Restore color on vintage formica dinette table

August 14, 2007 4:47 PM

I have a vintage, formica-topped dinette set that I put out for a yard sale over the weekend. In the places that were exposed to the sunlight (i.e. not covered by the cash box or other items which were for sale) the yellow formica top turned to a smokey yellow color. The places that were covered are still pure yellow like they were before. Can anyone give me a solution to returning the smokey parts back to their original, bright color?

Here are pics (on the left half of the pic is the original, normal color, the right is the "smokey" color I refer to)
Dinette

posted by DJsKott to Home & Garden (6 answers total)

You could try a baking soda solution, or citrus cleaner - if that doesn't do it, maybe soft scrub? Here's a page with some tips, although I don't know if they would work in your particular situation.
posted by sluggo at 5:14 PM on August 14, 2007

How about resurfacing?
posted by rhizome at 5:35 PM on August 14, 2007

also try an anti-calcium formula (one with the pale blue acid, don't know what chemical it is, but most anti-calc formulas use it). This has worked for me. It's slow -- you have to let it soak overnight.
posted by lastobelus at 5:37 PM on August 14, 2007

Did you clean this before the sale, with bleach?
posted by Toekneesan at 7:47 PM on August 14, 2007

Perhaps you should leave it out in the sunlight some more without anything on it so it all becomes a smoky yellow color.
posted by ShooBoo at 8:03 PM on August 14, 2007

"Did you clean this before the sale, with bleach?"

If bleach is the cause of the discoloration, the anti-calc will work for sure.
posted by lastobelus at 8:45 PM on August 14, 2007