Comments on: How to Repair Scratched CDs

on 11/22/2005 I had a scratched CD. To fix it I first took the cream and put it all around the disc and then rubbed it with a cloth.

on 11/22/2005 It leaves a film on the CD and it won't play at all.

on 2/12/2007 Rub the scratches with an ordinary pencil eraser, then wipe well with a dry face cloth or a soft cloth.

on 11/22/2005 I've found that a light coat of mineral oil (baby oil is the same thing) works really well. Use a soft cloth and gently work from the center of the CD outward.

on 11/22/2005 Get a small pot and fill it with water. Put your stove on high and let the water come to a boil. Get a piece of sewing thread and insert it into the middle of the CD. Place the CD in the boiling water for a few minutes (holding onto the thread), this will temporarily soften the plastic, filling in minor scratches and steam cleaning all smudges and liquids off the surface of the CD. Do not place the CD in cold water (it will crack) or wipe it dry afterward (you'll ruin the plastic), let it air dry. Also, don't keep the CD in the water for too long, a few minutes should do it. Make sure it's fully dried when you want to use it again, excess moisture could damage the disc reading mechanism. I've done this with at least 20 CDs and it's always worked.

on 11/22/2005 Vaseline might work, but for a sure thing, use silicon based products, after all CDs are made from silicon coated aluminum plates.

on 11/22/2005 Look around, call a few video shops. One near my house repairs them for 5 dollars or 3 for $10. Let some friends borrow GTA:SA and they scratched the it and wouldn't play for it, so I took it to the video store and they repaired it. It looked and played like new. ;)

on 11/22/2005 Use Brasso. I tried it and it honestly and truly works. The Brasso eats away at a part of the plastic coating, which might not entirely be a good thing. As long as the top of the disk isn't damaged (which is the part you can write on and holds the information), as long as the scratch doesn't go entirely through the disk, the label at the top of the disk (that holds the data) doesn't come off - then you're good to go. The Brasso really isn't going to eat entirely through the plastic coating between the data and the outer world unless you use a whole can. It only takes a very minimal amount to work, but it may take a few times to get the scratches fixed. Do not use a circular motion when cleaning the disc, go in a radial motion (from the inside to outside). A circular motion can make the scratches worsen and/or cause new scratches.

on 11/22/2005 You take soil, wet it so it turns into a light mud, put the mud on the disc (not much), then you gently rub it in with a soft cloth (such as a tissue), then you dampen the soft cloth and slowly rub out the mud outward, not in a circle.

on 10/1/2007 Thank you anyone who recommended toothpaste to repair scratched Cd's! I had a PC game CD that was badly scratched and I did the toothpaste trick. Now it will download! Thank you e-How!

on 11/22/2005 I just recently purchased the Memorex Optifix Pro, it was at WalMart for $20.00, so it seemed an OK investment to get some games working. It works on light scratches and fingerprints. The package says it has material for 5 to 10 CDs then you have to buy liquids and another buffing wheel. To be honest I was not very pleased with the little machine. Granted, it's automated and it has a light and three buttons, but I guess I was expecting miracles. It seems to work, but I think it's been over an hour of pushing the buttons on it. It does remove some of the deeper scratches. It uses isopropyl alcohol to clean the CDs and it uses aluminum oxide to repair them. Basically it buffs the CD with two wheels while rotating the CD. It takes about two minutes. I think based on this concept, I am going to try the method involving the drill with compound.

on 11/22/2005 What you need to do is mix hair conditioner, toothpaste, peanut butter, and some Vaseline together for about 2 minutes, then put it in a freezer for 5 minutes. Next, wipe some on the CD from the middle to the outer sides, let it sit on the CD for 5 minutes. Rinse the stuff off with water and gently wipe the CD with toilet paper from the middle to the outer sides.

on 11/22/2005 Pour orange soda on it until it bubbles, then quickly wipe the CD off with a soft cloth in an outward motion from the center.

on 11/22/2005 Try using liquid car wax. Apply to CD, let dry to a haze, and wipe off. Good as new! It won't repair deep gouges.

on 11/22/2005 Wipe the CD clean with a baby wipe and let it air dry. This works good on game CDs.