Everyone who has ever used or owned a DVD will eventually have to deal with scratches on their disc. It is easy to scratch and damage a DVD and create unreadable media. Sometimes this problem will make people curious about commercial DVD/CD repair kits that promise a quick solution. However, before you spend your money on such products you should first try to repair a scratched DVD using stuff you can find at home.
Solutions to Repair a Scratched DVD
The first thing you can try to repair a scratched DVD is to clean its surface with warm water. Dust particles that accumulate within the scratch marks are often the culprit for unreadable media. After cleaning with warm water use a lint free cloth to gently wipe the moisture off your DVD. Try playing your DVD when it is already dried up.
Tip: If ever you are successful using whatever solution to repair a scratched DVD, you should immediately burn a copy of your disc. The goal here is to save the data on your DVD rather than just taking the scratches out.
The next solution in order to repair a scratched DVD is to use a banana peel. That may sound a bit crazy but there are people who have tried it and have been quite successful to the point that they were able to back up the contents of their DVD. Rub a banana peel over the side of your disc that has scratches on it. Next, wash all that off using some mild soap.
After that you should pat the disc dry using a soft towel or a cloth that is lint free. Next, test the disc if you can play it. This method of fixing a damaged or scratched DVD will work on discs with lighter scratches. At times, it may not work if the scratches on your disc are quite severe.
Another solution that you can try is to rub on some toothpaste onto your scratched DVD. Remember to rub it gently using your finger. The idea is to remove dust particles that are lodged on the scratches. Rinse off the toothpaste and pat the disc dry. Test if the DVD works after using this solution.
At this point, if you still can’t get your DVD to work then you might want to try commercial products to get things fixed. However, make sure to follow the instructions carefully when you use the said products.
As a last resort, if you still can’t recover from unreadable media you can try to polish your DVD. This should be your last bid to repair a scratched DVD. You can use a commercial polish like Glade or Brasso. Put some of that on a cloth and buff the DVD surface with it. The idea here is to get rid of the scratches on the plastic disc. Take note that overdoing it will cause more harm to your DVD so better be careful when trying this solution.
