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I have an old white and rare brick which got scratches and dirtying which I cannot wash away. Any ideas on how to clean it? I thought about fine sanding or polishing but I am afraid that I damage the brick.

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    Sanding it, even with melamine, will remove material and change the perfect fit of the brick. I'd try looking up how to rewhiten the bricks with hydrogen peroxide mixture, it takes a few days, but it may well be worth it.
    – Raystafarian
    Feb 20, 2019 at 1:30
  • yep, did it already before posting my question. still, the situation is unsatisfying
    – fabian
    Feb 20, 2019 at 11:06

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It is definitely possible, since ABS is a plastic that can be either mechanically or chemically affected. Cleaning bricks is a well-studied field, you will find useful information regarding this topic all over the internet, including here.

Polishing LEGO bricks is less heard of, but can be done either mechanically (another link) or chemically (another link). Note though, that any kind of polishing includes either removal or rearrangement of material, so the chance of damage is definitely not zero in any method. I'd suggest starting with the gentle and precise methods (file, hobby knife, fine sandpaper, etc), and only progressing to more drastical methods (acetone) if they fail.

When using acetone, be especially careful, as the vapours can't be easily controlled, and they are flammable (can burn down your house), poisonous (can kill you and your family), and can even melt the entire brick if given the chance! Of course the dangers depend on the amount and ventilation, but some of the above links depict clearly dangerous settings, uses and amounts.

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    I will add to this one more method that is often used for removing print from minifigs and other parts: Brasso (the copper polish). Brasso is abrasive, but it is much finer than sandpaper. So, when you rub it over a LEGO element with a piece of cloth, it will work like sandpaper. However, because Brasso is so fine, you won't see any scratch marks like you would with normal sanding.
    – TheBrickBlogger
    Feb 18, 2019 at 18:44
  • thank you guys for your detailed and very helpful answers
    – fabian
    Feb 19, 2019 at 15:12
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    From Brickset forum: If you have a badly scratched part (especially a flat part), rub it on a flat absorbent surface that has dilute acetone on it, and you get rid of the scratches. It does leave it slightly shiny as you uncover the surface, but often better than the original scratched surface.
    – Henrique de Sousa
    Feb 17 at 18:53

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