Clean CD with Everyday Things

It is inevitable. No matter how you take care of your CDs, they will become dirty one day. Once they do, they could risk not running right altogether. That’s why you need to learn a few handy tips that will teach you how to clean a CD using everyday things – things that you can find around the house.

Soft Cloth, Cotton, Cotton Buds
One thing that you must never forget is the fact that CDs are delicate and prone to scratch. You must never use any wiping material that could aggravate the condition of your CDs, from dirty to scratched. Awfully scratched CDs might be refused by your player and will be completely useless.
A piece of soft cloth, some cotton, or cotton buds can help you wipe out dirt particles from your CD. To clean, insert a finger on the center hole of your CD and gently wipe out dust and dirt. You may also handle it by the edges, but never touch the surface where your files are written. It’s the silver or shiny part of the CD.

Mineral Water
A bottle of mineral water is a powerful cleaning agent against different dirt problems on your CD. It is important that you use bottled water. Tap water has a higher concentration of salts that can leave white marks on the surface. To clean, simply dip a piece of cloth on mineral water and use it to wipe out the dirt. Use a non-radial motion from the center hole to the outer edge.

Baby Shampoo
Your tot’s hair cleaner can easily be transformed into a CD cleaner. This is ideally used for discs that are greasy or feeling sticky. You just need to mix one part baby shampoo to one part lukewarm water and presto, you have a solution that will make your CD grease-free. Using a piece of soft cloth or cotton, rub the CD with this solution, then, dry it completely before you put it back to its case.

Isopropyl Alcohol
Fingerprints are common problem with CDs. You don’t have to worry about them because they can easily disappear with isopropyl alcohol or ethanol or methanol. Use it to wipe out the marks on the surface of your CDs. Just remember not to use acetone and other petroleum-based solvents because they can damage your discs.

Toothpaste
Toothpaste, especially one that is baking-soda based, is the best CD polisher. It will help retain the shine on the discs using the very same compounds that will help keep your teeth white and shiny.

CD Cleaners and Polishers
If you are not as confident that regular things that can be found in your home are effective enough, you can always try the CD cleaners and polishers that are available in stores. Those products are specifically formulated to deal with all type of problems you might encounter with a disc. Be careful about choosing though. A brand that is well known does not necessarily mean it is good enough.

Besides learning how to clean your CDs, it is also important that you know how to take care of them. Stack them up in neat cases and avoid getting your hands on the shiny surface. Handle your CDs properly because that is the only way you could prolong their life and preserve whatever files are in them.

Mike is a free lancer publisher of http://www.howtocleanit.org/ and currently he is doing research on restoring/ cleaning scratched CD’s.