Cleaning Perspex!!

Wally Runs

I have a fairly old Burgman (10 years) and the Perspex screen (I assume it is Perspex) is no longer transparent, it has a dirty film on it. I have tried a number of products (having sought advice) on to cleaning it but to no real effect, and they are:
1. Washing up liquid
2. Cif
3. White spirits
4. T-Cut
5. Some turtle wax, soft top vinyl cleaner (shifted something, but no clearer)
6. Elbow grease.
7. Windowlene spray

On the internet one piece of advice was to sand it down with some very fine paper or use brasso? I know I can buy another screen but before I go down that road, has anyone go any suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

Xios

WD-40?
Or how about brown sauce and a cloth, it works on rust.

Interceptor

It depends on what the 'dirty film' is a result of and if the products you list haven't done it then Brasso isn't either. If you sand it you will struggle to polish it back up again - a replacement from City Spares or even Suzuki mighn't cost that much, heres one on eBay.

You could try a little cellulose thinners but its more than likely going to soften and damage the plastic - patch test it on a small spot first.

The screen is made from polycarbonate which is quite resilient but very difficult to restore once it gets damaged.

'cptr

CJhaughey

If you have used CIF on the screen it will have been scratched. You need to use plastic polish to try and make it clear again.
The only one that I have used is made by Novus.
But by the time you have used the stuff I am not sure the result would be as good as a new screen.

hi_im_fil

Polish and lots of elbow grease. Worked for me for headlights on my car, I'd say it would work on perspex too.

Sids Not

Tcut,Brasso,uPVC cleaner are all the same stuff.....if you DO use any of these they will leave millions of tiny swirl marks...could be a nightmare if you use the bike at night...better to get a new screen if funds allow..;)

honeybadger

try using a dishwasher product on it

Wossack

reckon theres going to be no way around getting a very severly 'swirled' effect, which may end up as bad as the dirt film...

BigBenRoeth

Coca Cola

judas1369

You could try toothpaste! Seriously its a mild abrasive and works quite well without leaving scour marks, its an old trick from my model building days and it does work. Try it in an inconspicious spot to see will it work for you. If the problem is yellowing from aging due to UV, its unlikely it will "clean" off as the properties of the screen have undergone a photochemical change and it won't be just sitting on the surface as a film rather it will permeate the screen itself and it will probably have lost some tensile strength and become brittle as well - so may need replacing.

furerer

judas1369 wrote: »

If the problem is yellowing from aging due to UV, its unlikely it will "clean" off as the properties of the screen have undergone a photochemical change and it won't be just sitting on the surface as a film rather it will permeate the screen itself and it will probably have lost some tensile strength and become brittle as well - so may need replacing.

I agree.......probable cause is the sun.....not the newspaper type.........it will have permeated through the plastic.........dont waste any more money on cleaning products, you'll have to buy a new one.

galwaytt

You need a proper plastic/acrylic polish, like Plexus

The stuff I have is widely used by owner's of small aircraft - all those Cessna windscreens are plastic, so maybe a quick call to your local flying club would do the trick !

Another one that might work, is called 'Renovate' or 'Hindsight', and Meguiars' have one as well, designed for rejuvenating plastic windscreens used on convertible cars.

Btw, they're not expensive.

Wally Runs

Many thanks to all. Went for a second hand screen. A few scratches but I can see through it.

Sids Not

Wally Runs wrote: »

Many thanks to all. Went for a second hand screen. A few scratches but I can see through it.

Keep it clean and DONT use anything other than soapy water to clean it...EVER.....;)

BigBenRoeth

Sids Not wrote: »

Keep it clean and DONT use anything other than soapy water or semen to clean it...EVER.....;)

FYP:pac: