wergo

I'm getting a fair number of discs that are starting to look pretty gunk-y. Specifically, most discs sold in those slim plastic cases (and, oddly, one Criterion in a regular case!) (presumably there's some kind of chemical reaction going on with the plastic?).

Is this happening with anyone else?

I'm amazingly anal about keeping everything in the library in stone-mint condition, so part of me just wants to leave things alone, as the discs all still seem to still play perfectly (even some News Radio and Shield discs that now look like they've been used as hockey pucks) and pray that they all eventually get reissued as Blu-Rays, and part of me is desperate to clean things up. Cleaning solutions that might work fine with CD might also damage the DVD surface, though. Would Novus B polish, for instance, do any long-term damage?

wergo

bump?

milo bloom

Is it actual crud on the surface of the discs, like skin oils from being handled? I just buff it off (from center to rim, like a wagon wheel spoke) with a very soft cloth.

If they're playing okay, not sure what you're asking...

rfduncan

Yeah. If they ain't broke, don't fix 'em. I realize you seem to have some "Monica Gellar" cleanliness complex going on there, but "worse" is all that can happen if you're mucking with DVDs that have no real reason to be "cleaned" except for how they physically look to you. They aren't damaged unless they no longer play correctly. You are probably witnessing chemical reactions that may lead to disc rot, but there is nothing you can do if that is what's going on. Just enjoy them while you can (and that will probably be for years).

wergo

Well, my hope is that if I can clean the gunk off them and then move the discs to new cases (I'm assuming it's some kind of chemical reaction with the plastic in those slim cases they often use for TV shows) I can stop the damage from getting worse.

It's nothing that I can just buff off, it seems as if whatever this is is actually eating into the plastic surface, and getting worse as time goes on.

If anybody else has come across this problem and how have they handled it. And if anyone with experience cleaning damaged discs would know what kind of polish would do the least amount of (further) damage.

Just because they're playing now doesn't mean that they won't become unplayable at some point when I least expect it. (except that, after enduring CD rot and laserdisc rot, I'm just pessimistic enough to always expect it)

speedy1961

Good old boiling - in - hot - water should work.

MoviePhanatic00

Take a soft cloth, I use clean cut up hanes T-shirts. Breath heavy on the back of the disc to create some foggy condenstation (don't spit on it) and run the cloth from the center hole to the edge of the disc, repeat as needed.

Yeah I'm anal about keeping my discs spotless.

Tim Tucker

I think if you check, the cases you are using are made by Scanavo. The plastic appears to produce an oily film that reacts with the discs.

Spottedfeather

If you have scratched discs that won't play, I've found that Brasso works...or any slightly gritty metal polish. Just take a soft cloth, I use an old t-shirt, and put a few dabs of the polish on the cloth. Then, just lightly rub the polish over the scratched areas and let sit. I let it sit for about ten minutes at least. Then, with slight pressure, rub the polish away as much as possible. This has always worked for me. The important thing is not to press to hard. The best way to do it is to lay the disc on a hard surface. I use a book.

dkedvd

toss in trash can and buy a new copy.

C_Fletch

I just bought a resurfacing machine for about $170 - it's paid for itself many times over. Saves me a lot of hassle on my Ebay sales too.

I too use the fog the DVD and wipe with a cotton shirt. Seems to wokr the best. Do not use paper towels. I also use Angel Soft toilet paper and it is soft enough. I use that to clean the discs once they have been resurfaced as the process leaves a good amount of residue.