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How can I clean a yellowish silicone mobile back cover and prevent it from yellowing again?

Is there a way to get rid of this or do I need to buy new one?

Can see how yellowish it is become.

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  • Can you include a photo of it? Also, what is it made of and/or coated with? Different materials will lead to different answers.
    – BrettFromLA
    May 19, 2019 at 20:04
  • Oh! So is your case clear like the picture, or "crystal white"?
    – BrettFromLA
    May 20, 2019 at 0:02
  • Did you mean "silicone"?
    – Mike Waters
    May 20, 2019 at 13:37
  • I think coloured case would be better hack than this clean case. Coloured case wouldn't be yellowish.
    – Swapnil
    May 24, 2019 at 16:37

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Yes; don't touch the case, and don't expose it to UV light (sunlight) - after all when kept in the retail packaging, away from your skin oils, daily dirt and under artificial light in a shop stand, these things stay clear for years

As neither of these are very practical considering the fact that it's a phone case, I recommend you throw it away (or give it to someone who doesn't care that it is yellowed, if you're concerned about the environmental impact of frivolously throwing plastic away) and buy another one

When buying a replacement consider one that is not clear plastic, such as one that has coloured or black plastic, or one that is a different kind of clear plastic - harder plastics seem to resist yellowing better

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I am not a chemist, but information I read on the internet in the past kind of answers your problem.

It is the composition of the material which is not "stable" enough and some of its components react with gases in the air (probably oxygen). Although that reaction is very slow, it is unstoppable. In time, the "plastic" will degrade at least color, maybe other properties as well.

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  • Thanks for time and efforts. I also think heating phone can be cause of yellowish colour as well as atmosphere.
    – Swapnil
    May 28, 2019 at 9:00
  • If my understanding is correct, the heating itself is not a cause, but only a "helper" factor - a catalyst, if you want. Because of the heat, the chemical reactions happen faster.
    – virolino
    May 28, 2019 at 9:01

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