Magic Eraser on Centipede Kickplate

ZackScott

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Hey guys, I just got a new Centipede, and it's fantastic. However, there were some streaks and spots on the kickplate, so I started going over it with a Magic Eraser...

First, I had no idea Magic Eraser was such an abrasive. I used it on an old Centipede cabinet before without noticing any issues. I'm a noob. But anyway, a lot of black came off, so I just assumed it was really dirty. Anyway, I eventually went over a lot of it. The black kept coming off, so I decided to dry it. As I dried with with a towel more black came off.

Anyway, it's still all black, but now the surface looks kinda cloudy when exposed to a lot of light. Overall, the little bit of grime that was on the kickplate is mostly gone, but now it just looks uneven when under bright lights.

So here's the thing...why did so much black come off? Did I damage the front? Is it painted or formica? How can I help even this out, or do I just need to paint it if it's to be even again.

Anyway, it's not a huge deal, and it's not that noticeable unless I have a lot of light on it. But I kind of feel bad that I did it...
 

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Take a couple of clean soft rags and put a good coat of Meguiars car wax (Cleaner Wax or Tech Wax 2.0) on it. Then polich the wax off with the second clean rag. Repeat if necessary.

This also works wonders on dull coin doors if the paint is still good and just old, tired or faded. It beats repainting and sometimes looks just as good if not better than new paint.

It's worth a shot... for such little effort, it goes a long way. You'll have nothing to lose.
 
OK, awesome. Also, leather cleaner was recommended to me. I will try it asap!
 
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OK, new question. What's the harshest thing I can use on the formica kickplate without hurting the formica?
 
Magic eraser will dull shiny plastics and laminate as you have described, most times you can wax and buff it back again, perhaps even use novus. It worked great on my dk cab. It very well may have been painted however since it does not usually take off any amount of formica, etc.
 
Magic erasers are a formaldehyde-melamine-sodium bisulfite copolymer. It is a porous, extremely hard abrasive material. Imagine millions of tiny razor blades, that's essentially what it is. e.g don't use them on soft surfaces that are subject to abrasion.
 
Imagine millions of tiny razor blades, that's essentially what it is.

That's a bit of an exaggeration- it's equivalent to approx. 1500 grit sandpaper, but it's better than sandpaper at removing dirt and grime. For example, I've taken out swirl marks on a playfield with it and it looks 1000 times better than before. Most all of us use it on our games in some manner, but always be careful.
 
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