Hi- I'm sure you've all seen those CD cleaning kits, with the cleaner that you spin by hand to clean the disc? Does anyone know where I could buy a bottle of just the spray? I saw one on eBat for $14.95 a while ago, but it's not there now. Thanks.
http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/350785 well, the best is rubbing alcohol................... let you guys in on a secret, i discovered. the CD/DVD cleaners you buy at wal-mart ect. all that is, is watered down rubbing alcohol.......... could'nt believe i was paying $4.00-$5.00 for a small bottle of it,........................ good day..................
The bottle that came with my cleaner said Isopropyl alcohol. Found a big bottle of it on eBay for $50 (BIG bottle). Am going to buy a little and try it.
careful with the ebay thing that you are doing. You don't know if the liguid inside is the actual liquid that you will be paying for.
well that's what i ment to say............. isopropyl rubbing alcohol............. in any order you would like to put it it's just plain rubbing alcohol you buy anywhere, dollar general store $.50 per 12oz. "found a big bottle of it on ebay for $50" @kzm007 you can't be for real.............. good day...........................
@kzm007, freedom2 beat me to it, Isopropyl alcohol IS rubbing alcohol. You can buy it at your local pharmacy, Walmart, etc. Usually comes in two different strengths. The 99% evaporates faster and is recommended for cleaning lasers on optical drives.
Here's the link http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8283987286&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1 It's actually $34.50 and $14.00 shipping for my zipcode= $48.50... It's a gallon bottle, 128 oz. So, if I bought 12oz. bottles for .50 apiece...about $11 after taxes. I am VERY real... I willbuy it from the pharmacy, though. I thought someone on here said that rubbing alcohol was bad for CDs? Maybe I should just dilute it? Kegan
first off I would never buy a chemical online! It's against the law to send out chemicals without a license for proper handling and so forth! I wouldn't trust that person at all! Not that this person might be a great ebay'er but I just don't want any headaches about chemicals being shipped by a person and not from a company that is a professional at shipping chemicals! If the product works .... fine.... but it also seems too expensive to me! and how often do you really clean those disks??? that's a lot of cleaner to clean a few DVDs! My collection is growing exponentially and I would never go through that much chemical for cleaning DVDs in my lifetime! the average person would not need a gallon of cleaner! I know! I use chemicals in my business and have been a dry cleaner (and believe me I know chemicals!) and I also run a Restoration business and would never need that much chemical for just DVD cleaning! I use jewlery cleaner and it does a great job.... no oils...no residue that would collect lint or dirt and stays cleaner longer! I buy it for cheapo pricing at the mall and one small 32ounce bottle has been good for over 2 yrs now and I cleaned 100's of DVDs, CDs, Jewlery, even metal parts for some of my machines and still I have more left over and can do many more! just my 2 cents!
Another idea is to clean with eyeglass lens cleaner solution. This can be gotten cheaply from Sam's Club or Costco. I clean all DVDs with this stuff prior to ripping. If its good enough for camera lens or eyeglasses, it's good enough for DVDs.
STan..... that's almost like my jewlery cleaner and I used to use that too....... but the jewlery cleaner does a good job on my monitor, too!
