How to Clean Yellowed Plastic Keys on a MIDI Controller Keyboard

I had a Novation Launchkey MIDI keyboard controller with keys that became yellow, as a result of having it placed next to a window. Initially, I tried cleaning it with baking soda, isopropyl alcohol, and all sort of home cleaning agents - with no luck.
Eventually, I learned that it was bromine, a chemical substance in plastic keys that had destabilized because of prolonged exposure to UV light. The only way to turn it white again is to use hydrogen peroxide and UV light again.
I documented the process of whitening the yellowed plastic keyboard using hydrogen peroxide cream and UV light.
Get a hydrogen peroxide cream (12%) mixture, like this: www.audiomentor.com/tools/hpc...
Or visit the Retr0 Bright website to make your own: www.retr0bright.com/
In Malaysia? Here's one from Lazada: www.audiomentor.com/laz/hydro...
If you found value in the video, consider buying me a coffee. It'll help me create more useful videos for you. I'm grateful : www.buymeacoffee.com/Audiomentor
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Bookmarks:
0:00​ Intro // Why Do Keys Turn Yellow?
0:38​ First look & what you'll need.
2:10​ Disassembling the MIDI controller keyboard.
3:36 Applying hydrogen peroxide cream
4:12 24 hours later...
5:15​ Re-assembling the MIDI Controller
5:33 White keys!
#yellowedplastic #cleanyellowedplastic #yellowedkeyboard
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* I receive a small commission when you buy through some of the links above, at no cost to you. This helps me create more informative videos like this one and do the next one even better - so thank you!

[@daviddempsey8721]

Reuben, there are so many D-I-Y videos and forum posts about how to fix things. As an Engineer-Tech, so much of it is nonsense, and some is actually harmful. It's rare to find someone who has FIRST worked out what's wrong! and then found a relatively safe way to fix it. Congrats. I have a keyboard waiting for this... after I put the other piano back together.

[@reubenchng]

Thanks for the kind words and your generous tip. Glad that this helped you and thank you for allowing me to create more. :) Can't wait to see the results on your keyboard

[@comrade_crab]

Thank you for this clear how-to video! I got a Korg R3 (very cheap) with yellow keys, and now I know exactly how to proceed.

[@reubenchng]

Hope yours turns out well

[@kevinp4771]

Perfect, thankyou, had an old white keyboard with the most horrendous yellow keys that looked like it was on 20 smokes a day! this worked perfectly although took an extra day for me

[@reubenchng]

think of it as a nice destressing activity!

[@MADEINNSW]

Sir you are underrated. I have enjoyed your videos for years now. Great content!

[@reubenchng]

Thank you kind sir! Will do better.

[@michaeldulsky8492]

This video really inspired me. Yesterday I finally disassembled my vintage Ensoniq ASR 10 keyboard. It took 6 1/2 hours to take it apart carefully. Today I used your process of whitening the keys. I left them outside in the blazing sun on a sheet of cardboard with the hydrogen peroxide cream pasted on the white keys and under Saran Wrap. They look like brand new keys now. P.S. for anyone that wants to know... I left them outside from 1:35 to 7:30ish I will put them back outside early tomorrow till the sun goes down. I don't think I really need to but I'm a perfectionist. Bless 🙏

[@Riverandsun]

How’d you go?

[@AudioAtmos]

Thanks you!! Also for taking the time to video the disassembly. I hope my Nektar LX49 is as easy.

[@danieldoherty8009]

Great video and very clearly explained, I have a yamaha keyboard and the keys need this treatment, so thanks again man for that .

[@andrewcraig3893]

Many thanks Reuben, I have the exact same keyboard with the exact same yellowing - you have inspired me to tackle the yellowing, cheers!

