Any tips for cleaning CDs?

[daviddesper]

I came across one that looked as if it had a microscopic crumb on it, like a cookie crumb. So I thought I could simply flick it off with my finger.

Bad idea. To make a long story short, the more I rubbed it, the more the stain [[by now a scuff mark) became and I have not been able to clean it satisfactorily. I have since tried to play the CD, which was fine before, but now it skips and just stops altogether.

So have I ruined a perfectly good CD or is there hope that I can restore it to playability?

[sansradio]

Sorry to hear that. Not sure if your CD will be salvageable, but, going forward, always wipe your CDs from the center to the edge in a straight radius [not in a circular motion] with a clean cloth. Also, be sure not to touch the spindle area; that’s where the music and information live. Simply hold the CD like a baseball and wipe the silver portion straight out to the edges. Hope this will help.

[carlo]

Once in a while, if I buy a used cd and discover that it's extremely dirty, I'll use plain old water by running it under the tap [[luke-warm) and maybe even a little touch of Dawn dish soap and then I'll dry it off with a soft cloth. CDs are not nearly as sensitive as vinyl, when it comes to cleaning them. I would say just avoid using any rough cloths and avoid using household cleaning products on them. Maybe someone here will correct me on my cleaning methods, but I've never had any issues. CDs are pretty hardy, unless you're exposing them to chemicals, extreme temperatures or throwing them around like frisbees :)

[soulster]

I remember that back in the 80s, people used to recommend using plain toothpaste to polish CDs. The idea was that the paste would fill in any scratches to make the disc playable.

Whatever you try that works, I suggest making a copy/back up of it ASAP, if you can. Just one of the benefits of using a computer with a ROM drive.

[1382hitsville]

Sometimes CD's are beyond repair:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disc_rot

[soulster]

Living in a dry climate, i've never seen disc rot. All of my thousands of CDs since 1984 look pristine and play perfectly.

[daviddesper]

Thanks guys but I tried various approaches and I think the one in question is beyond repair.