Cleaning CDs With Home Cleaners

Instead of buying a CD cleaning kit when their compact discs get dirty, smudged or fingerprint covered, many people find that cleaning CDs with home cleaners is just as effective and can even save them some cash. That’s because they can use items they probably already have in their homes.

DVDs and CDs share common cleaning needs.

Before getting started, it’s important to note that just because a CD doesn’t play does not mean it is necessarily dirty. It could be that it’s scratched or that the problem lies with the CD player. Before attempting to clean CDs, rule out these other options by examining both sides of the disc carefully (a scratch on the label side is actually worse than on the data side, believe it or not) and attempting to play another disc in the machine to see if it’s a universal problem.

Once you've determined the problem really is that the disc is dirty, it’s time to get the materials. Fortunately, only three things are required for cleaning CDs with home cleaners. These are:

• Lint-free cloths, which will prevent a staticy CD from getting covered in fuzz
• A bottle of isopropyl alcohol or unscented liquid dish soap (not the dishwasher kind!)
• A bowl containing one cup of lukewarm distilled water

The cloth doesn’t have to be an expensive microfiber cloth. An old cotton t-shirt or even a handkerchief will do just fine. In fact, ripping up one shirt can make for several cloths in one go.

After assembling the materials, the CD owner should perform the following steps, in order:

1. Take the disc out of its case, being careful not to touch any part of it but the sides and center (essentially, the parts that curve). Just because the disc is dirty doesn’t mean it’s sensible to make it even worse with more fingerprints.
2. Progress through the following cleaning methods until finding one that works:
   1. Dip the cloth in the water, wringing it out in the sink so it doesn’t drip on the disc. Then wipe the disc down and see if the grime comes off. It’s important to use straight lines from the inside of the disc outwards (think spokes on a bike wheel). Rubbing in a circular motion or following the rings could mess up the data on the disc. Dry the disc with a new cloth in the same fashion.
   2. Add a teaspoon of the soap to the bowl of water and mix. Dip in a new rag and wring it out. Then try wiping the disc again with the soapy solution. Afterwards, wipe the disc with the original water rag to rinse off any soapy residue. Then dry it the same way as before.
   3. Open the isopropyl alcohol and put a new rag over the top of the opening. Overturn the bottle to get a small amount on the rag, preferably on a corner. Rub the CD as before. Don’t worry about wiping it dry since the alcohol will evaporate quickly.

It's never wise to use hydrogen peroxide, commercial glass or metal cleaners or other abrasives on CDs.

Most times the home cleaners will get rid of CD spots in no time. However, there may be severe incidents when something stronger is needed. If this is the case, a good next step is to splurge for the CD cleaning kit. It’s still cheaper than buying a brand new CD after all. In severe circumstances, such as in the case that the CD is covered in chewing gum or it contains top secret computer code of which there is no backup, it’s best to call in the professionals --and to learn to always make copies before disaster strikes.

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