Grease particles and fingerprints eat into CDs. So be particularly careful when handling them. Hold them carefully by pinching pointing finger and thumb through the hole of the CD or your longest fingers at the rim of the CD. Never leave them lying about without being replaced into their CD sleeves. As soon as you have completed a task with your CD, replace it carefully in its container, whatever type it may be. The first line of defense is always to prevent scratches and marks by taking good care of your CD's.
At sometime your CD is going to need a clean — usually when it skips or will not load. A good wipe with an anti-static cloth should do the trick, but at times that is not enough, especially if something has been spilled on the CD or it has been manhandled.
I have researched a number of ways of cleaning CD's and it seems that each and every person has their own special way of taking care of their CD cleaning.
What shocked me most was seeing a video on YouTube of someone cleaning their shiny CD with something as abrasive as toothpaste! I cannot recommend it, but if you are prepared to give it a try, I suggest you do some careful research first.
Personally, I would stay away from anything abrasive for cleaning my CD's and I would be wary of cleaning them with anything oily, greasy or creamy either.
Here are a few tips to help you get those CD's clean:
Cloth
1. Use a wiping cloth that is anti-static (you can purchase them cheaply in the supermarket).
2. Don't use any cloths that are abrasive or fluffy. You want them to pick up lint and not deposit lint.
3. There is a fabulous cloth on the product market for cleaning CD's. It's said to work like magic and there is no need to use any cleaners with it. It may be well-worth looking into.
Home based or readily-available products
1. Using an anti-static wiping cloth, wipe your CD carefully. That in itself may be enough to clean it.
2. Use no harsh cleansing products.
3. If there are grease or spill marks on your CD, gently wipe with anti-static cloth and one drop of liquid dishwasher mixed into some warm water. The way you wipe is important and I will discuss it later.
4. Don't be tempted to use only plain tap water - mineral water is better.
How to wipe
You will be surprised that the way to use your wiping cloth is not by following the circular rings from inner to outer, as I would have imagined - but rather to use straight wiping movements with your anti-static cloth back and forth from the CD hole to the outer edge and back.
Re-storing
It is important to replace your CD's back in their sleeves or containers only when totally dry. This is why an alcohol-based product primarily for this job is the best cleaning fluid. Keep your CD's clean and save yourself a lot of aggro and wasted money.
Judy Wolvaardt
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Dennis Nielsen