Dampen a cloth with rubbing alcohol, and rub it over the scratched surface of the CD to clean it. The rubbing alcohol cleans away fingerprints, dirt, grease and other substances from the CD surface. Use straight strokes across the CD, starting at the center and moving to the outside edge. This technique minimizes your chances of scratching the CD surface with the cloth while cleaning. Allow the CD to dry before using it.
Put furniture polish on a cloth, and polish the scratched surface of the CD with the cloth. The furniture polish shines the scratched surface of the CD and allows your CD player to ignore many of the small surface scratches on the CD. Clean the CD with rubbing alcohol by following the previous directions.
Squirt toothpaste on a cloth, and buff the scratched surface of the CD with the cloth. The toothpaste wears away scratches in the plastic on the surface of the CD as you apply pressure with the cloth. Continue to buff the CD with the toothpaste until most of the scratches are gone. Clean the CD with rubbing alcohol by following the previous directions.