Brighter Whites
I had intended for my first blog post to be filled with beautiful photos but with the recent move to Virginia, my attention has been focused on getting settled into our new space. When you buy a 1920's kit house, that means lots of projects. I decided it would be appropriate for my first post on the new blog to be those as well so you can learn from my successes (and failures!)
The first one I'm going to share is a trick I learned about my kid-sized Mid Century Modern chairs and really any white plastic. It was a sad day when my mini Eames replicas came off the moving truck after our most recent PCS. The heat of the drive from Alabama to Virginia apparently brought to life some atrocious UV damage. I thought about painting them but I worried it would never hold up to the abuse my tiny clients put them through.
Before replacing them, I decided to do a little googling. I came upon a tutorial for how to brighten yellowed electronics like a remote or a smoke detector using hair developer. Why wouldn't that work on a knock-off Eames chair? Low and behold, it did! So with just a few household items and a quick trip to the beauty store, my chairs are now camera ready again.
What you'll need...
A paint brush
Cling wrap
Hair Developer - 40% - I found a 4oz bottle at Sally's Beauty Supply for $1.49. That was more than enough for both chairs. Definitely go for the creme. It's thicker so it stays in place.
Wipe down your item to remove any stains or debris. Generously brush on the developer. Cover with cling wrap. If you're item is small enough, you can also put it in a Ziploc bag instead of wrapping it but either way, the goal is to keep it from drying out. Place in the sun for a minimum of 4 hours. Check it periodically to make sure it isn't drying out. You also may need to change the position to make sure it's getting full sun.
That's it! Once it's brightened to your liking, remove the cling wrap and clean it thoroughly of any remaining developer. As you can see from the side by side comparison, the unsightly yellow stain at the top of the left chair is now gone on the right chair.
