Q&A for How to Repair a CD With Toothpaste

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What can I use in place of a microfiber cloth?

Community Answer

You can use an old t-shirt instead of a microfiber cloth. This is what I usually do, and it has not damaged my CDs at all.

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Question

How long do I leave it on for?

Community Answer

After rubbing it into the CD, you may wipe it off whenever you please.

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Question

Would toothpaste cleaning work on a DVD?

Community Answer

Yes, the same things work on CDs and DVDs. Keep in mind that if the scratch is really bad, it may not be repairable.

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Question

How do I get rid of scratches on the picture side of a CD?

Community Answer

You most likely won't get deep enough to fix it, but even if you could, most of the data on the CD is on the other side. You need to be careful that you do not destroy the data on the CD while trying to fix the CD art.

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Question

Is there a specific duration I have to leave the toothpaste on the CD?

Community Answer

Leave the toothpaste on for five minutes, then rinse off the toothpaste and dry.

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Question

What do I do if it's my brother's disc and I don't want to make it worse?

Community Answer

You should probably ask him about it first. But if it's already broken, you don't have a lot to lose!

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Question

Is there a wrong type of toothpaste to use?

Community Answer

Yes. Gel toothpaste can't fix the problem. Try a classic baking soda/paste type toothpaste.

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Question

Can I use an anti-cavity toothpaste to remove scratches from a Blu-Ray disk?

Community Answer

Yes, that should be fine.

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Question

Can I polish a game disc using this method?

Community Answer

Sure. It's the same thing for every digital disc, just be careful when wiping with the cloth.

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Question

Does toothpaste ruin the CD if it touches the inner circle?

Arrogance

Top Answerer

No. First of all, the innermost "circle" on a CD is the spindle hole. As it is a hole, there is nothing for toothpaste to touch. The next "circle" is the clamping area, which is purely mechanical and contains no data (it is typically clear). Second, all of the underside of a CD is composed of a single material, polycarbonate. Toothpaste behaves the same on all of it.

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Question

How can I remove stuck paper from the CD side that plays the disc? I have tried hot water, alcohol and that's it. Any suggestions will help.

Rudy Toth

Community Answer

Any stuck paper must have adhesive to the side being stuck. Don't use any hot water or alcohol. Lay the disc down with the paper that stuck to it facing upwards and then you should spray it with a short burst of WD-40 and let it soak for 40 minutes and see what happens next - it should come off with ease.

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Question

Why do some CDs I buy new not read in my CD player?

Rudy Toth

Community Answer

Two things that you need to do here - clean the TOC ring with a clean cloth, as dust and foreign debris might exist on the new discs. And secondly, you need to get "a disc cleaner," the one with a disc that has small brushes embedded in it and run that in your player to clean the player's laser heads. Since you purchased new discs ,the player might also be outdated and old too? That is like putting on a old shirt and wear a new one over it.

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Question

What if my video game has a ring on it, and scratches? Would toothpaste still work or disc scratch remover?

Toasterflame

Top Answerer

The only thing that disc is good for now is a coaster, as ringing a disc is basically death for it. You'll have to find a new/different copy.

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Question

I've done this but it doesn't seem to be working. It still says "disc unrecognized". What do I do?

Community Answer

Try covering up the scratches with yellow highlighter, this should work. And if it does not work, then the CD may be beyond repair.

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Question

What does it mean if I am getting an "open tray" message after trying this method out?

Community Answer

It might have too much toothpaste left on it or it still can't read the disk. Try cleaning the disk and trying again. If not, the CD probably cannot be repaired.

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Question

How can I tell if my CD player is dead? The laser doesn't light up anymore.

Community Answer

The laser is infrared, so you won't see it anyway. Usually to tell if it's broken, use a brand new CD and if that won't play, then you have an issue.

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Question

Does it work on Xbox 360 games?

Community Answer

Yes. Any CD disc should work after the toothpaste method. Xbox games are CD based, so the CD should be good.

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Question

How do I clean a CD with juice spilled on it?

Community Answer

If it is stained, than use warm water and mild soap and use a old t-shirt or a soft cloth to dry it off without scratching the disc.

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Question

What do I do if trying to repair a CD with toothpaste doesn't work?

Community Answer

You cold try a stronger abrasive, a CD repair kit, or if you can't fix it, just buy a new one. If it has data on it that really matters, take it to a place that is able to restore corrupted data.

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