How to Use Toothpaste to Clean Optical Disc

optical disc cover

How many times have you inserted a disc into your console or player, only to find that it spins but doesn’t play? 

Before you give up on the game and start scouring eBay for an expensive replacement, try cleaning the disc. 

While there are plenty of “miracle cleaners” out there, most people don’t know that toothpaste can be used as an effective alternative.

This article will tell you exactly how to do it.

Let’s get started.

What You’ll Need:

  • Toothpaste.
  • Microfiber cloths (or any soft, lint-free cloth)
  • Cotton balls or cotton swabs
  • Water
  • A bowl or other small container
  • The CD or DVD you’re cleaning

Steps:

  1. Apply a small amount of toothpaste to the disc, focusing on any visible smudges or stains.
  2. Use a soft cloth or cotton swab to gently rub the paste into the surface of the disc in circular motions.
  3. Rinse the disc with water and allow it to air dry, being careful not to touch its surface before it is completely dry, as this could result in smudging.
  4. Once the disc is completely dry, test it out to see if it functions properly. In most cases, your disc should be restored and ready for use!

Why Use Toothpaste?

Anyone can clean an optical disc with a little bit of toothpaste. Toothpaste is great for cleaning scratches from your disc because it is a natural abrasive cleaner.

You can buy a bottle or tube of toothpaste at any grocery or drug store for just a few dollars, and use it to clean many different types of optical discs such as CDs, DVDs, and game discs.

Won’t Toothpaste Scratch the Disc?

The fine abrasives in toothpaste are ideal for polishing the surface of the disc. That’s both good and bad because you can use it to polish out scratches but you can also scratch your discs if you rub too hard or use the wrong kind of toothpaste.

The key is to be gentle, use a soft cloth or cotton ball, and apply only a small amount of pressure. Use non-gel toothpaste, and make sure it doesn’t have any added colorings or other additives that might damage the disc’s surface.

Conclusion:

You can clean a dirty disc using toothpaste with great success. The scrubbing action of the toothpaste will help remove any build-up and return the disc to near new condition. 

Using toothpaste on your CDs or DVDs is a simple and effective way to restore them, without causing any damage to the media itself.

As always, if you are still having issues with your discs, it would be best to replace them or look for other solutions. However, if your discs seem like they just need a good cleaning, you can use toothpaste as an easy fix!

If you’re looking for more ways to use toothpaste, see my article on how to clean your snorkel mask with toothpaste.

Thanks for reading.

-Baking Soda Guy

Image by Republica from Pixabay