Taking Apart and Cleaning Up a Filthy Polar White Nintendo DS Lite

In this video I'll be disassembling a Polar White Nintendo DS Lite and cleaning it up. This was a really dirty item that I bought from eBay. I thought it would make a nice video, so I hope you enjoy.

[@orkuntarlaci]

Thank you very much indeed, I bought a dirty, white DS Lite from ebay, while I was wondering how to clean it, this video came out, now it's clean, the taste of Zelda is different.

[@cosmicnick4186]

So glad the video was able to help 🤙

[@it5thebenjastr595]

Great video! You deserve more subscribers - I recently bought a NASTY ice-blue DS Lite off eBay, and used this as a reference point to get all the gross gunk out. It looks almost brand-new now!

[@cosmicnick4186]

Thank you so much for your support. I wish I had more time to edit and create videos for you all to watch. Sorry about the recent lack of content, but hopefully I’ll be able to finish another video soon

[@agent8990]

me too its inside the clear case on top the top shell idk why it was desinged like that😭

[@pakkumis7774]

Your video has inspired me and revive my ice blue ds lite, it's looking 200% better now after I clean up everything. Thanks 😊

[@cosmicnick4186]

Thank you so much. It really means a lot 😊. I’m glad I was able to help out and stoked to hear that you were able to clean up and revive your DS 🤙

[@codemanthriftingandreselling]

Who knew Michael Cera liked to take apart and clean video game consoles! 😆Great video lol

[@cosmicnick4186]

Haha, yea we celebs got all sorts of hobbies lol 😂. Thanks for the support 🤙

[@valeriarocham.7833]

You helped me a lot with this video, Tysm! 💗 I didn't know how to clean my DS, thanks for your video you deserve more likes

[@cosmicnick4186]

Thank you so much for your kind words and support! I’m so glad the video helped you out 💕

[@kattriella1331]

I swear, that orange stuff looked like Cheeto dust. XP Gross. I'm glad you posted this. I've been looking to get one of the Ice Blue DS Lites, which also has this clear layer on the shell that's notorious for getting full of gunk. I was worried about taking one apart, because I wasn't sure how the inner workings attached to the shell. I'm glad to know I can get the shell off without having to rewire it.

[@cosmicnick4186]

Yea, the clear shells can look pretty gross but are also pretty satisfying to clean. I’m glad the video helped. Eventually, when I have the time, I’ll upload a more in depth video on how to take apart DS Lites and other consoles

[@Marchingvenusaur]

Mine looks exactly like this after being in storage for a while. No idea why it forms this brown garbage underneath the plastic. Thanks for this, gonna go clean it out!

[@cosmicnick4186]

Yea, these consoles can get pretty grody. Hopefully, it all goes well. If you need help or tips with the disassembly, I haven an in depth video posted on the channel as well. Good luck with your refurb 🤙

[@lifeisrosyyy]

So satisfying

[@SataniaMcDowel]

I bought one just yesterday and it was kinda gross. This video will be sooooo helpful 🥺

[@tsuchinoko719]

Awesome! I have my ds from when i was a kid and wanted to clean it up since I took such bad care of it lol

[@cosmicnick4186]

Yea, the old DSs are cool but they can get pretty grimy lol

[@RyanClaytor]

Nice demonstration. Thanks for posting it. Do you have recommendations for what to clean it with (water, chemical, etc) or nothing but a paper towel? Also, do you have strategies for preventing the four screw covers on the top screen from getting damaged?

[@cosmicnick4186]

Thank you. I appreciate the support and kind words. I’d avoid a paper towel for cleaning this device because it’s very rough and can leave scratches. Isopropyl alcohol and a q-tip is what a lot of repair people use to clean, but wet wipes are good and can make cleaning bigger items easier. I’m not sure if there’s another way to remove the screw covers carefully, but I use a sturdy needle that I can put some pressure on. I try to go from the corners and get under them, but sometimes I still slip and scratch the console or poke the screw covers and leave a bit of damage. It’ll take some practice

[@RyanClaytor]

@@cosmicnick4186 Thanks for your thorough response here! 🙏

[@cosmicnick4186]

