Getting White chips White (Looking for Chip Cleaning advice) (1 Viewer)

[Nanook]

I have read several of the chip cleaning threads and the threads on using an ultrasonic. Up until now I have been using either just Dawn and an electric toothbrush or Diamond Chip Cleaner and a quick electric toothbrush with pretty good results.

I have been thinking of purchasing an ultrasonic for quite some time and finally got around to it. Vevor 6L just came in and I just put the 1st batch through using real TSP & distilled water. I think the results were ok, but maybe not as good as they could be. I am generally happy with the gunk that got removed, but not 100% happy about the dingy (not 100% white) look of the chips. The white is not nearly as white as it was originally as can be seen by evidence of the area under the inlay. I know others are getting better results.

I would love to hear how you all get the Whites White and the Yellows Yellow without the dingy look.

 

[Eloe2000]

I have an ultrasonic and don’t find that it does a good job of deep cleaning. This is better… Soak for 10min+ in warm water with dissolved OxyClean crystals. I use a silicone sheet at the bottom of a baking pan to stop the chips from spinning and then use a Power Scruber for just a couple seconds each.


Super Sonic Scrubber with Household All Purpose 5 Brush Heads by SonicScrubber https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007D0H4OK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_CA32DXK9B2DWZ62T5E1R

Before and after…

 

[RedRider52]

If anyone wants to revive their THC $1s from the red stains of the fives - WHITE CHIPS ONLY

Oxi chip spa

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/study-oxi-soak-“the-chip-spa”.73911/

Here is another good thread on chip whitening

 

[Nanook]

Looks very effective...

Did you skip the ultrasonic?

How about the amount of OxyClean you use?

 

[RedRider52]

@fishsaybloop Oxi spa experiment is excellent and with detailed instructions and outcomes

 

[Eloe2000]

Looks very effective...

Did you skip the ultrasonic?

How about the amount of OxyClean you use?

Very effective. I used an unscientific big tablespoon of Oxyclean in the bowl above.

I don’t use the ultrasonic anymore for anything. I had not used them here. For the chips above I followed the exact process mentioned. I do 1-2 barrels at a time in the bowl.

 

[fishsaybloop]

I would skip the ultrasonic for white chips, just scrub them like dishes once you're done. I just put on a pair of hardy gloves and rub the chips in the oxy water then dunk into clean water. Seems to do the trick, stubborn stains a little magic eraser.

Yup one scoop for a big bowl roughly same as @Eloe2000 seems to do the trick.

 

[Nanook]

Thanks guys,
Looks like I am off to Amazon

 

[Steppenwolf]

@Ben8257 @JeepologyOffroad @horseshoez

 

[Steppenwolf]

@allforcharity

 

[Old State]

I have an ultrasonic and don’t find that it does a good job of deep cleaning. This is better… Soak for 10min+ in warm water with dissolved OxyClean crystals. I use a silicone sheet at the bottom of a baking pan to stop the chips from spinning and then use a Power Scruber for just a couple seconds each.


Super Sonic Scrubber with Household All Purpose 5 Brush Heads by SonicScrubber https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007D0H4OK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_CA32DXK9B2DWZ62T5E1R

Before and after…

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Those Park Place chops are disgusting! How on earth does a casino allow chips to get that bad. I don’t play there but can’t imagine what the bathrooms and kitchens are like….

 

[JeepologyOffroad]

I have an ultrasonic and don’t find that it does a good job of deep cleaning. This is better… Soak for 10min+ in warm water with dissolved OxyClean crystals. I use a silicone sheet at the bottom of a baking pan to stop the chips from spinning and then use a Power Scruber for just a couple seconds each.


Super Sonic Scrubber with Household All Purpose 5 Brush Heads by SonicScrubber https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007D0H4OK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_CA32DXK9B2DWZ62T5E1R

Before and after…

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This. Best option for white chips.

 

[fishsaybloop]

Is this 10-15mins safe for PCA $1s as well? I'm aware of leaking issues with shaped inlays but I guess the round inlays may be more resilient?

 

[allforcharity]

95% of white base chips will need magic eraser work to get back their brightness.

