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Hi @eloise89,
Submerging yellowed plastic vents in hydrogen peroxide and exposing them to UV light is a traditional way of lightening plastics that have discoloured over time. However, given the effort involved, you’ll likely get better and longer-lasting results by preparing the vents with ESP primer and then spray painting them white. This will give them a crisp, clean finish and a fresh new look.
Trying to restore the original whiteness chemically can sometimes work, but the results are inconsistent and depend on how degraded the plastic is. In most cases, painting offers a guaranteed improvement. You might like to check out this discussion on How to clean an old dirty air conditioner by @elly1. In that discussion, I recommend "turning off the unit and then cleaning it down with some Sugar soap. You can then prep the surfaces with ESP. After the ESP has dried, I'd suggest coating the unit with White Knight Squirts." However, @RenoRach1 appears to have had some great success on multiple units with Rust-Oleum spray paints, so I'd be inclined to give their method a go. Also, check out our Best Advice article on How do you paint a yellowed air conditioner?
As for removing the vents, they’re usually held in place with concealed clips, which sometimes need to be accessed through the fins. If you’re having trouble getting them out, uploading a few photos would help the community suggest the best removal method.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
