Stained vinyl window frames (white frames)

[IGBT]

I'm trying to clean the white vinyl window frames and sliding glass door frames. Nothing seems to work. I've tries baking soda / vinegar and window cleaners...no help. Any suggestions??

 

[mindless1]

The stain may have gone down into the vinyl. You could try dilute bleach, but otherwise I doubt much can be done except to paint it with a special vinyl dye or paint, for example the type sold for automotive upholstery, which seeps down into the surface of the vinyl so it won't chip off. I'd try it in an inconspicuous area first.

I used to use that in silver or black color, to color match CDRW/DVDRW drive bezels to cases. All the drives were nearly free after rebate (why I had a stockpile of so many of them instead of buying different bezel color drives in later years) and almost all started out with white bezels.

 

[Owtasimy]

I had a similar issue and found that the stains were deeper than just surface dirt. After trying a few cleaners with no luck, I ended up using Hugh aluminum channels to cover the worst parts of the frame. It gave the window a cleaner look without needing to repaint or replace anything. Surprisingly easy fix and looks way better.

 

[mindless1]

^ You could try something like that in an inconspicuous area, but odds are that it's going to change the sheen of the surface. Do it by hand, power tools can create too much heat when polishing abrasives are used on plastic.

You might also end up with some of the bar keepers friend or other products' larger abrasive particles, embedded in the plastic. I wouldn't use any that don't nearly color match the vinyl.