This is something I never would have guessed. If anything, I would think that the toothpaste would add more scratches, especially baking soda toothpaste. But, apparently, it does work.
This tip was originally featured on Lifehacker exactly one year ago today. Naturally, a whole boatload of commenters gave their own tips for accomplishing the same task. Here is a list of all the other possibilities for fixing your CDs and DVDs:
- Tongue licking and T-shirt wipe
- SkipDr
- low-tech hand repair system
- Peanut butter
- Pine Sol
- Brasso
- Pledge
- Automotive rubbing compound
- lightly scratched: No7’s White Polishing Compound
- deeper scratches: Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound - Shoe cleaner
- Windex
A couple of other notes:
One more thing: unlike vinyl records, when wiping a CD always do it for edge towards center in a straight line, NOT around the circle. Record albums always had to be cleaned ‘with’ the grooves in a circular motion, but CDs are different.
Hold the CD up to light. If light shines through any little scratches or holes, then the foil is scratched - and that missing info is irretrievable. That means you’re screwed. If no light shows, then buff away and good luck!
After all this, there’s so many choices that I don’t know where to start. I guess toothpaste is still the cheapest option, as well as the most common to have laying around your house…as long as it works.
