar soak to remove stains in a food-safe manner, according to the Washington Post. This is a method that works better for smaller appliances, like handheld blenders, as the solution needs time to soak and permeate the plastic.

    Mix equal parts of white vinegar and water and fill a container with your solution. Then, place your appliance into the solution until the stained or yellowed part is totally submerged. If you can't get your whole item to be submerged, check on it and turn it over during its soaking time.

    Leave to soak for several hours or overnight if possible. After you remove your items from the solution, wash well with dish soap and water to remove any remnants of vinegar.

    You can use paper towels soaked in vinegar and placed in an upright postion if needed. I have done this often.

  • Denise Denise on Oct 16, 2022

    I do know that some florescent lighting can change the coloring in some (white) plastics. It is not something that you can just scrub away.