What is the best way to clean up CD surfaces???

[iamwiz82]

I have some cds with light scratching that reuglar cleaning will not clean up. Is ther any way to clean the surface to make it look new again?

 

[BDawg]

No, but there are scratch removal kits that work decently well. Buy one of those and give it a try. It's like waxing a car.

 

[iamwiz82]

how well do they clear the scratches up?

 

[agentK]

Incidentally, you could use car wax to temporarily fix a CD. I use it many times to save its data and burn it onto another.

 

[Shantanu]

Get a soft cloth, wipe the CD in straight motions, from the inside hole to the outside edge, never in any other orientation. That will fix up most scratches.

 

[MustangSVT]

<< Get a soft cloth, wipe the CD in straight motions, from the inside hole to the outside edge, never in any other orientation. That will fix up most scratches. >>



hmmm just wiping will *FIX* up scratches? hmmmmmmmm.

 

[Luden]

Pledge (the wood cleaner) spray a even coat of that on the cd then wipe it off from the center out. This will eat the thin protection coating on the cd, it only works once..

 

[MisterDuck]

It sounds weird, but a lot of furniture polishes work great, and carmex works surprisingly well. The basic idea is that you should fill in the scratches with something that has a similar refractive index, and most waxes happen to be pretty close, so...it works.

Oh, and I wouldn't slather any of that stuff on too much--might gunk up the CD-ROM drive, if not other things....

 

[BDawg]

<< how well do they clear the scratches up? >>



Pretty well. I don't know how much you know about CDs, but that bottom part is just like a clear coat. It's just there to protect the data. Any kind of clear wax will fill in the holes (scratches) on the clear part pretty well.

I've had a lot of luck with the 3m product.



<< wipe the CD in straight motions, from the inside hole to the outside edge, never in any other orientation. >>



I really can't stress this part enough!

 

[Atlantean]

I heard you put toothpaste on it.

 

[trmiv]

Marble counter top polish works good.

 

[PrincessGuard]

<< I heard you put toothpaste on it. >>



That's only good for larger scratches. You basically turn one deep scratch into a lot of smaller ones, which most CD players can handle.