@@RyanClaytor No worries 🤙

[@NotSoUnitedNations]

maaaaaaan this was satisfying. i wish i had the confidence to do this but i know it'd fuck it up lol. it's a shame because these filthy ds's sell for pennies compared to good condition ones DX

[@cosmicnick4186]

Yea, taking apart or working on new items is always intimidating to me, and I usually end up breaking something on the consoles I work on for the first time cause I get to excited and ahead of myself lol. I would say if you ever wanted to start with a console, a Game Boy is relatively simple to take apart and the DS Lite isn’t too bad either once you get the hang of it 🤙 But yea it’s satisfying to clean up and repair consoles like this. I’ll have some shorts if me retro-brighting consoles in the future

[@balickit]

Can you safely remove the top upper cover by itself? Can you slide it up after unscrewing to unlock and prevent the joints from breaking? I’d like to remove just the top cover for polishing, if it’s risky I’ll leave it as it is.

[@cosmicnick4186]

Yes, it’s possible to remove just the top cover if you don’t need to replace the screen or anything else in the top assembly. I’ve done it on a couple of DS Lites that I’ve worked on. It might be a little trickier to remove the screw covers because you won’t be able to lay the assembly flat on the table while the DS Lite is open, but as long as you’re careful it should be all good. Always work on what your comfortable doing 🤙

[@Elkcrown]

thank you for making this video! I just recently uncovered my old polar white DS lite, the poor thing has been significantly yellowed despite having been safely stored in its case for years but im hoping i can get most of the Child Grime off of it. Poor thing took a lot of beatings between me and my siblings when we were younger. What were you using to clean it? It seems to have done an excellent job at removing the grime which'd be helpful! and if you have any tips on handling stronger discoloration that'd be amazing too.

[@cosmicnick4186]

I used 70% isopropyl alcohol to do most of the cleaning. If the plastic itself has been yellowed, it may need to be retrobrighted. OddTinkering has a video about the process. I don’t have as advanced of a setup as they do, but I put the plastic in a clear tub with hydrogen peroxide and then I have UV lights shining on it with tinfoil rapped around it. I’d be careful when setting everything up to make sure that it’s a done in a safe place where the heat from the lights won’t affect anything else. Thank you for your support of the channel. I hope this helps

[@Elkcrown]

@@cosmicnick4186 thank you for the response!! I'll get some isopropyl alcohol then and get to cleaning once my triwing screwdriver arrives hahah. Hopefully its just the clearcoat and not the plastic itself, i can live with one or two bits being a little odd!

[@thrjfi5360]

Good effort

[@aznable7491]

I have the same one but the final fantasy 3 version its a gorgeous console that needs to be fixed up bad thanks for the video

[@cosmicnick4186]

Yea, the Final Fantasy 3 version is one of my favorite limited edition DS Lites. I have that model as well. I sold one that was yellowed before I knew how to retrobright, but it would’ve made for a great restoration video

[@colegronhovd1234]

amazing work ! By any chance would you consider doing this again? I have the exact same DS from my childhood that needs some deep cleaning but I trust myself on mnemonization of building it back together. would compensate

[@cosmicnick4186]

I would definitely consider doing this again. This was a fun video to look back at and I might have another coming out in the future. I just want to check though, were you looking to have me clean your console?

[@colethesuper]

@@cosmicnick4186 yeah! Was looking to just clean my Nintendo DS if possible please and thank you! It's basically the exact same one as the video, same dirtiness as well 😆

[@cosmicnick4186]

@@colethesuper yea, sounds good. I just need to figure out how we’d go about doing it first

[@Alexiss10969]

I tried to clean my DS but I can't put the top cover back on. It seems like it's too tight and I cannot slide it on. Any tips?

