How To Clean A Disc From Scratches

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There are some crazy ideas out there on how to eliminate scratches on DVDs. Bananas, peanut butter, dryer sheets, etc. As a mother and full-time sitter, I have learned that multiple kids equal scratched DVD's. I got to the point where it was a battle just to find a disc that would play all the way through. Just wiping the disc clean no longer works on some of my worn DVDs. I started testing the different methods and found out what works and what doesn't. Here are 5 easy ways to fix scratched DVDs.

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5 Easy fixes for scratched DVDs that actually work.

Best Option: What Works!

1. The best method, I found is to use is Disc Restorer. A product used to help wipe out small scratches on your vehicle. My worst disc played all the way through!
2. Brasso, made to remove build up from brass objects, also works very well! I would be hesitant to use it on a regular basis as it is a harsh chemical.
3. Light! Stick your disc up to a light bulb and rotate close to the heat for up to 30 seconds. Stick the warm DVD straight into the player. It works in a pinch, but must be repeated every time and will eventually create more permanent damage if overused.
4. Furniture Polish. I was surprised how well a can of Pledge can shine up an old DVD.
5. Jewelry Polishing Cloth. This worked nicely on the shallow scratches, but not the deeper ones.

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What Sort of Works!

1. Window Cleaner. This does a great job of cleaning the disc but does not diminish the scratches.
2. Baby Wipes. Again a good cleaner, but scratches were still there.
3. A banana. I was surprised at how well it cleaned the disc but did not reduce the scratches.
4. Eye Glass Cleaner. Same result. The clean disc was the only outcome.
5. Baking Soda Toothpaste. Great Cleaner! The badly scratched discs still skipped.

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Fails: What Was A Bust!

1. Peanut Butter. This did absolutely nothing, but frustrate me. Hard to get off completely and still no difference.
2. Scotch Tape. Supposedly, putting a piece of tape on the top side of the disc, lined up with a scratch would reduce the skipping. However, I saw no difference in any disc on which I tried this option.

In the end, I did learn that some discs just cannot be saved. As a last-ditch effort, I took several to my local movie rental location and they cleaned my discs with a professional machine. One worked after this cleansing, the other four were just as unusable. My kids used them to create a suncatcher.