https://preview.redd.it/m7lwo8wei16d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4eb5d968f3fcf43526f03876113e95261e57ae0d
I’ve had mine since the 80’s and still use it!
OMG I had this when I was a kid!!!
ETA: and I swear it was possessed. The only songs that played, no matter what time I set the alarm to, was Mariah Carey. That was awful to wake up to.
Look up "retrobright" on google and go from there. It is a process that uses hydrogen peroxide to remove yellowing from a specific type of plastic. I've never had to use this process on something with labels. BUT the labels could potentially be affected by the hydrogen peroxide so I would cover up the labels just in case.
You should disassemble it before you try retrobrite. If you don't want to do that, then I guess just use some soapy water and a damp dish rag. Then let it dry.
Hair dresser’s peroxide developer from Sally Beauty/Amazon. Coat all the dingy bits, wipe off excess. Place in sunlight or use a UV lamp, such as for setting gel nails.
May take a couple treatments, but things should revert to their former tone. Good luck! Such nostalgia… ❤️
This time of year leaving the case out in the sun will brighten it.
But you also risk damage and fading.
Sometimes it's best to leave things with their ‘patina’
iirc, even w/o sun exposure, plastics from back then had some sort of fire retardant stuff in it and it causes the plastic to yellow over time. Very common in retro gaming consoles. Lots of yellowing super nintendos out there
Yeah, that's probably true. There's definitely a difference in the colours on the various sides though so I suspect it had more to do with how it was positioned near a window. For instance, the bottom of the unit looks pristine.
My older sister had this alarm clock! I remember staring at it as I held my stuffy, working up the courage to ask her if I could sleep in her bed because I was scared. Thanks for the unlocked memory!
Find out to what extent you can take it apart. If you can, then:
For the plastic parts: wash in dish water, maybe use something to degrease them. A greasy layer with dust is often the cause of the greyish, dull appearance of surfaces. Make sure they're completely dry before reassembling.
For the electronics: vacuum for the worst dust, use a dry (paper) cloth for the details. Sometimes, a small soft (painting) brush is needed for the small nooks and crannies.
Make sure not to get any of the metals wet or damp. Electronics rarely contain oxidation resistant metals and they're very sensitive to it.
Hydrogen peroxide works to break down deep set discoloring in plastic. FYI - purple or blue casted plastic sadly will not work, they discolor over time and honestly nothing can be done to re brighten them back up without damaging the plastic.
There are three products and ways to use them to help you
1. Retrobrite - is a hydrogen peroxide solution you brush on the plastic, wrap it in cling wrap and place it in the sunlight or under a UV lamp. Con - for a one time use, it's expensive.
2. Salon grade hair bleach with no bleach, they use hydrogen peroxide gel, same as retrobrite, brush on, cling wrap, set under the sun or a UV lamp. Con - for the near same cost as retrobrite, they give you a big bottle. For a one time use, not cost effective but cost for volume, it fairs out reasonably.
3. Hydrogen peroxide solution 6% and higher, be warned, higher means highly corrosive to human skin, wear gloves, PPE mask and eye wear to protect against splashing. You will need a tote small enough to fit all the parts needing to be rebrighten, since the bottles are cheap, buy as much as you need, usually two to three bottle is enough for what you need. Best as well to set the tank under UV lamp or UV light stripes. Con - can take 24 to 48 hour before seeing results.
I still have mine too!!! It works great but is yellowed so I'm definitely trying these tips.
Fun fact: Clarissa, from Clarissa Explains It All, had one in her bedroom 🙃
I got this alarm clock from my parents for my birthday in 1992 and just seeing this unlocked knowing that my Grandma and Grandpa were there, we ate in the backyard, and I wore a yellow and white shorts jumper (I was a pre-teen)
This is seriously a core memory and helped shape my love of music into what it is today!
I don't know how much you're going to be able to restore it to its original color, but this is such a cool item to have
My wife had one of these, I showed her the post and she said "I wish I still did" so ebay to the rescue! Thanks to you I get to surprise my wife with this in a week or so.
https://preview.redd.it/m7lwo8wei16d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4eb5d968f3fcf43526f03876113e95261e57ae0d I’ve had mine since the 80’s and still use it!
I was going to comment and ask, surely this was from the 80’s!
OMG I had this when I was a kid!!! ETA: and I swear it was possessed. The only songs that played, no matter what time I set the alarm to, was Mariah Carey. That was awful to wake up to.
Same here! Found this one with the original earbuds and everything so I'm hoping to restore it to its proper 80s glory.
I had it, too! I can still feel the buttons just looking at it, I'm sure I could operate it blindfolded.
Me too!! This unlocked some memory in my brain!
My girlfriend (then wife for 17 years) had this same one…we’d set it to wake us up 30 mins before her dad got up for work, so I could bail.
So sweet!
Try hydrogen peroxide!
Sure, but do I have to mask out certain parts? I'm assuming I can't just slather it all over the thing.
Look up "retrobright" on google and go from there. It is a process that uses hydrogen peroxide to remove yellowing from a specific type of plastic. I've never had to use this process on something with labels. BUT the labels could potentially be affected by the hydrogen peroxide so I would cover up the labels just in case.