[@cosmicnick4186]

Hmm, I’d say maybe to check that the cables and wires for the microphone and wireless antenna are in the proper grooves that are outlined for them. There are slots for the microphone wire to fit into that are just behind the screen that I didn’t realize for a long time. Also the top cover has to be positioned slightly in front of where it is when it’s fully back together because it has to slide on when it’s installed. It’s difficult to explain in words, but I hope this helps. I promise I’ll work on a video of how to assemble and disassemble a DS Lite because many people have had questions. I’ve just been a little busy and haven’t had time for editing. Anyways, I really hope this helps and thanks for the support of the channel 🤙

[@Alexiss10969]

@@cosmicnick4186 Thanks for your help. Turns out I'm a complete dumbass. I've just noticed that those little "L" shape thingies that are supposed to hold the shell are slightly bent. That's why I can't slide it back on. I must've damaged them during disassembly. Do you think there's something I can do? Except for the full reshell 'cause I'll probably mess that up too 😅.

[@cosmicnick4186]

@@Alexiss10969 Ah, we all learn through experience. It took me forever to figure out how to put back together my first Wii that I just finished working on. We get better over time 🤙

[@laurel6606]

bought a pink ds lite with gunk in the same places, i managed to take the bottom off yesterday to clean it, but i dont trust myself with the top screen lol

[@cosmicnick4186]

Yea, the top screen can be pretty tricky, ha. Maybe one day with a little practice 🤙

[@kreimsicle6456]

What do you use to remove the white pads around 10:40?

[@cosmicnick4186]

I use a pin needle to remove the screw covers. It takes some practice, but I try to go for the corner of the cover and then get underneath it with the pin needle and then start prying upwards. I hope this helps 🤙

[@kreimsicle6456]

@cosmicnick4186 I was able to get them off with a box cutter lol! There's some intense gamer gunk on the top shell, so I'm letting soak over night in 99% iso. Really hoping I can get the shell back on and don't break anything!

[@cosmicnick4186]

@@kreimsicle6456 Yea, it can be a little tricky the first couple times, especially getting the top part of the shell to slide back into place properly if the wires aren’t aligned right. Best of luck to you, and let me know how it goes if possible!

[@rrrrmrmr]

What are you cleaning it with?

[@cosmicnick4186]

70% isopropyl alcohol and wet wipes. Some prefer to use 99% isopropyl alcohol, but it’s really up to you

[@rrrrmrmr]

Thanks dude@@cosmicnick4186

[@LeonSKennedyxx]

The plastic cover that's over the real cover, where this dirt gets stuck in between, which is why it's so hard to clean, I wonder why we can't tear these 2 plastic pieces appart. You know what I mean? The white parts of the console, or covers, are covered by a transparent plastic cover and between these 2 is where the dirt gets stuck, especially around the edges, and it just annoys me so much I can't dismantle these 2 to clean DEEPLY. Like fgs.

[@cosmicnick4186]

Yea, I’ve noticed that they’re two separate pieces stuck together too. It is frustrating. The edges are usually the dirty part, but if dirt ever gets further stuck between the two pieces, then it’ll be basically impossible to remove

[@LeonSKennedyxx]

​@@cosmicnick4186 omg I hope that never happens to mine or I'll be so mad 💀. Btw you should try to make a video (if you have the knowledges, because I know it's hard) to replace top/bottom screens for new ones because the top screen from mine got fucked up and I wanna replace it myself but I am too scared I will fuck it up even more than it is, especially when I do the welding part 😭 Anyway, I just stumbled across your channel and I loved your video, plus you seem a very kind guy! I'll follow your channel from now on, thank you!

[@cosmicnick4186]

@@LeonSKennedyxx Thank you so much for the kind words and support! I really appreciate it. I’ve definitely been meaning to make more in depth instructional videos to help out everybody more. Once I get the hang of replacing top screens for newer handhelds enough so I can offer tips of my own, I’ll definitely make a video on them. What kind of device did you have?