[@TrueDetectivePikachu]

Awesome video man! Kudos from LATAM. In my case I couldn't get any cream. Instead I used a bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide in liquid, for those in LATAM viene siendo una botella marron de esos que encuentras en farmacias. I had some nintendo switch lite buttons that were pretty darn yellowed. I cleaned em first and filled a glass jar with Hydrogen Peroxide and put the buttons inside and sealed it tight. Its in the middle of summer at the time of writing this; leaving the glass jar for around an hour or two at 11am in summer quickened the process a heck of a lot.

[@samuelwong4152]

thanks, im gonna do this to my Korg pa600........ should have done in during MCO, which u did. thanks again !

[@MatthewMusician]

wow nice instructions. Thanks for the video you did!

[@Tamarachloe]

Wow! Anazing results🙌🏼

[@nicksutton2964]

Thank you! Very clearly explained.

[@CoLD.SToRAGE]

Here's another way... just place your keyboard in sunlight. Over a few days, the sun clears the yellowing. No unscrewing, no chemicals, no mess. It's probably a good idea to cover the non-keyboard part of your synth with a cloth, so that only the keys get the sunlight. I've done this myself, and it works. I've also brightened old computer cases this way too. It's way more eco-friendly. The yellowing isn't largely from sunlight, it's from the unavoidable breakdown of the plastic - www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4320144/

[@naqi_zariz]

Does this work for both ivory and plastic keys?

[@Emily_M81]

Thanks for sharing! My old Kawai K5000S synth definitely needs this.

[@lundsweden]

Yeah my Kawai K5000W is really bad too!

[@AngeloGuardia]

Hoping this video saves my Korg Karma :) nice video man! keep it up

[@reubenchng]

Can't wait to see your before and after. :)

[@lundsweden]

It looks great!

[@CDJJOE]

Thanks for this Video, this has really helped me to clean my Maudio Axiom.

[@reubenchng]

Glad it helped!

[@benashley6395]

simon, was it difficult to take the axiom apart?

[@CDJJOE]

@@benashley6395 There are some screws and after taking the backside off the case, the keys are arrested. So it was the first time not such easy as I thought. But if youve time, and trust in u youll get it.

[@kellyanne7225]

Well, as a stylist, I sure do have plenty of the “cream”, actually called developer, on hand! 👍🏼 Awesome tip! I’m actually using this on my real piano keys, not an electric piano. They’re plastic, not ivory so I’m safe! 😀

[@reubenchng]

Good to hear that. Oh! So I don’t actually need a glove do I?

[@marzzz1]

@@reubenchng When she says "on hand" I think she means "readily available." I would definitely recommend using gloves as you originally described.

[@Mikas_Emil]

Hey Kelly - Did you do it on a normal upright piano with plastic keys? would love to know how you did it - did you take all the keys out? and how did it go?

[@kellyanne7225]

@@Mikas_Emil Morning! Yes, I did…it did nothing. I had long forgotten about this thread! 😂 I suppose I could give it another go, right?

[@Mikas_Emil]

@@kellyanne7225 thanks for getting back!!! :D did you remember to put it in sunlight or another source of UV lighting?

[@DornAlien123]

Amazing! I have to try this for myself!

[@Blrapue]

Thank you! I'm going to try this on my Alesis QS8 I purchased in 1997. I will report back with my results.

[@lenonel3286]

What an amazing video! Thanks for sharing I'll try this at home

[@reubenchng]

Have fun while at it

[@Hydropete]

Very helpful thanks!

[@MessyCodes-mh8gx]

Great information. Thank you 💞

[@cardotaduran7797]

How come 4 people dislike this very helful video?

[@mystikron2302]

Hey thats great. I have the same problem and now can fix it. But there is another Problem with the two pitch wheels on the left. The black (like a tire on a wheel) Plastic is going sticky gluey, Feels like desolving. Maybe the Softmaker in the Plastic. Did you got a solution for that also? :-) Thank you so much.

[@rivano2501]

Thank you sir! for this video 💯

[@iamflatley]

One question, is it the same result now as almost year ago, so still white? Because I heard that after couple of times (months maybe year) white colour is getting into yellow again.

