Remove Scratches from CDs or DVDs

If you remember the early days of CDs, they were advertised as being a solution to permanently store your music and data in a completely skip-free manner. Unfortunately, CDs are far from invincible, and even small scratches and dirt on the disc can make your music skip. The same applies to DVDs.

An amazing solution to this problem consists of using just a little bit of toothpaste (yes, toothpaste). Use a good non-gel toothpaste and make sure that the paste doesn't have any grit or abrasives in it. The easiest way to tell if it has an abrasive is to see whether the toothpaste advertises that it has a "whitening formula." If it does, then it likely has abrasives that can damage your CDs or DVDs.

Apply a very small amount of toothpaste to a soft cloth, paper towel, or even toilet paper. Use the toothpaste to gently clean the surface of the CD or DVD. You should not rub hard. Although some tiny scratches might remain, the music or movie should play again without skipping.

Remember that when you are rubbing, you should never rub in circular motions, since this can actually catch in the grooves of the CD or DVD. Instead, start from the outside and move inward, or vice versa. Also remember that you are not rubbing the toothpaste off of the CD or DVD—you are rubbing it into the surface. You should start with just enough toothpaste that it will not be visible when it is all rubbed in.

Another tip for keeping your CDs in good order is to store them safely. Shoeboxes make excellent low-cost storage containers for your compact discs. Arrange your CDs in their jeweled cases with the titles facing up. That way, you can easily find the one you want to play. Try your best not to let the data surface of the CD or DVD come in contact with any other surface. When you keep the CDs in the case, or when you place an individual CD somewhere, put the title (label) side down. Keeping the title face down should prevent a lot of problems with scratching, though leaving a CD or DVD out face-up for long periods of time can allow dust to build up. Stacking CDs is also a bad idea because tiny pieces of grit or dirt between CDs can easily cause scratches or gouges.