[@LeonSKennedyxx]

​​@@cosmicnick4186 Anytime, if I can support you I'm happy! Mine is exactly the same as the one from this video. NDSL and white colour too, and the dirt is like this, but it's because I got it when I was 9 yrs old, that's how it got so dirty, now I know I can clean most of it (I'm 23 now and I am more careful hehe) and the top screen basically one day it went all on lines, it's filled with pastel colour lines, you can't even see anything from the game you're playing, not a single pixel, and it happened as I was in the middle of a Pokémon game, I suddenly saw my screen go all on lines and I was like 10 at the time and I was like ok WTF? Appart from this the hinge broke as well, out of nowhere, because I never damaged/dropped the console for these things to occur. Recently I bought a screen from aliexpress (they're very cheap there) and I will try to replace it myself but yep I am a little scared I will ruin my childhood console by doing this on my own, I have no experience at all😅

[@cosmicnick4186]

@@LeonSKennedyxx Yea, top screens are usually the trickiest part of taking apart handhelds. The DS Lite hinges are notorious for breaking so easily. I’ve definitely had my share of breaking things worse that I’ve tried to fix lol. Whenever I work on something for the first time, I always feel like I’m going to break it. Experience is definitely key, and it took a little bit of time to figure out the tips and tricks of disassembling and reassembling the DS Lite, but it’s the one console I’m very confident in working on now that I’ve done so many. I’ll make a hinge replacement and screen replacement video that’ll hopefully help. Hopefully, you can get your childhood console working again. It was surreal for me to play on my old DS Lite when I got it to work briefly after years of it being broken, and it’s definitely a great feeling to get to play on them again

[@tonyosborne666]

I'm not entirely sure, but that orange 'gunk' looks like the kind of residue you get from a smoker - My brother smoked, and his PC ended up looking like that inside... I guess from the nicotine?

[@cosmicnick4186]

Yea, it could be. I’ve gotten quite a few items from the past that have smelled of smoke and it’s possible for some residue to be left in the air and in what it touches

[@joshcollins1383]

The top screen is a pain. Those little pieces of plastic that cover the four screws are almost impossible to not damage

[@joshcollins1383]

Also, nice job! It looks great

[@cosmicnick4186]

Yea, those screw covers for the top screen are the trickiest part. Thanks for the support. I really appreciate it 🤙

[@YourMovieFix]

I absolutely can't get the top shell back on how you did.

[@cosmicnick4186]

Yea, the top shell can be a little troublesome. The wires need to be in the proper slots and groves, and then the shell needs to be slid on. Unless you’re referring to the entire top assembly with the hinge. That one’s trickier to deal with since it has the ribbon cable for the lcd that needs to be fed through the shell pieces. I hope this helps, but I know it’s hard without a visual. I’ve been meaning to upload an in depth video of how to take apart and put back together a DS Lite at some point, but I haven’t had the time to do so yet

[@YourMovieFix]

@@cosmicnick4186 I didn't realize it was a slide mechanism and I mashed the slots when trying to figure it out. A lot of filing and prying on the slots later, I was able to get it on. I tried to watch so many tutorials and everyone seems to skip over the delicacy of that part. Everything else was very easy; top shelf was a massive issue even when just doing a clean like this.

[@cosmicnick4186]

@@YourMovieFix yea, that’s my main issue when trying to find stuff on video. It’s better than nothing, but many people don’t describe or show clearly what they’re doing; it makes it hard to follow. Most of the time, I damage things when I take them apart for the first time and I have to learn while I go. The top screens for the handhelds are always a pain to deal with

[@picklemaster215]

what i think you need to do to is to make edit out alot more things in your videos like "um", make them more adhd and compact, add some background music (royalty free or licensed), make a colour full thumnail that pops and make shorts. im not a youtuber myself but thats what otheryoutubers are doing and it's working for them. hopefully this helped

[@cosmicnick4186]

Hi, thank you for the tips, I really appreciate it! When I start rolling out more content, I’ll definitely keep those ideas in mind. I’m not good at making thumbnails with the current software I have, but I’ll try my best. Thank you for your support 🙏

[@slyceth]

YOU SKIPPED THE UNSCREW!! Whyyyyy

[@cosmicnick4186]

I know, sorry 😅 - I just thought it’d take too much time and that people wouldn’t want to see the whole process

[@Raphtor13]

You need a better microphone to muffle the constant lip smacking (braces?)...

[@cosmicnick4186]

Yea, that footage was recorded a long time before I edited it, and I don’t remember if I got the suggestion about cutting out all of the background noise and dead space between sentences before I made that video. I might need to remaster some of these videos at some point lol. I got to test out the new microphone that I got still. I had braces before, but not when I recorded that, ha 😅