[@lundsweden]

I had thought of putting mine in a bucket of diluted bleach, but feared it might damage the plastic. This looks like a better idea!

[@ianfridlington1047]

Brilliant and thank you!

[@austinjoiner5968]

Would a uvb light bulb work? I live in an apartment so cant really do the outside thing long term

[@JustinH95]

You got a sub from me, boss. Great simple video

[@reubenchng]

thank you!

[@MediaMusik777]

does it remove the clear coat ? I have performant clear coat finger print over time now there is wear on the keys that look like finger prints. Basically the the clear coat has been remove overtime by my finger oils and now its looks uneven.

[@alexnova85]

Thank you very much for the video, will have to do my keyboard now.

[@reubenchng]

Good luck!

[@sarys73]

I have a Kawai K5000w that needs some whitening. Thank's bro

[@kwentongcar-car6535]

wow this is really helpful

[@NicolasMelis]

Hello, thanks for the video, If i use Hydrogen Peroxide cream 9% volume 30 will have the same results?

[@freesubscribe3761]

Hi brother u saved my keyboard. Thanks so much. God bless u. Have few questions to ask u about music but dunno how to reach u.

[@ET2carbon]

Did it change the feeling of the keys?

[@hy0chan]

can I use baking soda or bleachers / whitening?

[@txddyfarquh3916]

So once the keys hv been brought back to white, would spraying a "clear coat" over the keys so that they dont stain again?

[@aomine6817]

I have an AKAI LPK 25 which was sitting on a shelf for years without any cover and not really hidden and the keys are perfectly white while my other controller - Nektar LX49 which was on my desk - the keys look like something peed on them. that makes me wonder - is it only because of direct exposure to sunlight or did AKAI use plastic that's completely resistant to yellowing and why didn't other midi keyboard makers use the same plastic? Nektar keys turn yellow, I saw M-audio keys also turn yellow, here is a Novation controller with yellow keys

[@Drumdnc0]

👌🏼 Amazing English 🤝

[@PatrikAdolfsson]

Great vid. Did the keys stay white? 😅

[@Riverandsun]

Thanks for this video! I thought it was strange that it went yellow, but that makes sense if it is a chemical reaction over time with some plastics! I’m doing this today.. It’s been four hours with keys in the sun. Probably need another four. Believe it or not the hardest part was taking apart the keyboard. I’ll come back here and say if it worked and managed to put the keyboard back together in two days lol. Keyboard: Maudio keystation 61 ES. NB. Anyone trying this at home (unless you know how to disassemble the keyboard) remember that even tutorials with similar keyboards are not always helpful and it could damage it. But this is one of the better tutorials I’ve found! TY OP! 🎉

[@reubenchng]

That's the MIDI controller I started off with! Love that one. All the best, good luck!

[@Riverandsun]

⁠@@reubenchng I cannot believe that I managed to do this. When I unscrewed the outer case the keyboard fell out and one of the ribbons and a clip got disconnected but I figured out where they were meant to plug back in and thought well I’ll try anyway. Took a couple of days with the keys in the sun.. then plugged it all back in and some how it worked! Good as new. Thanks for your video! 😊 Yay 😀

[@reubenchng]

@@Riverandsun so glad that turned out well for you.

[@cryptombt5880]

Really awesome

[@FirKezzy]

Thanks for this tutorial... just need it to clean my korg X50...

[@fusionistaaaa]

I'm ajout to buy a used x50 with yellow keys! Do you recommend it? Did you whiten it? Thanks

[@reubenchng]

@@fusionistaaaa haggle for a good price, then restore it!

[@northw1nd]

thanks for your sharing ~~

[@YeahNoTellTheTruth]

Windows generally stop uv light so I wonder how you achieved that result...

[@luisjo819]

thaaanks!

[@kamilekapel]

would painting liquid hydrogen peroxide on keys work?

[@solankikaushik1550]

sir can roland xp30 do use that on keyboard?

