Q&A for How to Clean a DVD

You may have a disc that is badly damaged and cleaning it filled in the cracks/crevices of the disk. If this is not the case, then you have used a toothpaste that may have bleached your DVD. It's also possible that the toothpaste contained something grainy that contributed to the scratches.

You can. Breathe on the DVD, then rub gently with a soft tissue.

Yes, glass cleaner and window cleaner are the same thing.

It's not the player itself that needs cleaning, but the optical 'eye' lens that reads the discs. There are commercial DVD/CD lens cleaners available for cheap in stores. They look like CDs/DVDs, but they have little brushes on the bottom, to brush away any dust or dirt from the optic lens of your player. Just insert one into your player, as you would a DVD, and follow the included instructions.

If the crack is very deep inside the DVD, such that it is touching the chemical data recorder or the rainbow type skin on the DVD, it cannot be fixed. Deep cracks can only be fixed with a professional DVD resurface.

No, you can try the other options here.

No. Nail polish remover contains methyl ethyl ketone, which can damage plastic and could ruin your DVD.

You should avoid whitening toothpastes. You want to clean your disc, not bleach it.

Your DVD reader's reading lens has been damaged or may have been covered with dust. You can only fix that by cleaning the lens carefully or buying a new DVD reader.

You should use water and a microfiber cloth to clean the DVD.

Your CDs may not run correctly if the disk drive is dirty.

It depends on what brand you have. Uline Saftey Glass Wipes have worked well for me in the past, along with Zeiss and Up and Up. Be careful with which one you use, as different brands have different chemicals designed solely for the purpose of cleaning your glasses.

No. WD-40 is a lubricant that contains petroleum distillates that can and will damage the plastic coating of a CD or DVD.

Cleaning a CD is the same as cleaning a DVD.

I use both. After the toothpaste method, do the rubbing alcohol method. It makes sure there is no toothpaste residue, and it works for me almost every time.

The reader inside the player may be dirty/worn out, or you may need a firmware update. It is always better to replace an antiquated player with a modern player about every 5 or 6 years. That way your firmware will be up to date and you will be able to play anything except an out of region disc. It's not like modern players are expensive, so this is the way to go.

Yes, you can use an LCD cleaning kit with good results. Just be careful as a DVD surface is much more scratch-prone than an LCD screen.

You'll want to acquire micro fiber cloth - don't use substitutes. They be found in drugstores, eyeglass stores or online inexpensively. They're a good purchase, as they can be used over and over quite a few times for your other DVDs.

The cotton on Q-tips has a rough outer layer that can scratch your DVD even more, so I wouldn't recommend using them.

Yes, you can.

It depends on the type of dirt/damage on your DVD. Toothpaste will be useful when some light scratches have to be repaired. For fingerprints, the rubbing alcohol should be sufficient.

No! Please do not use peanut butter to clean your DVDs. Peanut butter does not have any properties that would help clean your disc, and would likely ruin it instead.

Unplug your DVD player from the power supply. Leave unplugged and count to 15 slowly. Plug it back in. It should reset. Press your eject button manually.

Yes, as long as you rinse it and dry it. Typically, the DVD will dry the remaining on its own as long as you use a soft, dry microfiber cloth or hair dryer afterwards.

My 2009 RCA portable DVD player ($5 at thrift shop) works perfectly. The 11-year-old battery runs only an hour on a charge, but otherwise it’s great.

Yes, but only if it the spray on type such as TurtleWax, etc. Use sparingly and do not let it dry. Then with the same micro-fibered cloth mentioned above to gently buff in small straight lines from the hub to the outer edge, back and forth. All the while, rotate the disc slightly, progressing until all the wax is removed. Be careful - the end result will likely produce a stunning reflection of yourself! Enjoy!

In a pinch. Alcohol will evaporate more cleanly and reduce risk from drying. Hydrogen peroxide just turns into H2O eventually.

Not recommended. Some wipes have gritty texture embedded in them. It is to help wipe up grime, but can scratch your disk.

Try inspecting the data side of the disk itself. If there is dirt, dust, fingerprints etc., then try cleaning the disc with a clean microfibre cloth (make sure its clean or you could spread gunk onto the disc). If you notice that the disc has scratches, the disc may require to be resurfaced. Look for a place in your area that can do this for you, places that handle secondhand reselling (like a game store) should be able to do this for you.

No. You might need to clean the TOC with a clean cloth around the disc. The inner ring might be dirty from past fingerprints, food particles grease. You might need to find the disc cleaner type CD to run through your DVD player to "clean the dust off the laser head" and/or you can do that manually if you know how to. Some players are easy to get inside with the plug out of the outlet first. Use a Q-tip and run it in a circular motion lightly on the laser head. Place back the unit together and plug it back in and make your connections and try the disc again... chances are the disc will play.