Restoring / cleaning cardboard game boxes...

[Mac-Abre]

Any tips on how to clean / polish up these? I'm referring to the NES boxes specifically. I hate to see the boxes looking a little ragged and definitely want to clean them up.

Thanks!

[o2william]

If you just need to clean the box, Goo Gone and soft paper towels or Q-tips are probably your best bet.

If your boxes are looking ragged or "rumpled" and you want them to look sharp and flat again, here's a method I have used to some success. It sounds scary, but it works! Read all the directions before you start because it requires a little preparation ahead of time. Also, clean the box first if it needs it.

1. Unfold the box so it's as flat as you can get it.

2. Submerge it fully in clean, lukewarm water. Trust me on this... it won't ruin the box as long as you're careful. Keep it under the water for about 5 seconds. Once you take it out, it will tear easily so be very gentle. Let any excess water drip off the box.

3. The next step will involve "pressing" the wet box for a long period of time... maybe 1-2 weeks. Locate a flat, clean surface (like a tabletop) that you won't be needing for a while. Also find some flat, heavy objects (large books like hardcover textbooks work well) to rest on top of the box. You'll want at least 2-3 pounds of weight.

4. Sandwich the box between two sheets of wax paper or aluminum foil. Lay the whole thing flat on your chosen surface. Place the weights squarely atop the box and let it sit.

5. Wait until the box is totally dry before moving it. Wait at least a week, but it's probably better to wait two.

6. Once the box is dry, it should look a lot flatter and less ragged. If the cardboard "sticks together" a lot, it's not totally dry inside and should go back under the weights for a few days.

7. Experiment with the boxes for your cheaper, common games before moving onto the rarer stuff. That way, if something goes wrong, you won't lose anything too valuable.

I've tried this on NES, 2600 and Inty boxes so far and haven't ruined anything yet. All the boxes I restored were in a fairly sorry state beforehand. Afterward, they didn't look like they're in mint condition, but they did look much better. If you have a ratty box, it can only help.

[rbudrick]

Wow...what a strange technique...I would test this with before and after scans to see if I lose any color or anything...

-Rob

[o2william]

It is strange, but I ran across it on Usenet a while back and thought "why not?" So I tried it on my poor-condition boxes, figuring I couldn't make them any worse.

Now that you mention it, I think it may have resulted in minor fading but the overall improvement in shape was well worth it. You might not want to do it if your box has only minor problems. Like I said, try it on something you aren't worried about first.

[Kejoriv]

Wow thats a really good tip. I am going to have to try that right now.

~Kejoriv

[Mac-Abre]

Fantastic tip... thanks!

[punkoffgirl]

But what about folding your boxes back into their original shapes? The glue must be gone at this point. I guess this isn't such a good idea if you plan on displaying your boxes afterwards, eh?

[o2william]

But what about folding your boxes back into their original shapes? The glue must be gone at this point.

Depends on what kind of box you're dealing with. Most NES and Intellivision boxes aren't glued at all, IIRC, and can be refolded with no problem.

Some Atari 2600 boxes are glued on the bottom, and this process does require that you break the glue's seal. But afterward, I've reglued a few boxes using white Elmer's glue, and it seemed to work OK. In any case, I was able to redisplay every box I restored with this technique. I've probably done about 10-15 so far.