Regular Member Ranchugirl Posted October 18, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted October 18, 2008 I keep hearing that toothpaste somehow is able to fix a scratched up CD - is that really true? Somehow I would think that the abrasive toothpaste would do more damage than good. Anybody used that to fix a bad CD? Julia has plenty of them, and I could use some help with some of mine as well. Anybody? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Jack of Hearts Posted October 18, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted October 18, 2008 (edited) I keep hearing that toothpaste somehow is able to fix a scratched up CD - is that really true? Somehow I would think that the abrasive toothpaste would do more damage than good. Anybody used that to fix a bad CD? Julia has plenty of them, and I could use some help with some of mine as well.Anybody? Are the scratches minor surface scratches on the clearcoat of the CD? If so, technically a toothpaste or an automotive wax may work to get rid of a minor surface scratch which is interupting the lasar from hitting the precise point on the CD. If it is more than a surface scratch, I don't see how it would work. Try it, you got nothing to lose if the CD is already skipping like crazy ayway. I personally would use auto polish rather than toothpaste as it is easier to buff off with a cloth. Edited October 18, 2008 by Jack of Hearts 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member alexiscool Posted October 18, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted October 18, 2008 what about window cleaner? it works aswell 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Jack of Hearts Posted October 18, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted October 18, 2008 what about window cleaner?it works aswell Yes that will take off smudges, dirt, grease, and oil, which will also make a CD skip. It will however not remove fine surface scratches as it is not an abrasive....that's what Andrea is asking about. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member alexiscool Posted October 18, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted October 18, 2008 what about window cleaner?it works aswell Yes that will take off smudges, dirt, grease, and oil, which will also make a CD skip. It will however not remove fine surface scratches as it is not an abrasive....that's what Andrea is asking about. ok..i am kinda of tired now... i have stuff from GameStop(video game store) that cleans the cd's really well 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Jon Posted October 18, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted October 18, 2008 Ive used toothpaiste to clean cd's before and I've had good luck with it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member cometgirl Posted October 18, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted October 18, 2008 Years ago when I worked in a public library, one of my fun jobs during quiet times was to polish the scratches out of the CDs. We had a kit with I think pastes and very fine sandpapers, and it was at least three steps to take the scratch out and then polish it smooth. I have no idea how much such a kit would cost these days, but I have seen one-step ones at places like Radio Shack for about 5 or 6 dollars. If just toothpaste works, that would be great. I'd love to fix some of my old CDs, and then they could be minty fresh too. Let us know how it works out for you! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Jack of Hearts Posted October 18, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted October 18, 2008 Years ago when I worked in a public library, one of my fun jobs during quiet times was to polish the scratches out of the CDs. We had a kit with I think pastes and very fine sandpapers, and it was at least three steps to take the scratch out and then polish it smooth. I have no idea how much such a kit would cost these days, but I have seen one-step ones at places like Radio Shack for about 5 or 6 dollars. If just toothpaste works, that would be great. I'd love to fix some of my old CDs, and then they could be minty fresh too. Let us know how it works out for you! Car wax/polish & toothpaste should definitely work for fine surface scratches. Like you said, with more harsh abrasives like very fine sandpaper and auto compound will work on bigger scratches. The caveat here is that there is a fine line(no pun intended) between a successfull repair and actually penetrating through the clear coat and actually removing the digital codes underneath. One may want to practice first on a hopelessly damaged CD first. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member uberleslie Posted October 18, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted October 18, 2008 I've used Pledge or Pledge wipes and it works great. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member alistairw Posted October 19, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted October 19, 2008 try putting it in the freezer for an hour or so, i know this works with dvd's 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Ranchugirl Posted October 21, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted October 21, 2008 Thanks for everybody's input! I think I'll give the toothpaste technique - on a CD that isn't as important. In case something disappears after I am done... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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