What causes disc scratches?

Storing discs in paper or plastic sleeves can also cause circular or radial scratches. These occur when inserting or removing the discs from the sleeves and the disc surfaces rub against the sleeve and/or abrasive debris within the sleeve. Cleaning, such as wiping with an abrasive cloth often causes scratches.

How do you stop a disc from scratching?

Are scratches on discs permanent?

This type of damage cannot be repaired. As with scratches on the laser-reading side, optical disc drives are usually able to read through minor damage easily, even if the damage is caused from the label side. The difference is that this damage is permanent.

Can a disc still work with scratches?

Whether or not a scratched CD or DVD works depends upon the severity of the scratch. Because standard CDs and DVDs have a protective layer, these discs can usually withstand several scratches with no issues. However, a deep scratch or a lot of scratches can cause the disc to not work correctly.

Does Vaseline fix scratched discs?

Vaseline Method

Simply apply a small amount of petroleum jelly to a soft cloth, and gently rub it into the scratch in a circular motion. The oils from the petroleum jelly will help to fill in the scratch and restore the disc's reflectivity. Make sure to rinse the disc thoroughly with water when you're done.

How to Resurface a Scratched DVD, CD, Game Disc - In 3 easy steps

Can rubbing alcohol remove scratches from a disc?

Remove fingerprints and grease with rubbing alcohol.

This method will not repair scratches, but should remove grease stains. Apply a dab of isopropyl alcohol to a clean cloth, and rub the disc from the center to the rim.

Which side of a CD is worse to scratch?

It's due to the simple fact that the layer of laquer on the label side is much thinner than on the playback side. So the risk of a scratch damaging the laquer to a degree that the reflective layer may become affected over time is much higher for the label side.

Why does toothpaste fix discs?

The laser that reads the CD needs to bounce evenly off the smooth, reflective surface. Toothpaste is just abrasive enough to wear down scratched areas to a smoother surface. Small scratches and scuff marks are much easier to repair than deep gouges.

Does peanut butter help scratched discs?

Peanut butter might not be the first thing you think of to clean or fix scratched CDs and DVDs. But the oils in peanut butter help to gently polish the disc while the peanut butter itself fills in any scratches.

Can a banana fix a scratched disc?

To fix, gently rub the flesh of a banana into the disk, and then lightly buff with the banana peel, which fills scratches with its natural waxiness. Once finished, rub with a clean soft cloth in circular movements, and then give a final shine with window cleaner. It's that simple.

What toothpaste to use on discs?

Use a white toothpaste, not a gel. Gels containing little beads may cause more damage to the CD.

What toothpaste is best for discs?

Most toothpaste (American at least) has little bumps or crystal in it or is made of like gel. This will NOT work to clean your discs and will actually scratch them worse. Regular smooth white Crest or something similar will work FANTASTICALLY to clean your discs, just make sure you get smooth paste.

Does hydrogen peroxide clean discs?

Never use hydrogen peroxide to clean your disc because of its abrasive qualities. Avoid using baking soda, metal cleaners, or abrasive pads.

Does lip balm fix discs?

Fix a Scratched Disc With Wax

As with the toothpaste fix, you can use shoe polish, lip balm, furniture wax, or even petroleum jelly. Again, rub it into the surface of the disc to fill the scratch. With a lint-free cloth, wipe of the excess wax, with a radial action. Once you're done, try and play the disc.

Can you use a magic eraser on a DVD?

Although you typically wet the magic eraser, lightly rubbing a dry eraser over the reflective surface of the disc — again, always in straight lines from the center of the disc outward — may smooth out some of the scratches on the reflective surface without affecting the data underneath.

How do you store CDs long term?

Store CDs in dark storage. Ultraviolet light, including sunlight, can cause the polycarbonate substrate or the scratch-resistant layer to darken, leading to player misreading and mistracking. Store CDs in an air-conditioned space because polycarbonate substrates can absorb moisture and react to heat.

Why do CDs sound worse than vinyl?

CDs can handle over 90 dB. In practical terms, this means that CDs have more than 10 times the dynamic range of LPs. Surface noise. Dust particles in the grooves of an LP cause crackles and ticks that are present and audible no matter how well you clean the record.

What is a home remedy for scratched disc?

Apply a small dab of white toothpaste or metal polish to a clean, lint-free (ie fluff-free) cloth and rub very gently along the scratch from the disc's centre outwards. Cover the full length of the scratch, then repeat twice for good measure.

What is the best cleaner for scratched CDs?

What is the best thing to clean CDs with?

To clean a CD or DVD a microfiber cleaning cloth or cotton based tissue or cloth is recommended. Any materials used should be checked to ensure they are non-abrasive. In most instances water will suffice as a cleaning agent.

How can I rehydrate my disc naturally?

How do you fix a scratched disc without toothpaste?

Rub petroleum jelly into the disc.

Like toothpaste, petroleum jelly can fill in some of the gaps left by scratches, even after being removed. Rub a small amount of petroleum jelly into the scratch and let it sit for 60 seconds.

Which toothpaste is more abrasive?

The higher your toothpaste ranks, the more abrasive. Generally, dentists recommend choosing nonabrasive toothpaste that ranks 69 or below on the scale. Any toothpaste that ranks at 70 or above is considered to be too abrasive.