Cleaning Methods

[xerodok]

So, for a while now I have kept it in the back of my head that I was going to ask this question to you guys here that post regularly on the Tech Support boards. I know it's not really relative to any software/computer issues, however it's something that would greatly help me out.

When you get a CD/DVD/game that's scratched up, dirty, unreadable, what do you use to clean it?
iPods, systems, hardware gets damaged or is dirty?

Share your methods of fixing discs & hardware. [I'm mostly looking for good recovery methods to resell scratched games and such.]

--I've heard that using toothpaste is a good way to fill in light surface scratches for most types of CDs.
--Some types of alcohol gets the dirt/grime off CDs sometimes.

^ I have not tested any of these, so any input on these is appreciate too.


Thanks for anything you guys can contribute.

[Cephius]

Normally I use a specialized cleaning solution and a very fine cloth, alcohol is not always great as it can damage the disk if the alcohol content is too high. The finer the cloth the better so you don't scratch anything. There are many products that advertise they restore scratched disks, but I find they're mostly useless. If you scratch a CD and it becomes unreadable, there's not much you can do to repair it. Never heard of that toothpaste thing, I doubt it would work unless toothpaste is made up of 1s and 0s....

[Robert]

soft lintfree cloth and toothpaste saved me buying/burning windows CD on numerous occasions, including yesterday :ashira: other than that i don't really know

[Vaplade]

I get a wet paper towel and just wipe from the inside to the outside edge, always works for me.

[zoobernut]

Normally I use a specialized cleaning solution and a very fine cloth, alcohol is not always great as it can damage the disk if the alcohol content is too high. The finer the cloth the better so you don't scratch anything. There are many products that advertise they restore scratched disks, but I find they're mostly useless. If you scratch a CD and it becomes unreadable, there's not much you can do to repair it. Never heard of that toothpaste thing, I doubt it would work unless toothpaste is made up of 1s and 0s....

Actually the information that a disk contains is not on the disk surface it is actually etched into the aluminum backing on the other side. The disk just has to be transparent enough for the information to get through. If you really need a disk to work they make resurfacing machines that actually shave off a couple layers of the plastic and then polish the cd again to a mirror finish. Music stores will sometimes have these and charge a couple bucks to resurface a disk for you. You are only completely screwed when it comes to cds/dvds if the aluminum on the back of it starts to peel off.

One thing to keep in mind when you are wiping a disk down do not wipe in a circular fashion always wipe from the center out. this reduces the chances of any of the fine scratches you will invariably put in from disrupting the laser as it tries to read the disk.

[Omniyoji]

If you have scratched media I suggest this:

powerful stuff