How to Fix a Deep Scratch in a CD

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By J Sarah Metzker Erdemir
eHow Contributing Writer

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The data side of a CD

Even if you take the best care of your CDs and DVDs, eventually they start showing scratches as they age. Some scratches are harmless and do not affect the playing. Deeper scratches can cause the light in the disc reader to refract, making the data impossible for the reader to understand. While a very deep scratch may render the disc permanently unplayable, many deep scratches can be removed from CDs and DVDs.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Soap
Water
Soft, lint-free cloth
Mild abrasive metal polish
Car wax

Step 1

Wash the disc in warm water and soap. Dry it carefully with a soft cloth (a cloth diaper works very well). Even if the disc appears very scratched, skipping is often caused by dirt and fingerprints and not the scratches.
Step 2

Put a drop or two of a very mildly abrasive metal polish onto the scratch. Rub it very gently with the cloth. Try to rub in straight lines from the center of the disc outwards. Do not rub in circular motions or around the disc. The scratch should start to fade.
Step 3

Rinse the polish off under the tap. Dry it with the soft cloth.
Step 4

Put a little car wax over the surface of the clean, dried disc. Let it dry and wipe the wax away.
Step 5

Test the disc to see if it plays. Repeat Steps 2 through 4 if the disc still does not play or if there are other scratches.

Tips & Warnings

If you have tried removing the scratch in this way three times and it still does not play, you can take it to a professional CD repairman. If the scratch is deep enough to damage the disc's data layer, it is probably irreparable.