How to Recover Scratched DVDs

Repairing a scratched DVD can be done with common household items.

So you're got a scratched DVD that you're looking to repair. Though a DVD may look high-tech, it's really just a burning surface that's sandwiched between two pieces of polycarbonate plastic. The plastic is the portion of the DVD that is most often scratched, while the burning surface is generally unaffected (unless you have a deep gouge, in which case your disk is a lost cause). Therefore, you must treat your DVD as you would a soft piece of plastic: if your DVD has some scratches, it can generally be repaired with some polish and basic cleaning.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Cotton swabs
• Furniture polish (such as Pledge)
• Car polish, nonabrasive
• Extra fine grade sandpaper, the kind used for polishing finishes

1. Dab your cotton swab with furniture cleaner, then wipe the entire surface of the bottom of the DVD. Always start in the center of the disk and pull straight out; do not clean in circles. Continue until the surface is clean, then wipe any loose polish off the disk. Allow the disk to dry, then try it in your DVD player. If it doesn't work, move on to the next step.

2. Repeat Step 1 with car polish. Though this may seem repetitive, the car polish is a stronger cleaner and will be more likely to repair any troublesome scratches. However, it also may degrade your disk. Again, test the disk once it dries: if it doesn't work, continue to the next step.

3. Lightly buff out any scratches with your sandpaper. Rub the entire surface clean with the sandpaper. Then repeat Steps 1 and 2.

References

• DVDRepairTips.com: Repair Scrached DVDs

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish