Repairing Scratched DVDs – Toothpaste And Other Options
There are many ‘how to’ suggestions out there for how to repair a scratched DVD or CD. It is irritating to be in the middle of watching a movie on a DVD and be interrupted, seemingly at the most climactic moment by a scratch on the DVD so that it will not search, skip or restart no matter what roundabout way a person might try. The best solution for those older DVD’s is to try to repair the scratched DVD.
Multiple Options
One option suggested in how to repair scratched DVD’s is to use toothpaste. Toothpaste is a mild abrasive which cleans our teeth wonderfully, and also works to rub out those small scratches that tend to make a DVD skip or freeze. There is some controversy over its use because sometimes dried flakes of the toothpaste dry onto the DVD and flake off in the DVD player which causes more problems than the skipping DVD did in the first place.
Another option is a product called SkipDr. It works the same way as toothpaste does by rubbing out the smaller scratches in the plastic so that the laser can more easily read the disc. Unfortunately, it does not seem to be a great option in how to repair a scratched DVD that has major scratches or other damage. In addition, it is a product that a person has to buy, rather than being found around the house.
Some people claim that peanut butter works, but it is very messy and may also cause the toothpaste problem with the DVD player. Pinesol or other kitchen cleaner like it is a more clean solution. By its very nature, the product eats away at the plastic and allows for a smooth DVD again. One tip for using it though is to make sure it is cleaned off of the disc completely, or it will continue to eat through the disc and there will not be information left. Instead of figuring out how to repair a scratched DVD, the user will be left wondering where to get a new one.
Pledge or other polishing agent is another way to clean and polish a scratched DVD. It One issue with Pledge is that it does have a waxy finish which is not ideal for the DVD player. Another suggestion for how to repair scratched DVD’s is to rub Windex on them. One test to use in order to see if the DVD is actually fixable by polishing is to hold the DVD up to the light. If light shines through the scratches, then the foil where the info is etched is damaged making the DVD worthless. If there isn’t any light that shines through than it can usually be salvaged through any of the above polishing techniques.
By Consumer Electronics Editor
