Today I was cleaning up a few old Bakelite handled utensils when I ran into pesky thrift store sticker residue. I grabbed my trusty box of baking soda and dumped it on my rag and started to scrub it off. It turned that lovely shade of nicotine yellow.
At first I thought: "Great, these are cruddy, not Bakelite".
So, I washed them real good again, dried them off and tried baking soda on a damp Q Tip. Again nicotine yellow.
All the handles I tested were red and a little worn. So I ran to grab the only other piece in this house that was not red or worn, and I tested on that. Again it was a positive yellow.
At this point I need more input. I am pretty excited at the thought of my old trusty friend baking soda coming through, yet again. So I asked other reputable dealers and friends to participate by testing their own pieces... here are the results we have so far:
Note: As with any abrasive substances, do not rub hard and always test in an inconspicuous area.
These pieces tested positive with Simichrome prior to testing with baking soda.
Just moisten a cotton swab, dip in baking soda and rub gently. Dish soap can be added if a different texture is preferred. I like the added dish soap, it doesn't seem as abrasive and is more paste like. The photos below show the test done without.
Here are results from others.
Photo and Test provided by Jodi Bombardier
Photos and tests provided by Niki Patterson
As for black, you have Bakelite and you have Catalin as one experienced dealer puts it:
"And we should probably take into account that Bakelite, and Catalin, are two different substances. Bakelite was brown or black, first used for appliance knobs and such, and was more of a dense, even composition material, and heavier. If you break a piece, like break a knob off, you can see the fine ever so slightly granular make-up. Catalin was glossy and lighter and could be brightly colored. Sometimes maybe we're testing two different animals, both black early plastics, but they will react differently" - Courtney Hubble owner of Mercy, Maude!
For now it seems that it is just as effective, but not better than Simichrome for testing. Lexi Lewis provided 3 photos of black pieces using both baking soda and Simichrome and the results were pretty similar.
All of these pieces are different types of plastic from different eras. None of them reacted to Baking Soda like Bakelite did.
Be sure to look out for Part Two, I am still gathering evidence!
Update as of 12-30 Part Two has been posted!
