How to Fix a Scratched CD

Scratches and scuffs on CDs are very annoying - your favorite CD is now skipping the best songs, or maybe you're dealing with potentially losing an important document or program. You can find so many suggestions on the Internet about how...

Method 1 of 4:

Using Toothpaste

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Choose a basic toothpaste. There's no need for the sparkles, swirls, and exotic flavors of some oral care products. Instead, opt for a basic white paste to polish your CD. All types of toothpaste contain enough abrasive minerals to get the job done!
1. Basic toothpastes are cheaper than their flashier alternatives. This can be especially helpful if you have several CD's to polish.^[1]
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Apply toothpaste to the CD surface. Squeeze a small dab of toothpaste onto the scratched surface of your CD and spread it evenly over the surface of the CD with your finger.
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Polish the CD. Using a radial motion, slowly work the toothpaste around the CD. Start at the center and move in a straight line outward.
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Clean and dry the CD. Run the CD under some warm water and rinse thoroughly. Then, using a soft, clean cloth, dry the CD and double check to make sure you've removed all traces of toothpaste or moisture.
1. After you've cleaned and dried the CD, use a soft cloth to buff the surface of the CD.

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Method 1 Quiz

If you have multiple CDs to repair, why should you purchase basic toothpaste?

Basic toothpaste works just as well as expensive toothpaste.

Almost! Simple toothpaste will work the same as any expensive toothpaste you might buy. All types of toothpaste, from cheap to expensive, are abrasive and are able to polish your CDs. However, there are also other reasons to buy basic toothpaste. Try another answer...

Basic toothpaste is cheaper.

You're partially right! Basic toothpaste is typically cheaper than its fancier counterparts. If you have multiple CDs to polish, it might make more sense to buy a cheap toothpaste, so you are not spending unnecessary money to clean a ton of CDs. This is true, but there are also other reasons to buy basic toothpaste. Try again...

You don't need the extra additives in other kinds of toothpaste.

You're not wrong, but there's a better answer! Many companies add extra stuff to their toothpaste that you don't need to polish your CDs. Swirls of color, whitening chemicals, and other additives are pointless to have when all you're doing is polishing multiple CDs. While this is correct, there are other reasons you might buy basic toothpaste. Pick another answer!

All of the above.

Yes! You should buy simple toothpaste for all of these reasons. You don't need any extras in the formula. All you need is a simple, abrasive toothpaste that doesn't cost a ton of money. Read on for another quiz question.

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Method 2 of 4:

Polishing with Abrasive Compounds

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Decide which compound you will use. A number of common household products can be used to polish the CD, but 3M rubbing compound and Brasso are probably the most tried and true. You can also use fine-grit polishing compounds designed for cars or hard finishes.^[2]
1. If you're using Brasso, make sure to do so in a well-ventilated area, and avoid breathing in the fumes. Always read the safety instructions and warnings on any chemical product as many (such as rubbing alcohol) are flammable and/or can cause skin, eye, or respiratory irritation.^[3]
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Apply the polishing compound to a cloth. Put a small amount of 3M compound or Brasso on a soft, clean, lint-free cloth. An old shirt or an eyeglass-cleaning cloth will both work well.^[4]
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Polish the CD. Use a gentle, radial motion, to rub the compound into the scratch. Start at the center and rub out to the edge, like spokes on a wheel. Do this 10 or 12 times all around the CD. Try to focus your efforts solely on the scratch or scratches that you have identified.
1. When polishing the disc, make sure to lay the disc on a flat, firm surface that's non abrasive. Data is stored on the foil or dye layers on the top of the disc (label side) and the protective top layer can easily be scratched or perforated. Pressing a disc on too soft a surface may crack it or cause it to de-laminate.
2. Rubbing in a circular motion (as opposed to a radial motion) can cause small scratches that throw off the laser tracking system in the player.
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Remove the polishing product from the disc. Rinse the disc thoroughly with warm water and let it dry. Make sure to remove all of the compound and let the disc dry completely before trying to play it. With Brasso, wipe off excess product and let the rest dry. Then, using a clean cloth, gently wipe the disc again.
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Test the disc. If the problem persists, polish again for up to 15 minutes, or until the scratch is almost completely buffed out. The surface around the scratch should begin to look shiny with many tiny scratches. If you still do not notice any difference after polishing for a few minutes, the scratch may be extremely deep, or you may be polishing the wrong scratch.
1. If the disc is still not operational, take the disc to a trained professional at a gaming store or CD repair shop.

