Yellowed Dirt Finder Lenses

VacuumLand – Vintage & Modern Vacuum Enthusiasts

Help Support VacuumLand:

hooverboy81

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 30, 2012
Messages
483
Location
Myrtle Place
Is there any way to lighten the yellowing on vintage Hoover dirt finder lenses? I have many machines from the 1950's, and would love to get rid of at least SOME of the yellowing. Any tips, methods, or products anyone has used with success?
 
Yellowed Lenses

I can give that a try. I know I had heard of a product that removes some of the yellowing in plastics from age, but cannot for the life of me remember what it was! It's purely cosmetic, of course, it just bothers me. Considering some of the cleaners are 59-61 years old respectively, I shouldn't complain! They are in excellent shape mechanically, and cosmeticaly...just those lenses! I'll pick up some of the Meguiares and see how that works. Thanks!
 
Headlight cleaner.

After you get some and try it you'll have to let us know if any of that stuff actually works. I'd hate for any of us here to miss some dirt on the carpet because we couldn't see it with our yellowed vacuum headlights!
 
LOL!

That would be a shame, wouldn't it? lol! I'm a geek when it comes to restoring, and since replacement lenses are just about impossible to come by...I'll try anything to "brighten" the situation! lol! I like your sense of humor!
 
I have used the plastic head light cleaner on cars. The kit I used was a three-step process and required a LOT of HARD rubbing and pressure. That much pressure might crack a relatively delicate Hoover lens, as the kits are designed to restore hard polycarbonate plastic automobile headlamp lenses.
Not sure what I'd do, and have not yet tried this, but was thinking that an overnight soaking in some water with bleach might help. I can't see how it would hurt, and Clorox is cheap. Let me know how you make out.
....just some thoughts from another amateur.
 
Sounds like a good solution - basically bleach but of the oxygenated type and perhaps gentler than chlorine.
Would be interested in knowing how this works out for you guys.
 
Westey's Bleche White-- It is a tire cleaner, but I use it on headlight's and you can see it taking off all the oxidation. Altho I'm not sure if it would harm plastic from the 1950's. I also use it when I shine up my vacuum's.


I usually buy it at Wal-Mart-- In the car wash section!
 
Thank you

Thanks guys for all the advice! I'm most likely going to buy all of the products, and try each of them on a different lens. I know it's not a HUGE deal, and does not affect the machine's performance, I would just like them to look as "new" as possible! I don't know why, but it seems the 29-64 series Hoover Dirt Finder lenses yellowed worse than any other cleaner I have from the 50's. Forgive the quality of the photo, but this is the lens that is bothering me the most! My 1947 Model 61 lens is crystal clear..It's also probably a different plastic than the other ones. Thanks again for all of the good advice and tips! I'll let you know how it turns out! :)

hooverboy81++6-21-2012-13-13-27.jpg
 
Xantham Gum

I cannot find this locally! When I called a local pharmacy, the pharmacist replied "Why would you want that stuff?' lol. Any online retailers?
 
Fred

No, It's clear plastic, but for some unkown reason it hasn't yellowed at all! It may have been replaced at some point on my 61. There are service dates on the bottom starting in 1954 and going all the way through 1989! So there's no telling.
 
The model 61 lens was glass. Funny though, it seems that the 61 was the only Hoover model designed with a glass lens.
Good luck with your plastic lens yellowing problem. Hope it works out well for you.
 
Model 61 lenses

I can promise you mine isn't glass lol. I unscrewed it from the bakelite hood, and removed the brass or copper piece that holds it in place to wash the lens. It was most certainly plastic. It had some "flexibility", also a few fine scratches on one side where it looked like someone previously tried cleaning it with an SOS pad, so I am absolutely certain it is not glass. Maybe it is because it is not white plastic, like the 29 through 64 models were, so it did not yellow.

Oreck_XL- I think the 60's are harder to find, and it beats me as to why they moved the handle release. Also, I thought it was rather strange that they produced the 60 from '40-'42, the re-released an almost identical design but relocated the handle release, and changed the handle grip from '46-'50. Seems kind of strange.
 
61 Lens

Consulted many Hoover experts, and did a bit of research myself. The 60 and 61 lenses were indeed plastic, and not glass. Earlier headlight lenses were either clear plastic, (or non-existant on the model 300 and 750 for example) and later ones were "white" plastic. Being the history geek, I wanted to make sure I was correct in my earlier statements! :)
 
Model 61.....

I won't belabor the point, but my 61 lens was glass, shattered and sharp. Perhaps some were made with glass then updated to plastic for that reason, safety being a consideration.
 
I'd imagine so. Perhaps yours was REALLY early in the run? I wouldn't think glass would be the ideal material for a vacuum headlight lens, considering they were slammed into furniture...
 
It's settled...

Some 61's had glass lenses, plainly evidenced by Fred's, mine and Brandon's observations.
...just finished reading an autobiography by Henry Dreyfus. One of the many things he was concerned with in the products he designed was safety, as well as quality, appeal, performance, style an value. Let's presume the 61's lenses were updated from glass to plastic for reasons of safety. That would make sense. Too bad Henry's not around any longer to ask him for certain.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top