What common household item is perfect for fixing scratched CDs? You may think that I am crazy, but it is toothpaste! It's true! *Before you start, make sure that you ABSOLUTELY need to get this data off of the CD.* Just take any CD with scratches on it, rub some toothpaste on it until it is completely covered, moving from the inside to the outside (MAKE SURE YOU MOVE FROM THE INSIDE TO THE OUTSIDE!), let it stand for five-or-so minutes, then rinse the toothpaste off with warm water and let it dry completely. Do not towel dry the shiny side, but you can the labeled side.
Warnings
THIS IS JUST A TEMPORARY FIX.
THIS CAN RUIN YOUR CD DRIVE IF NOT ALL THE TOOTHPASTE IS OFF THE CD!
MAKE A COPY OF THE FIXED CD IMMEDIATELY!
Science Behind It:
Your computer's CD drive uses a laser to read the disk. It doesn't read the plastic, but it reads the thin metal layer behind the plastic instead. When the plastic layer gets scratched, the laser gets reflected in different directions, not being able to read the metal coating underneath. The grains in the toothpaste scratch a thin layer of the plastic off, making any scratches shallower. This reduces reflection due to scratches and makes the CD work again.
Review
Rub toothpaste onto the CD going from the inside to the outside (be generous!), let it stand five-or-so minutes, rinse the toothpaste off with warm water, let it dry, and copy the CD!
