Today is a short blog about why it has taken me so long to post sewing tutorials. Well, just take one look at my sewing machine you will understand. Look at the state is it in! I have own this machine for over 10 years. It has been well looked after. I kept out of direct sunlight all this time. I even brought it over with me to Hong Kong when I moved. Smoke-free environment and it was kept in the far end of the room where the sun don’t shine! I had a cover on it when it wasn’t in use. That was how much it was looked after.
When it was new, it was white. It is now a nasty beige colour. I avoid looking at it every time I walked into the room. That’s why I haven’t been making any videos. Who wants to see a nasty beige sewing machine? Maybe it is just me. I like everything to be in order, pristine condition, look nice before I want to attempt any projects. That’s a bad trait to have. I never get anything done at this rate. So, I decided to do something about it.
I did a little research in the possibility of reversing this problem. Could I bleach plastic? I found out I wasn’t the only one that gets well cheesed off with plastic appliances going a nasty beige colour, when the original colour was white. It is a common problem with white plastic, it ages. The thing I don’t understand was, this usually only happens if your plastic appliances have been exposed to UV/sunlight for prolong amount of time. I started noticing my air-con cover, the floor standing fan, and the old computer keyboard needed bleaching. I was going to go bleaching crazy the hubs said!
I found out that using a very strong hair bleaching crème developer on plastic was the solution to reversing the effects of UV/sunlight damaged plastic. Ironically this process also involves using UV/sunlight to bleach and speed the process. Well, living in Hong Kong isn’t exactly hard. It is sweltering hot most of the time. Even on a not so hot day, the sun dries the laundry within hours.
Searching to see if anyone has tried using crème developer to bleaching sewing machine came to a dead end. It was always other appliances people were attempting and not a domestic sewing machine.
You see, it is not just the surface that needs bleaching. The surface has numbers and diagrams in the way. I really didn’t want to mess this up. But I took the plunge anyway. I couldn’t live with the sight of this putrid looking colour every time I used the machine to sew something.
“If anybody is going to attempt this, please check on a small area of your sewing machine to see if this method is not going to bleach out your numbers and diagrams. It may work on my machine but not yours. I will not hold responsibility if all your machine markings get bleached out”.
YOU WILL NEED:
Crème Developer, Vol 40. This is available at all specialised Hair & Beauty stores. Just ask for the strongest. 40 is the strength. Remember this is the bleach (solution 2) in hair dyes. Not the colour developer. Don’t buy the small hair dyes and use the tiny solution that comes with it. You need to just buy the crème developer on its own. It was rather cheap for a big bottle. Around $70 HKD for 1000ml.
They come in a few sizes. Make sure it is enough for your project. I just bought the biggest one I could find since it was quite cheap and worth it compared to the small bottles. You could always bleach other discoloured plastic appliances if you had any left.
Screwdrivers and any special Allen Keys your machine will require.
Disposable Gloves & Brush for protecting your hands, and help you spread the solution more faster and evenly.
Damp cloth. For wiping and remove any residue on the machine panels before bleaching.
Detergent. A few drops of detergent to help clean the plastic panels of oil and dirt in case the damp cloth doesn’t do the job.
Plastic bag. This helps stop the solution from evaporating in the sun. Make sure you have a bag big enough to put the panel in or enough to wrap it so that the developer is in contact with the plastic. Not vital but it helps!
Timer. To remind you the process is completed. You don’t want to over bleach it. You just want it to restore the original colour.
Water. Wash off any dirt and developer on the machine panels, as well as your hands in case you get crème developer on your skin.
Paper towels or towel. Dry off the machine panel ready for installation.
UV Protectant. This is vital otherwise the plastic will go yellow after 3 months or so. I tried searching for UV Protectant around my local hardware store and no one seems to have it here in Hong Kong. I have to mail order this from Amazon.co.uk. This stuff is for outdoor furniture that gets a lot sunlight. I’ve not seen anyone tried this but I hope it does work! I’ll explain in the end of the blog.
Remember to apply a bit of crème developer to a small part of the front or back plastic panel and over a bit of text or diagram to check that the ink won’t be bleached out before you try coating the whole machine panels.
Prepare the sewing machine ready to be bleached. Undo all the screws that needs to be done to release the panels from the actual body of the machine. Take photos or notes as you take out the screws so you will know what goes where and how to put the pieces back together again. I did it in this order.
Give it a wipe or wash to get rid of oil, dust and dirt. Dry any metal parts that has got wet to avoid rust.
Use gloves to protect your skin from the crème developer. It could cause an allergic reaction to some people. Use the brush and coat the plastic panel with a thick layer of crème developer. If your test shows the numbers and diagrams on the panels are fine, then it is safe to cover the whole panel with crème developer.
Use the plastic bag to cover or seal the panels inside to speed up the process. I couldn’t find a big enough bag and I had a big bottle of crème developer to re-coat if I had to, so I didn’t bother.
Put the panels in direct sunlight. Check it every 30 minutes until you have the whiteness you want. Remember if you live in a hot and sunny country, the time maybe shorter. I put my panels on my tangerine bush to keep it off the dusty floor because I couldn’t find a bag to put it in.
I left mine outside for 1.5-2 hours on a very sunny day to make sure I don’t have a beige panel still. I used a piece of white paper to compare before and after the bleaching process to make sure the colour had changed.
I actually got a bit lazy at first before I wore gloves. You will get a slight tingling sensation on the skin surface. If you do get crème developer on your skin, just rinse under warm soap water for a minute and rub gently. The bleach burn will not disappear immediately but will after 15+ minutes after drying the skin.
FINISHED RESULT!!
Well, here it is. Any white shade is better than putrid beige!
Sometimes the plastics cannot always achieve the brand new look no matter how many times you bleach it. Some new plastics, like the front bobbin cover on the machine, stays pristine white because it is made from a different plastic and does not age. You rather spend more time bleaching the plastic cover than rushing to put the machine back together and regretting later that you didn’t bleach long enough.
Please note: the Creme Developer is only a temporary solution. You will need to re-bleach and reapply after a few months depending how much sun light you get in your part of the country. I have yet to find a more permanent solution, I’m afraid.
I can now start making my sewing tutorials. Hurray!
See you in my next blog.
Shan x
Disclaimer: I am not a qualified machine engineer or an expert at fixing or building sewing machines. I purely do it as a hobby, and help people out. I used to be a technician in the Fashion Department at a UK college for over 10 years. I have had my fair share of experiences with fixing machines with minor problems. I usually rectify most machines that have been brought to my attention.
Thanks Mary. xx
Good job! Thank you for the various size patterns for the “masks”. M🍀