Clean a DVD
Do you have the problem where your movie skips or the picture freezes? Most likely, it is because your DVD is dirty. This article is the solution to your problem. Read on for several different methods of, and tips about, how to clean a DVD.
Contents
Steps
Rubbing Alcohol and Water
- Mix one part water to one part Isopropyl alcohol. Rubbing alcohol is a nice DVD cleaner because it is not as strong as other solvents and evaporates quickly. Diluting it a bit with water creates an effective solution.
- Using a microfiber cloth, rub the alcohol solution onto the DVD. NEVER wipe in circles. Wipe in straight lines from the center rim to the outer rim, turning the disc as you clean from in to out.
- Microfiber cloth has an extremely tight weave, and is made of synthetic fibers. It grabs a hold of dirt, dust, and other crud that may be making a home on your formerly spiffy DVD disc.
- Let the disc air-dry for a second or two in an upright position. Because the alcohol evaporates quickly, this shouldn't take long.
Window Cleaner
- Grab some window cleaner like Windex for the job. Window cleaner is another gentler solvent that evaporates quickly. In fact, many window cleaners contain the a solution of water and Isopropyl alcohol, making this method very similar to the first method.
- Spray the window cleaner onto a microfiber cloth. Wipe the microfiber cloth onto the DVD, from the center straight down to the outer rim.
- Let the disc dry in an upright position. It shouldn't take long for it to completely dry.
Toothpaste
- Use toothpaste to polish out scratches. As a slight abrasive, toothpaste is good at polishing DVDs, just as it polishes your teeth. Be gentle with toothpaste, however; DVDs aren't as long-lasting as your teeth.
- Dab a bit of toothpaste and a small amount of water onto the DVD. A popcorn kernel-sized amount should be more than enough.
- Avoid extra-whitening toothpastes. You want to use the toothpaste as a slight abrasive, not as a bleaching agent.
- Rub the toothpaste and the water into the DVD with a clean finger or a microfiber cloth. Buff away any scratches that are visible.
- Clean the DVD with a separate cloth and water. Be sure to wipe away any toothpaste still on the disc.
Professional Resurfacing
- Check the DVD for scratches or scuffs that cannot be repaired. Hold the DVD, data-side facing you, up to a light. If you can see light through any parts of the DVD (other than the center hole, obviously), the scratches may be so deep the information cannot be retrieved, whether through cleaning or resurfacing. This might be the time to recycle the DVD and invest in a new one.
- If scratches aren't serious, get the DVD professionally resurfaced. If you're still having problems after cleaning the DVD, take the DVD to Radio Shack or another professional record store to get it resurfaced.
- Professional resurfacing usually costs about $3 to $4 per disc, so be prepared to shell out some shekels if you have a few DVDs you need cleaned.
Warnings
- If you a cleaning a DVD you rented from a Redbox, be careful not to get the bar code wet or torn.
- Do not soak or use hot water to clean the CD/DVD, this can cause the reflective backing to come away from the translucent plastic part.
- If dirt is stubborn, don't use any other solution other than mild dish detergent. This can be a risk to irreparably damaging the DVD.
- Do not use solvent based cleaners: this will irreparably damage the CD/DVD surface.
Things You'll Need
- Mild dish detergent in case dirt is stubborn.
- Non-lint producing cloth
- Water
