How to Clean a CD Changer

If you've had your CD changer for a few years, it's probably about time that you gave it a good cleaning. This is especially true if you are experiencing skipping and pausing. Dust collects on the inside of the changer, which eventually will start to degrade your play quality. Unless you're an electronics expert, you're not going to want to risk taking your CD player apart to clean the heads, so you've got to use other techniques. Many electronics stores sell a variety of CD lens cleaning products and kits. CD lens cleaner discs use electrostatic discharge absorption technology (ESD) to remove dust and dirt particles from the inside of your CD player.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• CD/DVD Lens Cleaner

1. Place the lens cleaning CD inside your changer. It doesn't matter which CD slot you use. The CD just needs to work its way around to the position where the CD is played.

2. Select the corresponding number on your CD changer where you placed the lens cleaner. Press "Play." The little brushes on the CD will spin around and clean the lens. After about five minutes, the cleaner should be finished.

3. Remove the cleaning disc from your CD changer and replace it with a regular CD to test the unit. If the disc is still skipping and producing an inferior play quality, repeat the cleaning process again. It shouldn't take more than three or four cleanings for the dust and dirt to be completely cleared from your CD lens.

Tips & Warnings

• In addition to cleaning your changer head, clean your CDs as well to assure that they are not the real problem. Try spraying canned air into the CD changer to clear it of dust. Open the CD changer drawer and then turn off the unit. Stick the slim, straw-like nozzle of the canned air into any openings and spray to loosen and blow the dust away from the lens. Use the canned air to spray away any dust from the other areas of the CD changer as well, like the back and sides where heat is allowed to escape from the unit. The canned air should not be used for CD changers that do not come with a drawer, like the more modern models you can find in cars. If, after using your CD lens cleaner, your problem persists, your issue is most likely mechanical. You will need to either bring your CD changer into a repair shop or order a new one.

Resources

• CD Lens Cleaner
• Canned Air
• CD Cleaner