How to Repair & Recover a CD

Smudges

• 1

  Dip a soft cloth into a bottle of rubbing alcohol.

• 2

  Clean the smudges off the CD with the cloth, wiping from the center of the CD to the outside edge. Repeat this process until all residue has been removed from the CD surface.

• 3

  Air dry the CD before testing it in your CD player.

Light Scratches

• 4

  Spray some furniture polish onto a soft cloth.

• 5

  Polish the CD surface with the cloth. Use the same technique as above when wiping the CD, making sure to wipe only from the center the outside edge of the CD. As you polish the CD, the furniture polish will fill in the scratches.

• 6

  Clean the CD surface with rubbing alcohol on a fresh cloth when finished polishing.

• 7

  Air dry the CD before testing it in your CD player.

Moderate Scratches

• 8

  Squirt some toothpaste onto a soft cloth.

• 9

  Wipe the CD surface with the cloth as above. While cleaning, apply pressure to the CD so that the texture of the toothpaste will slowly wear away the scratches on the CD surface. Continue to wipe the CD surface with toothpaste until most of the scratches have been removed.

• 10

  Clean the CD surface with rubbing alcohol and a fresh cloth when finished.

• 11

  Air dry the CD before testing it in your CD player.