Quickly removing scratches from CDs and DVDs

I used to look in wonder and amazement at some of the CDs and DVDs in my best friend’s collection. How could he let them get in such a state? “Dude, treat them with more respect” I’d say. Then I had children, and found my CDs and DVDs were perfect replacements for Frisbee toys, coasters and anything else they could think of.

Recently, I found several of my favorite music CDs and movies were unplayable due to some innocent playtime fun. Kids will be kids, there’s little you can do to avoid that (especially if your CDs and DVDs are at kid-height). But before I reluctantly bought replacements, I figured I had nothing to lose by going to the web and finding remedies. If they worked, great. If not, I had lost nothing anyway.

I had heard of toothpaste, which was the first remedy I tried. But I found other methods, too. Below are the results of my exploration, complete with my own experience with the remedy. Remember, I can’t guarantee results. If your scratches are very deep you’re probably out of luck. But if a few scratches are giving you some skipping or the CD/DVD is unreadable, this may save you a trip to your local Best Buy.

Note: NEVER clean any CD or DVD in a circular motion. Always clean in straight lines from the center of the disc outwards. Otherwise, you’ll just make things even worse.

Go to original article for videos showing how to apply techniques and how well each works:

Quickly removing scratches from CDs and DVDs | Wise Bread