Repairing Scratched DVDS

I'm echoing on the toothpaste we had one DVD so scratched I finally said well it can't make it any worse it doesn't play as it is now. I had already bought the replacement so I got out my toothpaste and you have to use the white kind that has little grits in it not a gel..and yes it is abrasive it is like sanding down the scratches anyway I rubbed on it for several minutes and then rinsed it off and dried it with a soft cloth and it plays great. the new one is put back in a cupboard--and we watch the old one. I have since done it with several other DVD's and CD's and it continues to work.

One other thing. If they are Disney DVD's like alot of my scratched DVD's. I called and they will replace for like $6.95. Call the number on the dvd or the cover and they may replace for a nominal fee. It will be brand new and may be worth the hassle. It won't cost $19.99-$25 they normally cost to replace,

K.-
I actually have tryed the toothpaste thing, and it works great! Just make sure to get toothPASTE, not gel, or anything like that, just regular paste. And, after rinsing it off, wipe clean with a lint free cloth from the inner circle to the outside of the DVD, NOT around the DVD in a circular motion, which actually encourages the scratches. I have also bought kits at Wal-Mart and such, and they work good as well, but toothpaste is a cheaper alternative!

Our local DVD hire store does free resurfacing if you are a regular customer. May be you could try your local store as well.

Wow--what a great question and I'm so delighted to read the responses! I thought some of our DVDs were doomed!

As for the water question--you can wash off DVDs. Rental shops usually use water to spray them off, and then wipe clean with a lint-free cloth (Family experience here!) I don't think you'd want to soak them, but that isn't what you're describing.

I actually bought a repair kit from Best Buy. It works really well, on CD's too. It is a cream that you rub on with a special cloth. I think it is actually some form of polymer that fills in the scratch.

I have not tried toothpaste but I have washed many CDs, DVDs and even vinyl records (yes, I am that old). As long as you use running water and don't rub them, washing can work wonders. It loosens dust, fingerprints, etc. On really dirty ones I use a little dish soap in the water.

Hi K.,
Water won't hurt the dvd but I would be leary about the toothpaste, toothepaste is an abrasive, that's why it cleans our teeth, I would most certainly not rub the toothpaste on. I would try the liquid dvd repair, you can get it at walmart or most photo places. Don't do anything in a circular motion but go from the center out to the edge in a straight line when cleaning with a soft cotton cloth.
Good luck,
SarahMM

I've never tried the toothpaste thing, but I've heard it works. I don't know if there's a specific type of toothpaste that works best. I don't think water on cds is so bad - we've had stuff get spilled on them (when the kids were little) and I was always able to wash/rinse them off, just be careful to use a very soft cloth for drying them. I bought a cd repair kit, but I can't for the life of me remember the brand and there are no marking on the bottle (it was all on the packaging). It was just a kit that I bought at walmart, it's a little white bottle with a brown liquid in it. You put spread the liquid around the cd/dvd, let it almost dry, then rub it off using a circular motion. It seems to work pretty well for most of our stuff, better even than the one I bought years ago that had some contraption you had to put the cd/dvd in and manually spin for what seemed like forever! Wish I could help more. Good luck!

I have used turtle wax on cd's and had some success. I also know that blockbuster repairs and cleans dvd's.

Good luck!

Don't know if you got this suggestion already, but my hubby used wax, like you wax a car with, and put it on some CD's, rubbed it in, and they worked great!

Hi K.

I have no idea but would love to know what you find out. Maybe you can forward some responses to me. I have that same problem. ____@____.com

L.

You might want to try one of those home repair kits they sell. I got one from best buy that was a hand-crank type (they come automatic, but the hand ones are cheaper) and let me tell you- it was WELL WORTH the $ spent. I think it was @ $30, but it fixed my husband's xBox 360 games- which are $60 each! In the long run it is a really good investment. I tried the toothpaste thing, the DVD cleaner thng that you use in your DVD player- honestly, this worked the best. Good luck!

Often times if you go to a store, like a cd/dvd store you can pay them a few cents to lightly shave the top of the dvd where it is scratched. I know a store where I'm located called Blue Whale and they charge like 5 Cents to shave it off. Works really well. Also, because you have valuable cd/dvd's that you would like to keep, and only pay once for-here is another suggestion. I know that you can rip music to a computer, and that way if the cd gets damaged you still have the music. So why not a DVD, I would just look into that option.

You can buy a DVD/CD repair kit at any store like Target. The first one I bought was a non-electrical one for $10. It worked great. The second I bought (lost the first while moving) was again at a store such as Target for $20. I love it...much more than the other one and it really works great. It also cleans them. For the amount of cds and dvds that I have repaired, it has paid itself back over and over.