[@aomine6817]

I did it on a bargain Axiom 49 I bought used, happy with the result but it took pretty long, I wish I bought a UV lamp but they are expensive. also I regret dumping entire bottle of the oxydant creme on the keys - it got into tight spaces on the back of the keys and it was a pain to clean it

[@copperstaterocketguy1640]

Do u think an Maudio is that easy too?

[@briancherenaacosta923]

Thanks!

[@reubenchng]

Welcome!

[@Tcowvn]

Thank a lot

[@lesterfalcon1350]

Nice, my Novation Bass station 2 suffered the same consequence from the Vietnamese sun. I'll give the a go.

[@lesterfalcon1350]

Finally got around to doing this, the Bass Station keys are a different design than the Launchkey. So for anyone attempting this, the keys are held in place individually, by a spring and a plastic hook. You don't need to touch the black keys, as the white keys come out first. I used a slim metal chopstick, that fits through the centre of the spring. extend the spring a little and push the far end away from you and it will come out easily. (and do the reverse to put it back. There is a small square hole in front of the spring that hooks the key in. With a little pressure pulling up on the back of the key, and a flat screwdriver in the square hole press the hook back just a little to loosen the key. There are 2 rubber pads inside the front of the key so maneuver around these to remove.

[@benabdallahmehdi7624]

Can i use 30 vol ?

[@wreignone]

I left my octatrack in thesunlight with my window curtain drawn. I had no idea but after just 1 week its function key which is grey turned yellow!

[@pkeric2626]

I thought glass windows blocked uv-rays?

[@TranceHeed]

Does it need to be in sunlight when you put the cream on? I’m in Scotland so that could be a problem.

[@jundar73]

Just use UV lamps instead.

[@txddyfarquh3916]

Oh, i nearly 4got to Sub😂 thanks for this helpful vid

[@PauloAndreasMusic]

My M-Audio Keystation Pro 88 needs this doing as they look gross (very yukky). Sometimes I think they go yellow also in darker rooms like White Gloss Paint does if there's not much sunlight. But also I think depends on the manufacturer of the keyboard as some stay white and don't yellow...So far I've tried toothpaste, Meguiar's PlastX headlight cleaner (New Formula) does not work. Will try this method appreciate the great video :-)

[@reubenchng]

Maybe its the UV rays from your lights in the room? Glad that it helped you. Let us know how it turns out for you. And good luck!

[@cesarjain]

Any update?

[@ET2carbon]

My keystation pro 88 also! That’s why I’m here

[@ET2carbon]

@@reubenchng does this process change how the keys feel?

[@ChanceDevlin]

Thanks for the GREAT video!! Very helpful. I think i'm going to try this with-OUT taking the board apart. Has anyone tried this? If it's a bad idea please tell me now LOL.

[@naqi_zariz]

How'd it go?

[@vjreimedia]

You need to leave them for two days under scortching sun. I use liquid hydrogen peroxide, the cream is not as good. I sumerge everything in a transparent box or if is small, in a clip bag hanging on the window. If you can leave it for 3 days, better.

[@ianbarber2937]

I like the yellow keys

[@akshaypratap3366]

Can you please tell how to clean black plastic part..?

[@reubenchng]

Never found the need to clean that part.

[@JTAITSINGER]

I wonder if this will work on my yellowing shoe soles? I’m gonna try it on some that I don’t wear anymore.

[@reubenchng]

Haha i don't know! But please try and let us know here.

[@Esach711]

You said you left them in the sun for 6-8 hours, then you said you let them sit for 24 hours. Is that right? Mine have been sitting in direct UV light for over 24 hours and still have a ways to go before I can call them clean. Is direct sunlight simply faster?

[@reubenchng]

I let them sit longer because I noticed they weren't as white yet. Direct sunlight would be faster if you get more of that UV rays.

[@Esach711]

@@reubenchng Thanks

[@carlnikolov]

Don't windows filter out UV light? I figured that was a safety feature in modern glass.