 

[FlopTheNuts]

I have an ultrasonic and don’t find that it does a good job of deep cleaning. This is better… Soak for 10min+ in warm water with dissolved OxyClean crystals. I use a silicone sheet at the bottom of a baking pan to stop the chips from spinning and then use a Power Scruber for just a couple seconds each.


Super Sonic Scrubber with Household All Purpose 5 Brush Heads by SonicScrubber https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007D0H4OK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_CA32DXK9B2DWZ62T5E1R

Before and after…

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Which head of the 5 did you find worked best for whitening the chips ?

 

[Eloe2000]

Which head of the 5 did you find worked best for whitening the chips ?

I didn’t thoroughly test each but the standard bristle brush head is the one I use and it seems to work very well.

 

[upNdown]

95% of white base chips will need magic eraser work to get back their brightness.

I think we've had this disagreement before, but in my experience, no. It could be relevant that most of my experience has been with older, leaded chips. And I can think of a few ways that might matter. First, maybe the leaded clay formula cleans differently, or maybe it absorbs filth differently. Second, they were in use for long periods of time, like up to a decade (as opposed to some of these newer chips we're seeing, where the casino gets rebranded after a couple of years.) And third, all these chips I'm referring to (specifically Rio, Foxwoods, and Crystal Palace) were in use in the days when casinos were literally full of smoke.

So maybe there are difference with what I've been working with, but I can tell you with certainty that not only do plenty of white chips NOT need magic erasers to get back their brightness, there are some that the magic eraser really won't get close to brightness. But at least in those cases, the oxi has been effective.

 

[Chipandchair]

+1 for magic eraser. They have a Dawn infused magic eraser that works up a nice lather.

 

[allforcharity]

I think we've had this disagreement before, but in my experience, no. It could be relevant that most of my experience has been with older, leaded chips. And I can think of a few ways that might matter. First, maybe the leaded clay formula cleans differently, or maybe it absorbs filth differently. Second, they were in use for long periods of time, like up to a decade (as opposed to some of these newer chips we're seeing, where the casino gets rebranded after a couple of years.) And third, all these chips I'm referring to (specifically Rio, Foxwoods, and Crystal Palace) were in use in the days when casinos were literally full of smoke.

So maybe there are difference with what I've been working with, but I can tell you with certainty that not only do plenty of white chips NOT need magic erasers to get back their brightness, there are some that the magic eraser really won't get close to brightness. But at least in those cases, the oxi has been effective.

My experience is with older leaded THCs as well, mostly hot stamped. Now, a fair amount of them looked like they spent the last couple decades buried in tar sands. Ex-casino and probably from the early 80's with Starburts thrown in.

It could be that newer, harvestable white base chips clean differently (and easier) because of advances in the plastic formula, and may do well without the micro abrasion.

 

[Colquhoun]

I’ve looked at used white chips under a microscope, and the leading cause of yellowing after cleaning....is the fibers of the chips are stained. The fibers are usually clear on a new chip, but get a tan or brown color with dirt/age.

Cant scrub that off. I’ve found multiple baths in OxyClean work very well, with each bath getting them whiter than the last. Only drawback is that it fades the edgespots a bit.

 

[upNdown]

I’ve looked at used white chips under a microscope, and the leading cause of yellowing after cleaning....is the fibers of the chips are stained. The fibers are usually clear on a new chip, but get a tan or brown color with dirt/age.

Cant scrub that off. I’ve found multiple baths in OxyClean work very well, with each bath getting them whiter than the last. Only drawback is that it fades the edgespots a bit.

Wow, that actually makes a lot of sense.
Personally I find those fibrous microscopic images of chips to be strangely gross and I try not to look at them.

 

[Colquhoun]

Wow, that actually makes a lot of sense.
Personally I find those fibrous microscopic images of chips to be strangely gross and I try not to look at them.

Sorry to make you squeamish...but here’s an example:
Used Resorts with an uncirculated planet Hollywood.

The resorts under 60x shows the little fibers all slightly yellowed. Since there are so many fibers scattered all across the face of the chip, you don’t see them, but it gives the whole chip an off-white tinge: