Whiten Keys

[Technical]

Has anyone tried to whiten keys before? i.e. if they have yellowed.

I saw some videos online for whitening of midi-controller keys which suggested using hydrogen peroxide. Naturally the pain would be removing the keys though.

 

[Dingo40]

Has anyone tried to whiten keys before?

I once had an elderly PA the baseboard of which was stained yellow by cigarette smoke.
I had success using ("I wonder where the yellow went ") "Pepsodent" toothpaste applied carefully with a soft rag.
With all the "whitening" toothpastes available these days, surely there's something suitable available on hand at the supermarket?

 

[Technical]

I once had an elderly PA the baseboard of which was stained yellow by cigarette smoke.
I had success using ("I wonder where the yellow went ") "Pepsodent" toothpaste applied carefully with a soft rag.
With all the "whitening" toothpastes available these days, surely there's something suitable available on hand at the supermarket?

Sounds like it's easy enough to atleast try. Did you dismantle the keyboard or try to apply it as is?

 

[Dingo40]

Did you dismantle the keyboard or try to apply it as is?

Very carefully ( and with the help of some cotton buds) to minimise clogging up the 120 bass button holes I worked on it "in situ".
The thing is, if you press down a block of bass buttons, another block also goes down allowing access to the board in stages.
See this old advertisement:

The times have certainly changed!

 

[Ventura]

yes, i immediately had to "sing" the commercial in my head..
Damn you Dingo !

if anyone wants the lead sheet i guess i could make one..

 

[Tom]

I wonder where the yellow went……

 

[PhiliGol]

Has anyone tried to whiten keys before? i.e. if they have yellowed.

I saw some videos online for whitening of midi-controller keys which suggested using hydrogen peroxide. Naturally the pain would be removing the keys though.

No I haven't - and I will refrain from doing so on my 60year old Gola.
Whatever you do it will somehow impact the surface-layer.
I decided to leave 'em - it's part of her history.

Of course somehow matter of personality - also won't (and never did) take any chemicals to color my hair.

 

[debra]

If the whitening toothpaste doesn't work (or doesn't work well enough) you can als try hydrogen peroxide (use for bleaching hair). It's best to wear protective gloves when working with that stuff because it is quite aggressive.

 

[SteveBox]

I saw some videos online for whitening of midi-controller keys which suggested using hydrogen peroxide. Naturally the pain would be removing the keys though.

I tried this once with a 20 year old Roland keyboard controller. I used "40 volume creme developer" gelled hair bleach. It worked, but the whitening was only temporary. Within a year or two the keys were yellow again.

 

[Technical]

I don't think I would be too bothered if it wasn't for the fact the keys aren't all similar and a few are more yellow than the rest.

 

[Ignacchitti]

I love the look of super yellowed keys, but indeed it needs to be uniform...

 

[Dingo40]

It worked, but the whitening was only temporary. Within a year or two the keys were yellow again.

Interesting.
I applied my toothpaste treatment in the 1980s and haven't needed to repeat it as yet!
I still have the instrument and checked it over while playing it today: no problem!

 

[Wheezer]

It can take decades to develop a rich, warm patina. Enjoy it.

 

[SteveBox]

I applied my toothpaste treatment in the 1980s and haven't needed to repeat it as yet!

Glad to hear the whitening can last in some circumstances, so by all means try it and see. How long it stays white may depend on the type of plastic and other factors.

 

[Morgan28]

Yes, people have tried whitening yellowed keys using hydrogen peroxide. It works, but removing the keys can be a hassle. Some use UV light to speed up the process. Be cautious with older plastics, as they might weaken.

 

[Dingo40]

Be cautious with older plastics, as they might weaken.

That's exactly why I don't whiten my teeth!

 

[JerryPH]

I love the look of super yellowed keys, but indeed it needs to be uniform...

For the new Super VI, this would not be aged keys, you can actually pay for aged/yellowed looking keys as an option, I saw 2 Super VI sitting right beside each other and was fooled for a few seconds until I saw that everything was identical except the key color... both were under 30 days old from the factory. .