Does anyone know of a buffing or rubbing compound that can be used to remove
scratches from the clear plastic part of a microwave oven door. We just got
our new combination MW/ electric oven installed and noticed sometime between
storing the unit in our garage and installing in the kitchen remodel about
three slight scratches got added to the otherwise beautiful unit.

Hope someone has had success in removing similar problems without having to
just replace the whole thing.

thanks,

Magnum

How about polish compounds used in automotive work? I've used "rubbing
compound" to take out small scratches in plastics. Go gently...

Magnum wrote:

Hope someone has had success in removing similar problems without having to
just replace the whole thing.

MW doors are replaceable without having to replace the whole thing.

Bob

woah woah woah... be careful about that rubbing compound... it tends to
make a tremendous amount of scratches on plastic the one time I tried
it... on polycarbonate. Which, if memory serves me right, is the same
stuff they make CD's out of, and probably Microwave doors.

Try using some basic toothpaste (not the gel type, you want the cheapo
type that has pumice in it) and 'polish' only the scratched area. If
it's too deep, that won't work too well. I know this method works on
scratched CD's quite well.

It may be worth a shot, because it'll only cost you a quarter. You
*could* try some clear-coat safe car wax. Try the paste if you've got
it.

Let us know if anything you try works! It's good info to have for all
kinds of clear plastic.

I can remember from my "car" days that auto polishing compound came in two
flavours, brown was coarse and would still leave fine scratches, white was
the one you could use to remove scratches from cheap sunglasses, I assume it
would work on a microwave door. You try at your own risk.

wrote in message
oups.com...
woah woah woah... be careful about that rubbing compound... it tends to
make a tremendous amount of scratches on plastic the one time I tried
it... on polycarbonate. Which, if memory serves me right, is the same
stuff they make CD's out of, and probably Microwave doors.

Try using some basic toothpaste (not the gel type, you want the cheapo
type that has pumice in it) and 'polish' only the scratched area. If
it's too deep, that won't work too well. I know this method works on
scratched CD's quite well.

It may be worth a shot, because it'll only cost you a quarter. You
*could* try some clear-coat safe car wax. Try the paste if you've got
it.

Let us know if anything you try works! It's good info to have for all
kinds of clear plastic.

I use "Brasso" on iPods and other plastic screens with good results. Try on
an inconspicuous spot first.

--
Remove -NOSPAM- to contact me.

On Tue, 16 Jan 2007 06:48:13 GMT, "Magnum"
wrote:

Does anyone know of a buffing or rubbing compound that can be used to remove
scratches from the clear plastic part of a microwave oven door. We just got
our new combination MW/ electric oven installed and noticed sometime between
storing the unit in our garage and installing in the kitchen remodel about
three slight scratches got added to the otherwise beautiful unit.

Hope someone has had success in removing similar problems without having to
just replace the whole thing.

I haven't seen how deep your scratches are, but what's gentler than
all of those things is denim. It's not a compound -- I think it is
cotton. Although I didn't see the actual label of the pair of pants I
was wearing. Do they ever add polyester or something? Mine were
probably all cotton.

Just the cloth, nothing else. I wasn't able to compare new denim from
old. (I don't buy pre-washed clothes. I don't believe in
pre-meditated waste. But I don't remember how old the pants I was
wearing were. I suppose new denim is faster and old denim is
smoother.)

thanks,

Magnum

"Magnum" wrote:
Does anyone know of a buffing or rubbing compound that can be used to remove
scratches from the clear plastic part of a microwave oven door. We just got
our new combination MW/ electric oven installed and noticed sometime between
storing the unit in our garage and installing in the kitchen remodel about
three slight scratches got added to the otherwise beautiful unit.

Hope someone has had success in removing similar problems without having to
just replace the whole thing.

A decent auto parts store should stock polishing kits for motorcycle windshields
(normally made of polycarbonate). As long as the scratches are fairly minor,
that should work for you. Deep scratches are pretty much impossible to remove
-- the best you can do is polish the sides of the scratch to make it more
transparent.

I don't recommend automotive polishing compound (and certainly not automotive
rubbing compound). Both will scratch the crap out of most plastics.

Toothpaste *might* work, but different brands have different abrasive qualities.
Better to buy a polish that is meant for the job.