Whats the best way to clean a cd?

Question

I have a cd with a small clip on there. It dosent work on there because of the large ammount of scratches. Is there anyway of cleaning it so it can work again. Is there any ways that actualy clean the cd and that actualy work. If so some info on how you cleaned a cd.

Answer 1

It is best not to attempt to repair scratched discs, even though "experts" suggest polishing with toothpaste (some even recommend brands!), car polish, or the use of commercial scratch repair kits. Although visible results may appear to be satisfactory, performance in the CD-ROM drive actually degrades. This happens for three reasons.

First, polishing does not actually remove the scratch, but instead replaces one big scratch with many, many small scratches. Although they are not visible to the eye, optical scattering from the multiple scratches reduces the intensity of the laser beam even more than the original scratch did.

Second, polishing locally reduces the thickness of the polycarbonate substrate and consequently modifies the optical path length. This causes focussing problems. The numerical aperture, or f-stop, of the objective lens in the pickup limits the depth of focus to only two micrometers at the critical pit-land surface. Focus servo systems are fast enough to track once-around variations from warped discs, but serious focus problem can occur if the disc is thinned only in a small region.

Third, any substance used to fill the scratch probably has an index of refraction different from that of the polycarbonate substrate, causing optical distortion in the focussed laser spot. This results in jitter, radial tracking, and focus problems.

If the disc is unique and unreadable, then a new draft Standard, ISO/DIS 12024, suggests cleaning using a soft, lintfree cloth and soapy water. The cloth must not contain any particles or hard fibers that could scratch the disc. The cleaning agent must be soap, such as Ivory Liquid; do not use detergents or solvents such as alcohol. Distilled water is best, since tap water may contain impurities that could remain on the disc. Gently wipe the wet cloth in a radial direction, being careful to avoid any pressure on the label surface. Then dry the disc. Do not allow water to remain on the disc.

If the disc is scratched, leave it alone. Avoid waxes and secret solutions that usually increase error rates, even though the visual appearance of the disc seems to improve. Prevent dirt and damage by keeping discs in jewel cases when not in use. Handle them only by the edge; never touch either the readout or label surfaces. Never write on the label surface with a solvent based pen, such as the popular Sharpie. Use only pens with water based inks, and write only on the clear inner ring if possible.

Severely scratched or otherwise damaged discs should be replaced. If they are unique, attempt data recovery in a high quality drive. Well-intentioned repair efforts usually make things worse, not better.

Answer 2

Unfortunantly, there really is no free way to repair a cd. I've tried 3 different repair kits from zellers and walmart and the one i found actually worked was 'Phillips" brand. I bought the whole kit which included the cd machine. If you do decide to invest in it make sure the kit includes 4 different color wheels. blue, pink, green, and off yellow. That's how you know you have the right one. I cheated to find out. I bought the "Memorex" kit and when i needed refills the store that i went to had the Phillips refills. So try going that route.

Answer 3

I bought a CD Disk cleaner that is called CD-Clinic and it really did take the scratches off of the disc,it cost me about
$20.00 at my local K-Mart store,you open the lid of the cleaner,place the disc on to the rubber pad inside,spray the solution on to the cd close the lid,turn the handle 3 or 4 times take the disc out put it into the player and walah it works as good as new.i was put on to this CD-Cleaner by a friend of mine who is a Disc-Jockey,
i hope it helps you if you purchase it.

Answer 4

there are these cd cleaning solutions sold in shopsit costs nearly 80-100Rs but it does a good job and is very safe for the sensitive cds.or you can just clean it with water everything is written in laser and nothing is going to be erased.i've done it several times

Answer 5

Use dishwashing liquid and wam water. Dry off with clean towel - Don't rub hard. Should work for a while shile is still warm.

Answer 6

Wipe it on a soft surface.
If it's that badly scraped, the chances are that it won't work.

Answer 7

let your fingers do the walking im pretty shore you will find someone that cleans cd's there

Answer 8

sometimes the best place to start is jsut plan water

Answer 9

toothpaste