Have you recently found yourself wondering, ”Why is my charger turning yellow?”
In short: Your phone charger is turning yellow most likely due to overheating.
While it is possible to remove the yellow stains, believe us when we say you’d much rather prevent this kind of overheating in the first place!
By doing so, you’ll also be protecting your devices and keeping the charger useful for a longer time. Time to explain!
Why Does Your Phone Charger Turn Yellow?
A white charger cable insulation turns yellow when the wires underneath transmit higher than normal voltages.
Excess voltage makes wires overheat – resulting in discoloration. Prolonged discoloration eventually leads to the charger completely failing.
It’s normal for the charging unit to release some heat when working.
A phone charger contains a transformer that converts AC line voltage from the wall outlet to DC voltage to charge the battery. A little inefficiency in the process is observed as heat loss through the charger brick and cable.
If, however, the charging brick circuitry develops problems, the inefficiencies of the charging process increase.
You’ll spot it as the excessive heat on the brick and cable eventually results in discoloration.
Ignoring the problem can be dangerous for both you and your phone! It’s possible that you may get an electric shock when you touch the cable, or that the charger could damage your device.
Alternative Causes
If you have been charging your phone correctly and under the right voltage, something else could be the cause of the yellowing:
Battery Replacement
Did you recently replace your phone’s battery? You may have replaced your old phone battery with the wrong one!
Phone manufacturers recommend specific replacement batteries for safety and operational reasons. Some manufacturers like Apple have stricter measures, either producing replacement batteries themselves or recommending specific manufacturers.
Dirt
It’s possible that you may have handled your charger with dirty hands, placed it on the ground outside, or otherwise soiled it.
A white charger, such as one supplied by Apple, will turn yellow if you don’t clean it properly.
Harsh Chemicals
Harsh cleaning solutions can also cause yellowing.
Using acidic solutions, for example, can corrode the outer protective layer of a white charging cable – allowing stains to form.
Poor Quality Charging Cables
You may have lost your original charging cable and bought a cheap replacement online.
Phone manufacturers always ship their phones with good quality cables, and while many third-party accessory manufacturers claim to sell original charging cables, you’ll find they stock cheap knockoffs instead.
Cheap knockoffs are cheap because they tend to cut corners during manufacturing! This results in an inferior product made of inferior materials that disintegrates more quickly.
How Do You Get Yellow Stains Out of Chargers?
Sometimes, you can reverse instances of white charging cables turning yellow.
Other times, it’s completely cooked and you’ll simply either have to use it as is or look for another charger!
1. Clean the Cable
In the case of simple dirt, it’s important to get into the habit of regularly cleaning the cable.
Warm water and soap with a cleaning cloth should do the trick! Ensure the cable is dry before charging your phone.
2. Handle the Cable with Clean Hands
Additionally, it’s always best to handle your devices and accessories with clean hands.
Also, be sure to store your charger in a clean and dry place. You’ll find you don’t need to clean the cables as often!
Preventative Measures
In cases where the yellowing is irreversible, there are certain measures you can take to prevent the occurrence.
Practice Proper Charging
Everybody knows how to charge their phones. So what is proper charging?
We simply mean being mindful of the process. Check to see if the voltage from your wall sockets is within the safe charging range.
It would also be beneficial if you used the manufacturer-supplied charging brick and cable each time! This helps to prevent damage to your phone and ensures the correct voltage supply.
Take Care of your Charger
Be careful when handling your charger!
Dropping the charger, for example, may not cause immediately visible damage, but the internal circuitry could already be affected.
The charger may then supply too much power through the cable, thus causing yellowing.
Prolonged use can also damage your phone!
Finally, it’s very important to take care of the charging cable. Avoid stretching or bending the cable, as this could cause internal damage leading to overheating during charging.
Invest in Manufacturer Recommended Third-Party Chargers and Batteries
You’re bound to lose your charger at some point, or it might succumb to years of use.
Either way, the best thing to do is to shop for a replacement from the phone manufacturer’s store or stores of recommended third-party accessory suppliers.
This way, you can be certain you are using a product that won’t damage your phone or itself become damaged during use.
Similarly, when you need to replace your phone’s battery, shop from the phone manufacturer’s recommended battery suppliers.
A poorer quality battery in your phone will not only cause the cable to yellow; it could irreversibly damage your phone too!
What If the Problem Persists?
You may have taken all precautions, yet the charging cable still turns yellow!
The first thing to do is touch the charging cable and brick while the phone is charging. If the cable and charger are getting warm, it could be malfunctioning. Alternatively, the wall socket may be supplying excess voltage.
The best course of action is to then take your charger to the store for a check-up. The top phone manufacturers have retail outlets where you can receive such assistance.
It may also be a good idea to check with your local electricity supplier to confirm the voltage through the wall socket.
Sunlight
It’s best if you always store the charging cable away from direct sunlight!
UV rays from the sun have the ability to discolor white plastic. Exposing a white charging cable to direct sunlight is therefore definitely not recommended!
Instead of rushing out to buy a new charger, the solution might just be a simple shift in where you place your charger.
Invest in a New Quality Charger
After establishing the cause of the yellowing, it may be too late for your current cable.
If it was due to external factors, you could choose to live with the cable in its yellow state. There won’t be safety concerns, but it’ll look bad!
If, however, the problem was due to excessive heating, you’ll have no choice but to buy a new charger. Be sure to adopt the practices recommended in this article when using and storing your charger.
In Summary
The primary, most likely reason your charging cable turns yellow is due to excessive heating during the charging process.
It could be damaged or is receiving excess voltage. Either way, you need to stop using a damaged charger to keep both you and your phone safe.
There are other reasons for the charging cable turning yellow, such as poor handling hygiene and the effects of direct sunlight.
If you do choose to buy a new charger, make sure to buy one from the phone manufacturer or approved third-party companies!