[@visitor9408]

That's cool, make sure you use sun lotion on your keyboard next time. 😀

[@reubenchng]

*applies sun lotion to keyboard*

[@user-qy8lu6gk2l]

this cream is same as the hydrogen peroxide cream use on the hair?

[@reubenchng]

Yes that is the one!

[@user-qy8lu6gk2l]

​@@reubenchng it works!!!!!! that is awsome!!!this is the best way to make it white again.thank you bro. My keyboard brand new again!!!!

[@Ajuktion]

can we use this for drumpads ?

[@reubenchng]

I'll be a little afraid.. But for the love of experimenting, I'd try it.

[@Ajuktion]

@@reubenchng thanks man !

[@JitendraWagh73179]

looking at my yellow midi keys really made me sad. but now I have a solution. but I have never opened a midi earlier.

[@philly440]

I mean if you have to completely dismantle the keyboard there's no telling if it will work the same when you reassemble it wouldn't it just be easier to buy a new one? that novation is like $100...

[@reubenchng]

Unless you're rough, it's quite hard to damage the sensors. Yes, you're right - buying a new one would save much hassle. I did this for three reasons: 1. I just enjoy doing it. 2. To demonstrate to others who might wanna restore their collector keyboards. 3. I feel bad about landfills.

[@sarys73]

You will be amazed as to how easy it is to take these things apart. The only hard part is finding all the screw holes, not losing a screw, and reconnecting the springs that a lot of keyboards use ont he keys to give them tention. It's not difficult as in intellegence, just that your fingers will get really tired halfway through the respringing process. lol If worried, just look up how to disassemble your model. Someone online must have a video.

[@prime2669]

The best way is to stop smoking 😂

[@reubenchng]

No smokes here... ever

[@alainszyller615]

Most importantly; never go to a dentist for that, they will want to follow up every 3 months 😁

[@peter_gaspar]

I performed the same process but after few weeks the keys went back to yellow color.

[@reubenchng]

I read that's because of some bromine particles still in the plastic. Will see if mine turns yellow again.

[@sarys73]

@@reubenchng It's been 3 months Rueben. Did they turn yellow again?

[@reubenchng]

​@@sarys73 They did turn a slightly yellowish again. But not that initial yellow I started with. I'm really happy.

[@kniti27x]

I painted mine black x)

[@AngeloGuardia]

thinking to do that to my Korg Karma... the years are starting no to be kind to him :(

[@TheZullyfer]

What type of paint did you use?? Enamel?

[@spacecamel3844]

Please tell us how you did it!!!! I'm planning on doing the same

[@stampy696969]

Probably not a good idea to use a metal screwdriver when disconnecting the ribbon cables....one slip or gouge to the PCB and it's bye bye midi controller 😃

[@reubenchng]

True! Thanks for the reminder

[@Scripture-Man]

My keyboard turned yellow after being in a dark cupboard for a couple of years! No sunlight exposure at all! Strange, huh? :-)

[@NikolajLindChristensen]

Same here!

[@AudioAtmos]

I keep my midi keyboard covered with an opaque cover and still turned yellow. I think it’s more of an oxidation process. UV will accelerate it, but it will happen whether exposed to sun or not. The plastics used is crap these days. I have an high end Yamaha workstation that’s 20 years old near a window (I keep it covered too) and the plastic keys are white like the day I bought it.

[@EclipseSound]

thats why i buy only black key keyboards

[@solankikaushik1550]

Pls 🙏 reply sir it's urgently

[@myofusion99]

Or we can mix hydrogen peroxide 3% solution with sodium hypochloride.. hydrogen peroxide is actually from bombadier beetle is acid compound and the only one keys active ingredients for teeth whitening in human technology but the beetle is know earlier than us bcz we using their technologies actually.

[@kirion111]

im having the same problem on the PS5 controller 😂

[@kdchannel9355]

Dislike button here

Warning: This comment is racist "How to turn from Asian to White"

[@reubenchng]

haha come on!

[@USAIsrUKEUVngrdBLRckOccupiedUA]

liar!