There can be times when a disc looks like it's a gonner, but a few simple steps can restore it to very good or better condition.
When you know how to clean and restore discs, you can get rare discs for your collection for cheap, or dramatically boost the value of a disc you want to resell.
First I'll show you how to clean and restore CDs and DVDs. Then I'll show you how to restore vinyl, because it's a different process.
If that's useful to you, let's get into it…
The first thing thing that you should always try when you need to clean a disc is to simply put some dish soap on the disc and wash it off with water.
You can also spray isopropyl alcohol on the disk, instead of using soap and water, but soap will usually do a more thorough job.
Then gently dry it with a clean microfiber cloth.
Always dry the disc by moving the cloth from the center to the outer edge.
Doing this will prevent scratches that are parallel to the data grooves on the disc, making it less likely that any scratches will affect playback.
Scratching the disk with a microfiber cloth is not likely, but it can happen if there is debris stuck in the cloth.
Once you've dried the disc, you can see if you need to do more work.
Many times, this simple cleaning will do the trick.
However, if you have deeper scratches, then you'll have to move on to the restoration process.
Tools needed:
There are several ways to restore a CD or DVD.
I will get into both manual and automated methods in this section.
I'll only mention methods that I've used personally or researched extensively.
Luckily, there are solutions for every budget.
For starters, most of the cheaper “automated scratch removal” devices do not work. I'm talking about stuff that is less than $50 or so.
You'll either have to pay up for a professional device, or learn how to do the process by hand.
If you want the very best system for home or business, then the professionals choice is one of the machines from ELM.
These systems are not cheap, but they work very well and most are fully automated.
This is the most affordable model, but they have others that cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Stores use this machine to refinish their discs for resale.
The only downside is that you have to purchase a chip with approved cleaning supplies that has a useage limit.
You can only run the machines for 800 minutes before you have to buy a new chip.
I guess this ensures that you don't use the cleaning supplies past their intended lifespan. But it's basically a subscription service.
You don't really own the machine.
Keep that in mind if you want to go this route.
But on the upside, there currently isn't a better machine on the market if you want a fully automated solution.
If you want to see the high end ELM machine, this is it.
Where to get one:
The next option is the JFJ Easy Pro disc repair machine.
It's a fraction of the price of the ELM machines, but you kinda get what you pay for.
Users have reported that there is a learning curve to getting the machine working properly.
So it's best to practice on discs you don't care about until you get it dialed in.
Once you figure it out though, it performs well.
But there are no time limits like with the Eco Master, so you truly own the machine.
You just have to pay for consumables like the cleaning pads and the polishing fluids, which is the same for any method on this list.
Where to get one:
Now if you just have a couple of discs to refinish, then getting a machine probably won't make much sense.
Luckily, it's easy to do the same thing that a machine can do by hand.
You can either use a drill or do it 100% manually.
First I'll show you how to do it with a drill.
This is my preferred way to do it because it's cheap and I can control the amount of pressure on the disc.
Using a drill is also much faster than doing it manually.
Here's a great video that will show you how to do it.
Tools needed:
If you don't want to use a drill, then luckily you can do this with 100% elbow grease.
It will take a little longer, but it's cheap and works great.
An added bonus is that you also get more control over how much you sand.
Tools needed:
Unfortunately vinyl cannot be refinished, but it can be deep cleaned.
Cleaning your records is the best way to ensure that it sounds great.
A good cleaning will also prevent them from getting damaged in the future.
Any dirt or debris that collects on a record can cause scratches on the album as the needle passes over it.
Just like with digital discs, there are machines that will do it for you, or you can go the manual route.
The Vevor is a great automated cleaning solution.
Where to get one:
If you want to do it manually, the here's the best way to clean your vinyl by hand.
It can be a very meditative experience and something you look forward to.
Tools needed:
So that's how to keep your music, movies and games in top shape so you can enjoy them for years to come.
It's not hard to do and it doesn't have to be expensive.
As physical media gets more scarce and becomes more popular, knowing how to clean and restore your discs will become even more important.
Learn these skills now and you can buy good stuff that other people pass up because they don't know what you know.
While you're at it, maybe restore an iPod to listen to your music? Or maybe get one of these phones?
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