Clean your DVDs the right way.
Removing surface grime and greasy fingerprints by washing a DVD is good practice. Unfortunately, many misguided DVD owners shorten the life of their discs by running a sponge over the surface in a circular motion. Your DVD player is designed to read embedded code by directing an infrared laser beam onto the spinning surface. Since the disc spins at high speed, the laser will skip over a minor scratch across its path. However, the tiniest scratch made in the direction of rotation will scatter the beam and render the disc unreadable. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Remove dust particles from the DVD by passing a microfiber cloth straight across its surface before inserting the disc into the player.
2. Place the disc on a clean towel and wash greasy fingerprints and grime from the shiny surface with dish washing liquid and a damp sponge. Start at the hub and move the sponge straight out toward the rim. Rinse the DVD under running warm water; the wetting agent in the detergent will cause the water to sheet off the surface. Fold the disc between paper towels and pat dry.
3. Buff out surface scratches with brass metal polish or plain white toothpaste. Apply firm downward pressure and rub back and forth in a straight hub to rim action. Polish the surface until the cleaning agent disappears. Wash the DVD using the method outlined in Step 1. Inspect the disc against the light; if you can still see lines, repeat until all scratches are buffed out.
4. Coat the surface of the disc with a thin layer of silicone-based furniture polish if the DVD is still unreadable. Wipe the surface lightly to remove excess polish. Try playing the disc. If this method works, it's a temporary fix.
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