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Method 2 Quiz

Why should you rub the compound onto the disc in a radial motion?

Other movements can cause scratches.

Yup! Rubbing the cloth in non-radial motion can cause small scratches on the disc. These tiny scratches make it difficult for the laser tracking system to read the data stored on the disc. Read on for another quiz question.

You might damage the dye layers on top of the CD.

Not quite! Rubbing the back of the disc in a non-radial motion typically won't damage the dye layers on the top of the disc. However, you might damage the top of the CD if you apply too much pressure to the disc while it rests on an abrasive surface. There's a better option out there!

Other motions don't efficiently remove scratches.

Nope! Other types of motions can often remove scratches. However, using a non-radial motion is not recommended, as it can have other negative effects on your CD. Try another answer...

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Method 3 of 4:

Finishing With Wax

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Determine whether or not wax is an option. Sometimes you'll need to physically remove plastic from the disc by polishing. However, removing a lot of plastic can affect the refractive property of the lens making the data unreadable. Waxing scratches is useful because even though the defects are visible to your eye, the laser sees around/through them.^[5]
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Wax the scratches. Apply a very thin coat of Vaseline, chap-stick, liquid car wax, neutral shoe polish, or furniture wax to the CD's playing surface. Let the wax sit in the scratches for a few minutes—remember, the idea is for the wax to fill in the scratch so it can be read again.^[6]
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Wipe away the excess wax. Using a clean, soft, lint-free cloth, wipe in a radial (inside-to-outside) motion. If using wax, follow the manufacturer's instructions (some need to dry before you wipe them off, while others should be wiped off while still wet).
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Test the disc again. If the wax or Vaseline does the trick, burn a new disc immediately. The waxing method is only a temporary solution meant to get the CD working long enough to transfer the data to a computer or new disc.

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Method 3 Quiz

What is the downside of using the waxing method?

Waxing might affect the refractive property of the lens.

Nope! Waxing won't typically affect the refractive property on the disc. However, the other polishing methods of fixing scratches on a CD can change the refractive property, so you should make sure you can successfully polish the disc before you move ahead with a non-waxing method. Pick another answer!

Waxing might accidentally make the data unreadable.

Not quite! Waxing shouldn't make the data unreadable. The point of waxing the disc is to make the data readable by forcing the laser reader to see through the scratches. Click on another answer to find the right one...

Waxing is a temporary fix.

That's right! Unfortunately, waxing is only a temporary fix. After you are finished waxing the CD, you should download the data on the disc to save it before the CD is unreadable again. Read on for another quiz question.

You might have to remove plastic from the disc first.

Try again! If you are going to use the waxing method, you shouldn't have to remove any layers of plastic first. Instead, polishing the disc with an abrasive material like toothpaste will remove fine layers of plastic to level out the scratches and make the CD readable. Click on another answer to find the right one...

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Method 4 of 4:

Masking Tape Method

Before proceeding you should come to terms with the fact that holes in the foil layer of a CD are not repairable, not even by professionals. The best way to move past them is to skip them altogether so that at least the remaining data can be accessed and saved elsewhere.

Hold the disc with its shiny side up in clear view of a bright light.
See if any holes are visible on the shiny side.
Flip the disc and mark the areas holes with a permanent marker.
Take 2 small strips of masking tape and stick them on top of each other over the area you have just marked.

Note: The CD might make a noise while running but you'll be able to access at least 70% of the data on it.

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Method 4 Quiz

True or false: If the masking tape method doesn't work when you're repairing holes in your CD, you can take the disc to a professional to fix it.

True

Nope! Unfortunately, even professionals cannot repair a CD with holes in the foil layer. If you cannot retrieve data from the CD after attempting the masking tape method, you may have lost all of the information. However, if the masking tape method works, you can expect to retrieve at least 70% of your data. Choose another answer!

False

That's right! Professionals cannot repair the disc if you have holes in the foil layer of your CD. The masking tape method is your best chance at retrieving data on the CD, and if it works, you can expect to find at least 70% of your data on the disc. Read on for another quiz question.

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