The paintwork may begin to lighten in as little as one day, but you’ll need to continue to expose it to light over time to minimize future yellowing caused by oxidation (see below). If the room lacks windows or natural light doesn’t reach all of its corners, shine an artificial light source such as a table lamp or a wall sconce on the paintwork during waking hours. To shed more light on the paintwork, move any furniture blocking it and draw open the curtains of a nearby window (if the room has one) during daylight hours.

If your paintwork is located in a dimly lit area-such as a cabinet interior or behind a tall piece of furniture-a lack of light is the likely cause of the yellowing.įortunately, the effects of chromophores are reversible, as exposing yellowing paintwork to light should break down the problematic molecules in the paint and gradually restore its original color. When the paint doesn’t get much light, chromophores remain in the paint coat and cast a light to dark yellow tint across the surface. These chromophores break down when paintwork is regularly exposed to light, either natural or artificial. Photo: If a lack of light is the culprit, introduce a natural or artificial light source.Īs oil-based paint coats dry, unwanted color-producing molecules known as chromophores also form in the paint.

How to get yellow paint off car