removing nicks/scratches from CDs

[Jonathan Clark]

Mary asks:
> Is it true that Windex can be used to clean a disc?

Hmmm. Windex is a mixture of water, ammonia, isopropyl alcohol and detergent.
I imagine it would clean any gunk off a disk without damage. I'm not sure if
there's enough alcohol in there to affect the lacquer layer. I doubt it but
can't say for sure. Plain ordinary dish detergent should work on its own, in
fact you should be able to soak a CD in soapy water to get any dirt off the
surface, without any chance of damage (disclaimer: I never tried this).

The concerns with all this sort of thing are: a) scratching the surface; b)
dissolving some of the lacquer and then rubbing so hard that you smear it over
the surface; and c) dissolving the lacquer layer and then leaving bits of lint
embedded in the surface when it rehardens. So don't rub hard and use a soft
lint-free cloth (so no paper towels, which leave lint and are surprisingly scratchy).

Steve suggested using toothpaste, which he correctly notes is a mild abrasive.
I never tried this either but it is plausible. I've restored dozens of disks to
playable condition using the solvent-based solution I described before.

Jonathan