What does toothpaste do to a scratched disc?

Fortunately, scratches are more common on the reflected side, and that's where toothpaste comes in handy. 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.

Does toothpaste fix scratches on CDs?

Toothpaste can be used to repair scratches on a CD. Clean the disc with warm water, soap, and a cloth and then dry it, making sure that no lint is left behind. Squeeze toothpaste onto the disc and rub it on the disc in a straight motion from the center out to the edges.

How long do you leave toothpaste on a scratched disc?

Can you put toothpaste on a game disc?

First, squeeze a moderate amount of toothpaste (a little more than you'd place onto your toothbrush) and evenly rub it onto the disc in straight lines from the center to the edge. (Remember what we said about forgoing circular wiping motions?).

What home remedy can I use to fix a scratched CD?

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.

8 Cleaning Tricks to Make Your Device Look New Again

Can one scratch ruin a disc?

But contrary to popular belief, CDs are not ruined if they're scratched! There are a variety of ways to repair scratched CDs that don't involve throwing them away or buying a new disc. And you can find most of these options right around the house!

Does Vaseline help disc scratches?

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.

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.

What is the best cleaner for scratched CDs?

Does peanut butter help scratched CDs?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Can you use banana peeling to fix 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.

How do you fix a disc that won't read?

Check the Disc

Clean your discs – Grime and dirt can make it hard for the drive laser to read small groves located on your disc. If the disc is dirty, you can try cleaning it with filter water and a clean cloth; or better yet, a specialized disc cleaning solution and cloth can be purchased in most electronic stores.

Can you clean a disk with water?

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.

Does putting a disc in the freezer work?

Given the absence to date of relevant testing, the precise effects of storing CDs and DVDs in freezing temperatures are not yet known. Freezing and thawing may create harmful stresses in the disc because of differing expansion rates of the layers, but it is unclear how much this stress might affect the disc.

Can an old CD be restored?

When CD or DVD discs becomes inaccessible or unreadable, usually, professional CD or DVD data recovery software can scan and restore the disk data with ease.

Does breaking CD make it unreadable?

An easy way to make discs unreadable is to just cut them in half with scissors. The polycarbonate is pretty soft and quite easy to cut. If you don't want to bother actually cutting the discs in half (the center part can be pretty tough) then just cut slits from the outer edge towards the center.

Will paper towels scratch CDs?

- Avoid wiping the disc with paper towels or tissues - these can scratch. Use a clean microfiber or 100% soft cotton cloth instead. - When you are wiping the disc off, wipe across the disc, not in a circular motion to avoid scratching the disc.

Does vinegar clean CDs?

Hold the DVD, Blu-ray Disc, or CD by the edges or by placing your finger through the center hole. Wipe the disc with a cloth that has been dampened with white vinegar. The acetic acid in vinegar cuts through the oils left behind by your fingers, as well as any other dirt and grime that might be on the disc.