How to Clean a Clear Phone Case That Turned Yellow

It might be disheartening to see your once-perfect phone case gradually turn yellow. The good news is that you can get your clear case back to its original state. In the article below, we show you how to do just that. 

How to Clean a Clear Phone Case

There are several ways to take your transparent phone case back to its former see through glory. When clear cases turn yellow is usually due to dirt and oils. You can remove this discoloration with a number of products including: dish soap, rubbing alcohol, and baking soda, among other items. 

Though this color change can also happen as the plastic of the case ages, try out the methods we list in this article just to make sure it’s not dirt or oil. If you try everything and the case just won’t clear up, it’s very possible that plastic has become discolored due to age rather than grime. When you get to that point, sadly, it is time for a new phone case.

Here are a few tricks you can try to salvage your case:

Baking Soda

Baking soda is a wonderful cleaning agent, which is also known as sodium bicarbonate. It is used to brighten white fabrics and to clean many different materials, making it definitely worth a try.

Steps for using the baking soda method:

1. Sprinkle a little baking soda directly on your phone case, or make a paste with baking soda and water and apply it to the case.
2. Dampen an old toothbrush, or a magic eraser and use it to scrub at the stained areas.
3. Rinse off the baking soda.
4. Dry your clear case with a soft cloth.

Dish Soap

Dish soap can be used for more than just washing the dishes. The chemicals used to make dishwashing soaps or tablets make them great stain and oil removers.

Steps for using dish soap:

1. Mix a few drops of dish soap with a little warm water.
2. Scrub the solution over the phone case using an old toothbrush.
3. Thoroughly clean the inside and outside of the case.
4. Rinse the case well.
5. Dry the case with a soft cloth.

Rubbing Alcohol

According to a new study, mobile phones are seven times dirtier than toilet seats. This means we all should be disinfecting our phones and phones cases regularly to avoid getting sick. Rubbing alcohol is not only a great disinfectant but can also help remove oils from your phone case.

Steps for using rubbing alcohol:

1. Spray or wipe your phone case down with rubbing alcohol. You can do this with a soft cloth doused in rubbing alcohol or using a spray bottle.
2. Wipe away the alcohol with a clean, dry cloth.
3. Let your phone case air-dry.

Detergent

You can use detergent to get a brighter, cleaner phone case. Oxiclean is a popular laundry detergent people use to brighten whites and remove stains.

Steps for using detergent:

1. Fill a container with warm water and add Oxiclean.
2. Soak your phone case in the soapy water.
3. Scrub it using a soft brush or an old toothbrush until stubborn stains disappear
4. Dry your phone case with a soft cloth.

Nail Polish Remover

The acetone in nail polish remover works well at removing stains and oils. It does have a strong smell though, so you may wish to try wearing a mask. You can also use the nail polish remover outside or in a well-ventilated space.

Steps for using nail polish remover:

1. Pour a few drops of the nail polish remover on a cotton pad or ball.
2. Rub your phone case with the moistened cotton.
3. Repeat the steps 1 and 2 until the whole phone case is clean.

Toothpaste

Popular toothpaste brands boast of the fact that their product can make teeth whiter. Just like it does to teeth, toothpaste can lighten and brighten your phone case.

Over and again, toothpaste proves to be very efficient in removing tea and coffee stains on a phone case, it can even be used on shoe soles, snorkel masks and related gear.

Follow these steps for using toothpaste:

1. Apply a little amount of toothpaste onto your phone case.
2. Rub the toothpaste continuously with a soft cloth or old toothbrush to get rid of stains.
3. Rinse the case well.
4. Dry the case with a soft cloth.

Bleach

Bleach remains the unbeatable stain remover. It might be just what your phone case needs to become clear again. A word of caution here: bleach is highly corrosive and an irritant, so you will need to be extra careful. Wear gloves and work in a well ventilated area. If you get bleach on your skin rinse it very well.

Steps for using bleach to clean your clear case:

1. Dilute your bleach as per the manufacturer’s instructions on the bottle.
2. Spray the case with the solution, or let it soak in a container of the solution.
3. Brush the clear case in the diluted bleach with an old toothbrush.
4. Rinse the case thoroughly.
5. Dry the case with a soft cloth.

Uncommon Hacks You Can Use When Clear Phone Cases Turn Yellow

There are other unconventional methods you can try to clean your phone case. Let’s look at some unconventional examples below:

Magic Eraser

you can try and erase some of the stains and yellowing off your phone case. For a case with matte finishing, this is definitely a viable option. This method should also work on a silicone case with a smooth texture.

Sun

Sunlight tends to whiten and brighten anything exposed to it. Place your phone case outdoors and let it bask in the sun. It may help remove the yellowing.

Get a New Phone Case

If you try all these methods and nothing seems to stop or reverse the yellowing process, it might be time to get a new case. To give your case a longer life span, consider cleaning and disinfecting it regularly to prevent discoloration.

Clean and bacteria-free phone cases are beneficial to your health too. On average, we spend three hours and 15 minutes on our mobile phones every day. To put this into perspective, for a 6-inch screen dirty phone, you directly interact with over 200,000 germs.

Scary, right? You should aim to clean your case frequently to lengthen it’s lifespan and not only save you money, but help keep you from getting sick.

Conclusion

Cleaning your phone case should be a breeze now that you have numerous options to choose from. Try out a couple of the methods above until you find the one that works for you.