IHoe, with all due respect, go easy on the '!!!!'s; they're almost as bad as CAPS. I'll try the jewelry cleaner sometime. I knew the eyeglass wash worked, because the CD cleaner worked on my glasses LOL. Kegan
mackdl, can you tell me how to clean the laser and/or an optical drive? Here's the situation. I have a surround sound system with the DVD player built into the tuner which also controls the tv, am/fm radio and vcr. My dvd's play fine in all my players and computers except this one and I'm wondering if it is dirty since it is the one that gets the most use. I have seen those DVD player cleaning kits at Walmart etc. and they are pricey and a rip-off, I suspect. So, how do a clean my DVD player? Thanks for any help anyone can provide. cheribery
Hi cheribery, I've only cleaned Playstation and cd player lasers. You have to be very careful as you may do more damage than good by knocking the laser out of alignment. Here's how to clean a Playstation: A dirty laser can cause disc read errors. If you live in a smoking household or the PS2 is kept in a dusty room, a buildup can form on the laser causing your disc read errors. If you are comfortable opening your Playstation 2, you can try cleaning the laser CAREFULLY with a qtip and some rubbing alcohol (99% preferred). Dampen the swab in the alcohol [make sure it's not too wet]shake off excess and GENTLY clean the laser in a circular motion. Use the dry side of the swab to then dry the laser off in the same motion. (I just let it evaporate and repeat) Try loading up your games again and see what happens. So if you can see the laser, or are comfortable taking your unit apart, do with extreme caution. UNPLUG the unit first. @kmz007, That link you gave to Ebay is NOT rubbing alcohol. It is a totally different compound and not even water soluable. I have been buying previously used games, cds, dvds for many, many years. Plain old fashion clear dish soap, warm water, and a non lint rag has always worked for me. Just remember not to clean/dry in circular motion, hub to outer edge is the way to go. GENTLY
thanks mackdl. This sounds like something I better NOT try. I"m not noted for doing things gently, :/. I'm your proverbial bull in a china shop. I appreciate the info, though and may have a friend try it for me. He's got a way with machines. You know, the type of person that seems to be able to talk to them and get answers. Do you or does anyone else have any info on those cleaning kits for DVD players? Are they effective and worth the money you pay for them? Appreciate the input! cheribery
Thanks. What kind is it then? I never said it WAS rubbing alcohol, I said it was the same kind (I thought) that my CD cleaner used. What type of dish soap would you recommend? Thanks again, Kegan
@cheribery Everyone wants to sell you THEIR product. Years ago, I had to take my SD 2200 Toshiba in for servicing (firmware update). I asked the fellow at the repair depot how to clean the laser. He told me that unless you have smokers or wood stoves in your home, routinely cleaning the lasers isn't necessary. Unlike portable cd players, PS1, (and now portable dvd players) the laser in a home dvd player is enclosed. The q-tip/99% rubbing alcohol is how THEY clean lasers. For the most part the laser cleaning discs, ones with the tiny brushes, only remove dust, can actually scratch and move the laser out of alignment. He did not recommend them. When you think about it, to me, the tiny brushes would only serve to distribute the grime around, as you don't clean the brushes when its finished? @keegan Just use what ever you have in your kitchen. I'm are talking about "hand" dishsoap, not dishwasher detergent. I buy whatever is on sale, mostly the no-name/store brand knockoffs of Palmolive, Joy, etc. Some no-names are watered down, and not really a bargain, so trick of the trade......turn the bottle upside down, thicker solutions will blob at the top, stick to the sides, and flow slowly. I pour some dishsoap on the sink top, dip my fingertip in and smear lightly over entire disc, top and bottom. Rinse under running warm water and dry with lint-free cloth. Wipe from center of hub to outer rim. I have never ruined a disc yet, and I'm talking 100's of previously viewed/owned.
My cousin told me that you could also use toothpaste to clean CDs. I saw him do it with Halo. He said tooth paste clears the dust from the small "ditches" that are on the CD. Squeez out about as much as you put on your toothbrush onto your fingertip, then rub it around the CD for a few mins. Then, rinse the CD in the sink.
call me a chicken, but I don't think I'd try toothpaste on my DVD's. I am a jeweler and have used it on jewelry with great success, but DVD's? I dunno... CD's? maybe but not unless I personally saw someone else do it with success first. But, I will admit that I am your basic coward when it comes to electronics and their accessories. BTW, I am a smoker and my apt. does get pretty dusty as I live in a high-rise apt. building near a major 4-lane in the downtown area of my town, so I think my DVD player problems may be dirt related. I am not one to pop the cover on anything with a plug on it, so, any tips on the cheapest, safest, most effective way to clean the laser (or whatever else needs cleaning)that I can pass on to a braver friend that will do the deed for me would be appreciated. cheribery
