How To Repair a Scratched CD

These days while most of us are putting all our music from our CD Collection on to MP3 players, we are finding that our old compact discs are not faring so well with the years. Smudges, scratches and spots can turn a CD into an unlistenable useless round thingy, much like a perfectly intact Michael Bolton CD. Even if it looks like there is a lot of damage to a CD's surface, there maybe an easy fix that'll have you back listening uninterrupted in no time.

1. Know how your CD works. A compact disc is like a record album, in that it plays in a spiral but it reads from the center to the outer edge. Where the record player uses a stylus, the CD player uses a laser that reflects off the pitted surface to read the disc. If something redirects the beam, the CD skips. A scratch that runs from center to edge isn't as bad as one that runs parallel with the track. The worst however, is a scratch that is on the other side of the CD, the side that the label is on. The underside of this label is like a mirror that the laser reflects off of. If this is damaged in any manner, you are probably out of luck.
2. Clean your CD. Some of your "scratches" may be smudges or some other kind of spot. Take a damp, lint free cloth (those little ones that are used to clean eyeglasses or optical lenses for instance) and starting in the center of the CD, wipe to the outside edge in a straight line. Do not go in a circular motion, don't wipe all willy nilly. Do it in a straight line, center to edge. This will clean off anything that might have soiled the CD. Now you can focus on the scratches.
3. Fix the scratches. Hold your CD up to the light and check it from different angles. This way you can really see the scratches in the surface. If you only have one or there are a few in the same area of the CD, just try to focus on these areas when cleaning. This way you won't risk scratching the good surfaces. OK, now get yourself a light abrasive like white toothpaste, polish or a plastic cleaner. Some household cleaners could do more damage than good. In fact, all of the above could be hard on a CD if not used with a light touch.

A good thing is to find a CD repair kit that has a liquid repair bottle like this one at Buy.com. Even better, there is aproduct sort of like a handy-wipe but it is for CD repairing and you can find it via Amazon.com. Either way, use the same method of wiping from the center of the disc to the outer edge in a straight line. Just rub lightly on the scratch itself. You could also get a disc repair system that polishes the whole disc. CD Clinic or the Skip Doctor resurface your disc. In the process, most all of your scratches should be repaired. You put the disc in the unit and spray it with the included liquid, then either turn on the unit or use the handle to spin the disc, depending on which product you bought.

Any way you choose, just be careful when handling and storing your CDs. You would be surprised what a little dust can do to the surface of your discs. So keep them in their cases or a holder that uses soft material to back the CD.