Remove Scratches from CD or DVD compact disc?, Part 3

What's the easiest, most cost-effective way to repair a scratched CD or DVD? That was the question Infopackets Reader Manny K. asked earlier this week.

In Part 1 of our discussion, I provided instructions on how to properly clean a CD or DVD using a cotton swab; at the end of the article, I also asked Infopackets Readers to send me their best home-based remedies for repairing a scratched disc. In Part 2, I provided a brief explanation of the comments I received, and then proceeded to quote the findings of our Readers. Part 3 is the final stage of our discussion and will continue where we left off in Part 2.

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Mark W. and quite a few others highly recommend using Brasso metal polisher. A link to a web site that Mark provided at the end of his comments is worth checking out; it lists a number of products tested (toothpaste being one of them -- which surprisingly ranks 'useless'). He writes:

" With respect to using Brasso metal polisher --

I sent the following email to my daughter; I also tried Brasso myself, and every disk I tried it on a few CDs and they worked flawlessly afterward. Her children have been putting their DVD's in by themselves so you can imagine how bad the scratches were. From burningIssues.net:

... Engineers have been using Brasso as a polish for plastics ever since it was released as a polish for brass. Use the Brasso in the normal way. A drop or two is usually sufficient (one tin will last you a lifetime of great listening!). Use a soft clean cloth to rub the affected area with the Brasso until the mark is almost gone. Polish scuff marks radially. Scratches are best handled by rubbing along the direction of the scratch. With a scratch it usually is not necessary to polish it completely away -- just clean it up enough for the laser to be able to see through it.

... So far I have not found a scratched or scuffed CD I cannot fix using Brasso. I hope it works for you too! ... It's now many years since I wrote and published this article. Seems like not much has changed however. A recent study of the various fancy products now available for fixing scratched CDs reveals that they found Brasso is still the best! "

http://www.burningissues.net/how_to/scratchrepair/scratchrepair.htm

Infopackets Reader John C. uses Pledge furniture polish. He writes:

" I have had great success reviving CD/DVD's using common household polish 'Pledge'; it allows for the scratches to be filled with the wax that is transparent enough to be read through and allow for making a backup of it. Also if you cannot make a backup, that polish when applied again removes the old wax and makes it useable again. It's not a very high tech method but, it reduces further scratching and revives it long enough for use. And if you get the right kind, you have a lemony scent afterwards. "

Jackie H. also has a friend who uses Pledge:

" A friend of mine that does karaoke uses furniture polish with great success. He just sprays them, then uses a soft cloth to wipe them off. End dust or pledge works great for him. It fills in the scratches. PS: You might want to clean the discs thoroughly before attempting to use the polish. "

Jean G. and Colin S. both recommend using the 'Fellows' CD Repair Kit:

" This is an answer to a question a reader ask you about DVD/CD cleaner. I have purchase a CD / DVD repair kit made by 'Fellows' from my local grocery store. I've repaired a few CDs that would not otherwise work, and now they work perfectly. My son has a Sony Playstation and last week, one of his CD games wouldn't work. He tried the kit and all was well. Hope this information will help your Readers. "

Colin S. agrees:

" I have children in the house so scratches are inevitable, I have had success with the Fellows CD repair kit. It is a 2 part system, part 1 'softens the surface' so the small circular buffing action levels out the surface and part 2 is a hardener to finish the job and prevent further scratches. I then took copies of the working CD so as not to loose it again. "

Jake R. and a few others provided the best all-around solution to repairing a CD or DVD:

" A couple of years ago, I dropped the jewel case carrying my Windows 2000 Professional disk on an asphalt parking lot. The case popped open and the disk went skidding across the tarmac. Well, it was horribly scratched. When I tried it in several different computers, the disk was not even recognized by the different CD-ROM drives. I was distraught. Well, I learned that a local video store had some kind of disk resurfacing machine, so I took the disk to them. What a great job! The disk was returned to me with the read surface looking brand new! The video store owner told me that he could probably have made another pass or two if I still had problems with the disk. I had none. And, this cost me all of $4.00, which was eventually lowered to $2.00! Bottom line: I suggest checking with your local video rental stores to see if they offer similar services. "

Sam W. also has a great approach to dealing with scratched discs. He writes:

" I find that the best way to remove scratches is to use the computer. Save the CD to hard disc and then use a program like Nero Burning Rom or Ashampoo CD Burning Suite to burn a new copy that is as good as new. "

Side note: IsoBuster is a fantastic program that you can use to extract data from stubborn CDs and DVDs [freeware software for most situations].

Reclaim lost data on CD?, Part 2