We are all friendly with the CDs when we listen to our favorite songs, play video games, or watch movies. However, occasionally our CDs become dirty or scratched and cease to function properly. Just think of how mad you got when your CD skipped a song or the movie froze! The good thing, though, is that, more often than not, cleaning a CD can solve the issue.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to clean a CD that may not be working correctly on your computer. There is no need for fancy tools of any kind, and it will not harm you or the CD. Let’s get started!
Why CDs Get Dirty?
But before we learn how to clean a CD, let us see why CDs get dirty.
CDs (Compact Discs) have a shiny layer that bounces the light from your CD player’s laser.
Related Reading : How to Clean Your Keyboard
The laser reads the CD when you play it back, and that is where your music or video comes from.
You see dirt, dust, or fingerprints present on the surface of the CD. It will prevent the laser from reading that information accurately.
And those are hard to read, kind of like trying to decipher a smudged newspaper. Just like a record, the cleaner your CD is, the easier it will be for your CD player to read it.
What you will need to clean a CD
That’s good because there isn’t much involved in cleaning out a CD. Here’s what you’ll need:
1. Soft Free Lint Cloth: This is the most essential tool. Use a high-quality microfiber cloth or soft cotton terry towel to clean.
2. Pure water: Most people prefer to use a bottle of pure or distilled rather than tap. Minerals found in the tab can surely scratch up your CD (or DVD). Though no fluid application is necessary at times, it certainly does the work faster!
3. Dish soap : Desired to aid in removing tougher patches
4. Rubbing alcohol: A little rubbing alcohol to clean the CD and grease from fingerprints.
Easy Steps to Clean CD
Step 1: Wash Your Hands
Wash your hands with an antibacterial soap before you handle the CD. This is to avoid the oil or dirt from your fingers sticking on the CD surface when you wipe.
Step 2: Hold the CD Correctly
Hold CDs from the edges or holes in the middle. Do not touch the shiny surface, as fingerprints will be difficult to clean.
Step 3: Blow Off Loose Dirt
Check out the CD for yourself. If you notice any dust or small pieces of dirt, then I will typically gently blow them off. You can also use spray air with compressed airflow if you have one that you prefer to blow the keyboard.
Step 4: Wipe the CD Gently
So, take your soft cloth. Begin by moistening a tiny section of the cloth with distilled water.
Please note: when wiping the CD, you will always wipe in straight lines from the center of the disc on out. Never wipe in circles.
This is because the data on a CD’s surface — consists of a spiral in the technology pre-mastering region, which could easily be damaged by whipping in a circular motion.
Remove dirt or any smudges by rubbing gently. You can mix a little mild dish soap with water on your cloth if it is stubborn dirt.
Step 5: Dry the CD
After the CD looks good and clean, use another part of your cloth to gently dry it — again in straight lines from the center outward. As soon as all the water is removed, you can try it with one of your CD players.
But Still, If My CD Have Still Hard Spots?
Occasionally, grease stains from fingerprints or residue of sticky food are challenging to erase. Here’s what you can do:
1. Wet your clothes with a little rubbing alcohol and clean the CD. Rubbing alcohol dries faster and is streak- as well as residue-free.
2. Soak the CD: If the disc is really dirty, you can take a bowl of distilled water and add one drop of mild dish soap to it. Let the CD sit for approximately a minute, and then run it under distilled water while wiping it clean using your soft cloth.
Never Do Any Of These While Cleaning A CD
While it’s always important to take great care when cleaning your CDs, there are some things you should definitely never do or use, as they’ll only make the situation worse:
1. Never use paper towels: Paper towels may feel soft, but the surface can scratch CDs. No, use a microfiber or lint-free cloth.
2. DO NOT USE ABRASIVE CHEMICALS — Bleach, glass cleaner, or anything with ammonia will harm the protective layer of your CD.
3. Most importantly, do not wipe in a circular motion; you should always start from the center out. If you make some circular motions, the score might be so deep that a CD reader cannot read your disc anymore.
Keeping CDs Clean — The Dos and Don’ts
To ensure the good state of your CDs, you need to store them properly. Here are some tips:
1. Store in a case: Only leave CDs sitting around with a cover. This keeps it from getting dusty, scratched, or even thumbprinted.
2. CDs – Stash CDs upright in a case or on shelves. It keeps them from getting scuffed when stacking.
3. Keep your CDs out of extremes: Too hot (like a sunny car) or too cold. It can warp the material of CDs, rendering them unusable.
What About Scratched CDs?
In case your disk is just scratched, cleaning it may not work either. But do not worry — there are options available to fix scratches. Here’s what you can try:
1. Non-gel toothpaste — Believe it or not, non-gel toothpaste sometimes can aid smaller marks. Rub the CD gently with toothpaste in a straight line using a soft cloth. Wash the CD in water and dry it.
2. CD repair kits: There are specialized kits for fixing scratches on CDs you can find in the electronics stores. Most of these kits also come with a bottle containing a polishing solution as well as a soft cloth.
On the other hand, deep scratches are a different story and may be impossible to repair. Due to the damages which may cause improper function, you have no other choice but to get a new CD if your current one is heavily scratched.
Conclusion
Cleaning a CD is about as easy, and the payoff in terms of how well your disc performs can be considerable. A few simple tools, a clean cloth, and some distilled water can prolong the life of your music collection.
Always handle CDs by their edges, keep them out of heat and sunlight, and clean them as needed. Your CDs will continue to give you music, games, and movies without any skips or freezes as long as they are still in good condition.