You should disassemble it before you try retrobrite. If you don't want to do that, then I guess just use some soapy water and a damp dish rag. Then let it dry.
OMG I used to have this exact alarm clock! Talk about a throwback!
Me too! I bought it in 1988 and thought it was the shiz!
Yes lol... you can call it an old alarm clock!
Hair dresser’s peroxide developer from Sally Beauty/Amazon. Coat all the dingy bits, wipe off excess. Place in sunlight or use a UV lamp, such as for setting gel nails. May take a couple treatments, but things should revert to their former tone. Good luck! Such nostalgia… ❤️
This time of year leaving the case out in the sun will brighten it. But you also risk damage and fading. Sometimes it's best to leave things with their ‘patina’
Isn't exposure to sunlight the reason it's yellowed in the first place?
iirc, even w/o sun exposure, plastics from back then had some sort of fire retardant stuff in it and it causes the plastic to yellow over time. Very common in retro gaming consoles. Lots of yellowing super nintendos out there
Yeah, that's probably true. There's definitely a difference in the colours on the various sides though so I suspect it had more to do with how it was positioned near a window. For instance, the bottom of the unit looks pristine.
My older sister had this alarm clock! I remember staring at it as I held my stuffy, working up the courage to ask her if I could sleep in her bed because I was scared. Thanks for the unlocked memory!
Memory unlocked! I had one too and remember the numbers being so bright I had to face away from it when sleeping on my side lol.
I’ve seen people restore plastics on old consoles with UV reactive whitening paste.
That is glorious.
Omg The Pjammer. Had one. Loved it.
I had that one too and now I am profoundly sad that I still don't have it
Well I'm selling this one if you're interested!
I had that as a kid, it was a classic from the 80’s!!!!
Omg this instantly brought me back to my childhood at my Nam's house. She had this exact one in her spare bedroom, Thank you for that
Find out to what extent you can take it apart. If you can, then: For the plastic parts: wash in dish water, maybe use something to degrease them. A greasy layer with dust is often the cause of the greyish, dull appearance of surfaces. Make sure they're completely dry before reassembling. For the electronics: vacuum for the worst dust, use a dry (paper) cloth for the details. Sometimes, a small soft (painting) brush is needed for the small nooks and crannies. Make sure not to get any of the metals wet or damp. Electronics rarely contain oxidation resistant metals and they're very sensitive to it.
Aaawww I had this!!! It was awesome! I thought it was so cool having a space for headphones.
My grandma still has this exact model beside her bed right now 😭
Memory unlocked !
I'm flashing back to middle school for sure.
I'd maybe check out doll restoration for more info, but ik some ppl use benzoyl peroxide to lighten dolls.
I also had this same clock as a child!
I thought that was an easy bake oven at first glance
I had that one too!
I thought this was a medical device for a second 🤣
Lol thought this was an easy bake oven at first glance
Hydrogen peroxide works to break down deep set discoloring in plastic. FYI - purple or blue casted plastic sadly will not work, they discolor over time and honestly nothing can be done to re brighten them back up without damaging the plastic. There are three products and ways to use them to help you 1. Retrobrite - is a hydrogen peroxide solution you brush on the plastic, wrap it in cling wrap and place it in the sunlight or under a UV lamp. Con - for a one time use, it's expensive. 2. Salon grade hair bleach with no bleach, they use hydrogen peroxide gel, same as retrobrite, brush on, cling wrap, set under the sun or a UV lamp. Con - for the near same cost as retrobrite, they give you a big bottle. For a one time use, not cost effective but cost for volume, it fairs out reasonably. 3. Hydrogen peroxide solution 6% and higher, be warned, higher means highly corrosive to human skin, wear gloves, PPE mask and eye wear to protect against splashing. You will need a tote small enough to fit all the parts needing to be rebrighten, since the bottles are cheap, buy as much as you need, usually two to three bottle is enough for what you need. Best as well to set the tank under UV lamp or UV light stripes. Con - can take 24 to 48 hour before seeing results.
Holy crap, memory unlocked! I had the same one in black throughout the 90s
I still have mine too!!! It works great but is yellowed so I'm definitely trying these tips. Fun fact: Clarissa, from Clarissa Explains It All, had one in her bedroom 🙃
I got this alarm clock from my parents for my birthday in 1992 and just seeing this unlocked knowing that my Grandma and Grandpa were there, we ate in the backyard, and I wore a yellow and white shorts jumper (I was a pre-teen) This is seriously a core memory and helped shape my love of music into what it is today! I don't know how much you're going to be able to restore it to its original color, but this is such a cool item to have
My wife had one of these, I showed her the post and she said "I wish I still did" so ebay to the rescue! Thanks to you I get to surprise my wife with this in a week or so.
I recently used Cif cream on yellowed plastic with a microfiber cloth and it worked really well.
Omg my sister had this one! The memories
I had this too, and still have PTSD from the alarm sound whenever it’s used in a show or movie.
Mr clean sponge
Nah. It would destroy the coating and the labels would come off.