How to Clean DVDs and CDs

Don’t you just hate it when a DVD or a CD or a CD type of video game gets scratched up? They just don’t work properly. You try your best to keep them in mint condition. You never touch the shiny part. You always hold them by either inserting your finger in the hole in the middle or by holding it on the circumference by your fingertips. Yet no matter what you do, sooner or later, you find a scratch. There’s good news and there’s bad news. The bad news is that there are DVDs and CDs that are just too scratched up to be fixed. The good news is that lightly scratched up DVDs and CDs can be cleaned and repaired in the comfort of your own home.

One of the best investments I’ve made is buying Novus Plastic Polish from Albertson’s. It came in a ziplock bag. It has a Novus Plastic Clean & Shine spray, a Novus Fine Scratch Remover, Novus Polish Mates cloth, and instructions. It was $10, and it works. Now, if you don’t have this product, can’t find it, or don’t want to buy it, there’s another solution. Just look in your bathroom, or in your cleaning closet.

Take your lightly scratched DVD or CD, go to your bathroom, and use toothpaste. Yes, toothpaste! Spread toothpaste on all the shiny part of the disc. Spread it liberally. This means, don’t be stingy. Set the disc down for a minute or two. Wash off the toothpaste with lukewarm water. Shake off excess water, and then dry.

The cloth you use to dry makes a huge difference. The best type of cloth is nonabrasive, absorbent, and lint free. Do NOT use a towel. Do NOT use toilet paper. Do NOT use paper towel. Do NOT use the shirt you’re currently wearing or anything in the hamper. Make sure the cloth you use to dry is not rough, or you’ll end up with more scratches. A towel may be soft, but it’s not smooth. Paper towels are not smooth either. Toilet paper and clothing adds lint. Lint will add more scratches and mess up your DVD or CD player. Find the type of cloth described above. The Novus Polish Mates cloth are sold in stores. Or use a clean soft cotton cloth (like a diaper). Don’t use polyester or rayon wipes. If you’re going to give in to using clothes (like I have in the past), use a clean, white, plain cotton shirt.

Be absolutely sure that the disc is completely DRY before inserting it into a DVD or CD player or game console.

You can also go to your cleaning closet and use Windex. Yes, Windex! Just spray on your disc, then wipe and dry as described above.

If you’re wondering how these methods work…

Light scratches just needs to be refilled with a paste like substance that hardens, like toothpaste! This would not work on deeper scratches because toothpaste cannot replace the lost parts of the disc. Light scratches make the disc skip. Toothpaste or the Novus Fine Scratch Remover work to fill in the gaps so the skipping will stop. A heavily scratched disc is like a disc with a deep scratch. Toothpaste cannot replace the information on the disc. It’s just an agent to make the playing smoother.

Windex is like the Novus Plastic Clean & Shine spray. It protects the disc from lint and dust. Sometimes, all a disc needs is to be lint free!

So take our your scratched DVDs and CDs and take a trip to your bathroom and cleaning closet. This is one cleaning you would want to do!