how can i fix a really really bad scratched cd at home?

Answer 1

I have a device called the "Disc Doctor." It polishes away scratches and makes the CD play like new again. It does take away the protective layer, however, so it is a good idea to make a copy of the CD immediatley after. (This is not a copyright violation as you are allowed to keep one backup of your media).

Answer 2

They sell kits, at places like Best Buy or Target. I have one called Disc Doctor. They run for about $19.99. No matter how bad the CD that I've put in, it always worked. It comes with a spray, and then you turn it in a little machine that just buffs it up. . . .There are also stores that will fix them for only a few dollars, but if you have a lot of CDs (and games especially I have found. . .) it's worth trying one of these. Even if it doen't fix every disc you have, it will surely fix most. Many of mine I thought were lost causes, and worked good as new afterwards! Best of luck!

Answer 3

An electric shoe buffer (or Dremel too, if you have the time and patience)

Make sure the rotating pads are clean and buff the CD by pressing against the rotating pads lightly and carefully. It takes awhile but it comes out very nice. ***Be careful to use the Dremel tool on lower settings***. (You want a little heat on the CD surface to weld the scratch seams back together, but you don't want to melt the surface). Using the Dremel tool is very tedious though.

This is how Dr. Wax (a Used CD reseller) here in Chicago does it. I would just bring my scatched CDs to them and they'd buff them for $2 or $3 each, depending on how scratchy it was. They made them like new again!

Answer 4

toothpaste, toothpaste, toothpaste

1. Take a tube of toothpaste (the grittier the better.)
2. Squeeze four pea-size amounts of toothpaste around the music side of a CD. (You can do all this at the bathroom sink, by the way.)
3. Take some toilet paper, or a piece of paper towel, and wad it up.
4. Take the wad and rub it against the CD back and forth from the middle to the outside. (You want to go "across" the circular path to get the best results.)
5. If the toothpaste isn't moving well, then dab a little bit of water on the paper.
6. If it's just normal scratching, I just go over the CD twice, and then one more time focusing on the outside of the ring (because it's hard to get that part as well as the inside part.)
7. Hold the disc under the faucet, and run cold water over it. Make sure you wash off all the toothpaste.
8. Dry it off with a towel.

This method works with DVDs and video games too!

Answer 5

Try polishing it with--get ready for this--Brasso. Works for CDs as well as DVDs.

Apply a thin coating of Brasso with a soft, lint-free cloth. VERY IMPORTANT, wipe from the inside edge to the outside edge in a straight line--DO NOT wipe in a circle around the hole or you will make things worse.

Then use another clean, soft, lint-free cloth to lightly buff off the Brasso until the surface is clean again. Again, aboslutely DO NOT wipe in a circle--wipe from the inside edge to the outside edge. You may notice very fine buff marks but as long as you have not wiped in a circle they will not matter.

One application is usually enough to fix minor scratches, two or three more applications may be needed for larger scratches. If after four applications it still doesn't work then it probably is too far gone to fix.

Good luck!

Answer 6

If its not too bad, you can fix it with toothpaste. I know it sounds weird. I didn't used to be very carefull with my CD's so they would get scratched. I heard you could just rub a little toothpaste on the CD and then gently wash it off with water. It worked on all of mine.
good luck.

Answer 7

Put a pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and drop the disc in. Leave it for 2-3 minutes, until you can safely take it out without burning yourself. Dry it with a soft cloth. Should work wonders for the CD as long as the top printed layer isn't chipped.

Answer 8

I hate when this happens to my CD's. I have heard of many remedies to fix a scratced CD. Here is a list.
1.) CD resurfacing Kit (Doesn't work , waste of money)
2.) Rubbing Alcohol (works, but have to repeat several times)
3.) Lotions(anykind) (doesn't work)
4.) Windex(glass cleaner) (makes cd real shiny , but doesn't work.)
5.)Toothpaste(WORKS) makes your cds minty fresh. ha!ha!
6.)Hand Sanitizer. (Works great)

Of all these choices, my favorites are the toothpaste and hand sanitizer. They really do work . Give it a try. Hope it works.

Answer 9

I heard on the radio that as a home remedy that you can use peanut butter to fix scratches on cd's I don't know how true it is but it's worth a shot.

Answer 10

I just went to FL on vacation last week and we drove. On the way home, my younger sister had just recently bought the new Hannah Montana CD. It got scratched. So, my dad wiped it off with lens cleaner. It works really well now.