How to remove deep scratches from a cd with toothpaste

How to remove deep scratches from a cd with toothpaste

There is a technological myth that says that a scratched CD can be repaired with the toothpaste. The idea is to fill the scratches and polish the disc with toothpaste the scratches are deep. This damage can be irreparable addition to toothpaste, other materials can be used. Here, we will present how to remove deep scratches from a cd.

Discs CD and DVD were never painted as indestructible as its inventors. Just use them casually to begin to accumulate scratches and scrapes, which end up making it difficult to read the data they contain.

How to remove deep scratches from a cd?

How to remove deep scratches from CD

This is because these imperfections can deflect the laser that passes through the plastic layer of the disc, and must “read” the “ones and zeros” that are recorded in a lower layer. For the powerful beam of light to deviate, the scratches must be deep, irregular, or with a certain inclination. And if the scratch has reached the layer where the data is recorded, this information will, in theory, be inaccessible.

The “popular wisdom” states that you can repair a scratched CD with toothpaste. It is worth checking it out so, for this, we have scratched several DVDs with different elements, and the most extreme is a cutter, which causes quite deep erosions.

Apart from the deeper abrasions and cuts, we have tested other discs with less destructive tools, such as keys and pieces of paper and plastic. So we simulated what happens to many CD s and DVD s after a period of use in normal environments where end streaking by rubbing with typical cases that usually have at home or in the car.

After “aging” several discs, we have set to work to see if you really can repair a damaged CD with toothpaste, or if our “ñapa” does not serve as a solution. The first is to apply a little toothpaste on the disc. As you can see, we have not spared the product, but this is not necessary (yes, the photo looks better). Just apply a goop the size of a marble.

Then, using a damp cloth (if possible, microfiber, which leaves no residue), it should be spread over the entire surface of the CD or DVD. It is convenient to spend some time spreading this product well, to fill in all the imperfections that are in the disc.

Remove deep scratches from CD

Afterward, the entire surface of the disc must be cleaned. You can use water and the same cloth as before, but taking care that there is a little of the product covering the deepest cracks. Another option is to use the paste and the cloth to polish the disc, but this way you can damage it instead of repairing it, especially if the toothpaste has granules of some kind, which would generate more erosion.

Finally,

You must let the CD or DVD dry. Then, you have to insert it in the reader and check if it is possible to the data. According to our tests, the cuts made with the cutter are usually too deep and irreparable, but the damage caused by other metal parts, plastic or paper can be fixed. If everything went well, you could already access the contents of the disk, like us, that we have recovered the files from the damaged CD.

What a relief! We have already recovered our precious files, and we have shown that, in many cases, a damaged CD can be repaired with toothpaste. Now, it is imperative to copy them to another DVD or hard drive. Keep in mind that this solution is only temporary since the applied toothpaste can be easily removed with use. The proof of this technological myth is surpassed, although not 100%. Of course, if you can recover work files or photos saved on a CD, it’s worth the effort.

About the author

Damon Stevenson

Damon Stevenson

Hi, I'm Damon Stevenson, a home design blogger and father of two. I love sharing my tips and tricks for creating a stylish and functional home on my blog. I hope you'll find inspiration here!

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