[Czilla9000]

What is the easiest way to clean dirty CDs? Thanks.

 

[Sovkiller]

Use this link, this guy is funny and will help you out, in fact is a nice website give it a try
http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/fabelloe.html

 

[fyrfytrhoges]

I have read so many discussions on whether or not to clean cds and I can't decide who to listen to. Most sound credible, some say absolutely clean them using several different methods, furniture polish, toothpaste, distilled water, dry rags only, and some people say no, absolutely not, only if absolutely necessary, ie- fingerprints or something that impedes playback, I wish I could get a clear opinion on the subject because I posted a thread awhile ago because I was thinking of getting a dvd doctor to fix some of the "cosmetic" scratches on some of my more expensive and collectable cds and again some said yeah do it, others told me not to. I guess there may be a difference in cleaning and scratch fixing but the advice I got told me short of using just a dry rag only, that you will in some fashion degrade the protective coating on the cd and that somewhere down the line it will eventually affect playback, whether this is true or not I just don't know, for now I've just left my cds alone.....

 

[Sovkiller]

Let me know if this Dr X works (I don't think so).....well I will give you some tips, I own more that 600 CDs, all inmaculate, not even a single scratch, if you consider this experience good enough, use my advice, otherwise ignore it, first try not to clean them too much, the cleaning, if not done in the proper way, will be worst, and most of the time it is, believe me, just avoid to touch them on the surface, grab them on the borders or with a finger in the center hole and the rest grabbing the edge, and this way always the playable surface will be inmaculate, only clean them if you see any fingerprint or some dust, I use the Spontex Microfibre cleaning cloth, I got it in Pathmark or other supermarket, very cheap (IIRC 3M produce a similar one) and in the case of the dust, you can use also a lens brush, is better that the cloth, (you can get it in any camera store), or a cosmetic unused brush from mom or your wife, but make sure is not used or better get a brand new one, just for this purpose, in any beauty supply, the kind made of hair and check that is very soft, as for the fingerprints, sometimes if the marks does not go easily, use just clear isopropyl alcohol, the more pure, the better, Drug Emporium (or any other big pharmacy) sells one of 99% for about 1.29 very good, do not purchase these $16.00 bottles from any online store, this is a rip off, is the same alcohol, I always have a couple of bottles in stock, be aware and very careful, and read the label, as the most common is the 70% or 50% diluted in water and is not the same, it takes a lot longer to evaporate and dry and sometimes makes some undesirable spots cause the water or so, I do not like this one, be carefull some artworks are alcohol based and vanished with alcohol, is you see a lot of paint on the CDs surface, just be carefull and try not to wet the printed surface, another point to the success: Avoid the use of these CD carring cases, not even the better, they tends to acumulate dust and particles that could ruin the CDs surface, I have all mine in the original jewel cases, otherwise is a nonsense battle, as for the damaged ones, unless they were completelly out of print, sell them in half.com and get a new fresh copy later, you will loose some bucks, but next time you will be more carefull, believe me the "fixing" process IMHO is absurd, thats why I said that I do not beleive in DR X or whatever, this is another rip off, using what you spend on it you can get more than one of the copies damaged....anyway if you look at the online stores, in more or less a couple of years the producer will reprint the CDs you have, maybe remastered and sometimes with bonus tracks, so, replace it, or upgrade it!!! what is already damaged hardly could be fixed if is absolutely necessary there are some people online that will do it for you, in the only proffesional valid way, with expensive machines and is not cheap at all, this process is worth only for sofware CDs or data, or another media, but not for music CDs....

 

[john_jcb]

THe CD Doctor works well but I wouldn't use it for cosmetic scratches as it leaves the finish looking bad. It will however save Cd's that are damaged and either won't play get stuck or skip. I used it on 15 that fell into this category and they all now play fine.

I have used a tiny bit of ivory soap on my finger and warm running water to clean CD's that have had something spilled on them. Always going perpendicular to the circles dry with a soft cotton cloth.

I will not touch a CD's surface unless there is something wrong with it.