How To Clean A Dirty Disc

This wikiHow teaches you how to clean dust, dirt, and residue off of a DVD. The easiest way to do this is by using rubbing alcohol and a microfiber cloth, though other cleaning solutions may be applied. Keep in mind that cleaning a DVD will not fix scratches, though it will remove smudges and dust that prevent a certain section of the DVD from being read by the DVD player's laser.

Steps

1

Place the DVD label-down on a soft cloth. This can be anything from a tablecloth to a washcloth or a pillow so long as the label is facing down and the blemished side of the DVD is face-up.
2
Gather your tools. In order to clean adequately your DVD, you'll need the following items:
- Isopropyl alcohol - Used as a cleaner. You can also use toothpaste here, but be wary of most other cleaning supplies as they have additional solvents that may harm your DVD.
- Water - Used to cleanse the DVD after cleaning.
- Microfiber cloth - Used to wipe and dry the DVD. Do not use a washcloth or paper products, as these items can leave scratches on the DVD.
3
Review the condition of the DVD's surface. If the DVD's surface has streaks of residue and dust on it, you'll need to give it the full treatment; however, if there are only a few dusty sections of the DVD, you should only need to rinse it and dry it.
- If you determine that you only need to rinse and dry the DVD, skip ahead to the "Rinse the DVD" step.
4
Add isopropyl alcohol to the DVD's surface. If your isopropyl alcohol container has a "mist" setting, mist the whole surface of the DVD; if not, a few generous drops spaced around
- If you're using toothpaste, place a few dots of toothpaste around the DVD's surface, then spread it out into one even coat covering the DVD's surface.
5
Gently wipe the alcohol off of the DVD in straight lines. Using the microfiber cloth, brush the isopropyl alcohol outward from the center of the disc, making sure to use straight lines when doing so. The goal here is to make sure that every piece of the disc's surface is coated by isopropyl alcohol at some point, so add more if needed.
- If you're using toothpaste, rinse off the toothpaste with water.
6

Rinse the DVD. Run mild-temperature water over the surface of the DVD to wash away any remains of residue, dust, and fragments of cloth.
7

Dry off the DVD. Ideally, you'll stand the DVD upright or lean its label side against a soft object (e.g., a roll of paper towels) to allow it to dry without having to use a cloth, but if you're in a hurry, you can dry off the DVD by wiping it with the microfiber cloth using straight lines.^[1]
8
Test the DVD. Insert the dry DVD into a DVD player to see if it will run correctly.
- If the DVD still won't play properly, you may have to take your DVD into a professional resurfacing service. Stores such as Best Buy and Radio Shack often offer this service.

Add New Question

Question

I cleaned my DVD with toothpaste but it looks more scratched than before. Did I do something wrong?

You may have a disc that is badly damaged and cleaning it filled in the cracks/crevices of the disk. If this is not the case, then you have used a toothpaste that may have bleached your DVD. It's also possible that the toothpaste contained something grainy that contributed to the scratches.
Question

Can I clean DVDs with tissues?

You can. Breathe on the DVD, then rub gently with a soft tissue.
Question

Will glass cleaner work when cleaning a DVD?

Yes, glass cleaner and window cleaner are the same thing.
Question

How do I clean my DVD player?

It's not the player itself that needs cleaning, but the optical 'eye' lens that reads the discs. There are commercial DVD/CD lens cleaners available for cheap in stores. They look like CDs/DVDs, but they have little brushes on the bottom, to brush away any dust or dirt from the optic lens of your player. Just insert one into your player, as you would a DVD, and follow the included instructions.
Question

Can I fix a crack on a disk that is right along the middle of the disk?

If the crack is very deep inside the DVD, such that it is touching the chemical data recorder or the rainbow type skin on the DVD, it cannot be fixed. Deep cracks can only be fixed with a professional DVD resurface.
Question

Is it really necessary to use toothpaste?

No, you can try the other options here.
Question

Can nail polish remover be used to clean a DVD?

No. Nail polish remover contains methyl ethyl ketone, which can damage plastic and could ruin your DVD.
Question

Which type of toothpaste is best?

You should avoid whitening toothpastes. You want to clean your disc, not bleach it.
Question

I get a message stating the DVD cannot be played and must be cleaned. I did that, but it still says that for all DVDs. What should I do?

Your DVD reader's reading lens has been damaged or may have been covered with dust. You can only fix that by cleaning the lens carefully or buying a new DVD reader.
Question

How do I get dirt off a DVD?

You should use water and a microfiber cloth to clean the DVD.

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Video

Mild-temperature water won't harm your DVD, but take care not to hit the DVD with exceptionally warm or cold water.

Do not use solvent based cleaners, as doing so may irreparably damage the CD/DVD surface.
No amount of cleaning can fix deep scratches or holes in the DVD.

About this article

Article SummaryX

To quickly and easily clean a DVD, place the disc label-down on a soft cloth, and spray the disc with isopropyl alcohol. Use a microfiber cloth to wipe the alcohol over the surface of the disc in straight lines until it is completely coated with the alcohol. Then, run the DVD under room-temperature tap water to wash away any dirt or debris. Lean the DVD against a soft object, like a roll of paper towels, and let it air dry as it stands upright. For tips on how to use toothpaste to clean a DVD, read on!

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