I have read all sorts of what sounds like crap when it comes to instructions on how to clean a DVD. One site even recommends toothpaste! And for every posting that tells you to use of-the-wall things to clean it, there are posts that tel you that using that will only make it play even worse.

I always thought that cleaning a DVD with water, for instance, would harm it. And I'm not even going to try toothpaste!

So what do you do? I'm talking about a specific DVD that gives me lots of trouble.

There was a thread awhile back that suggested dipping the DVD into boiling water. I'm not that adventurous so alternatively I lightly douse a face cloth in (very) hot water and wash the DVD gently. I then dry it off vigorously and that usually fixes the problems of skipping and freezing.

Nobody knows why but heat seems to be the solution...

I tried boiling water, it didn't damage the DVD and it still played.

If there are any Blockbuster videos near you, try giving them a call. A local one near me will use their 'scratch removal' machine on your discs for a buck a piece. Their machine actually will take a very thin layer off the plastic on the bottom side of the DVD, not just put crap over the scuffs. The only scratches you should be left with, period, are deep ones. Normal scrapes and scuffs will be gone though.

cool. I had no idea they did that. I tend to have problems with TV show boxed sets.

Look on youtube videas on how to clean dvd, but be careful of some crazy ideas

I don't damage my discs. No need to clean them.

I've had brand new discs that wouldn't play until I cleaned them.

I use dish soap, rinsed off via the sheeting action of a thin stream of tepid water.

I don't damage my DVDs either, but sometimes my kids do! No matter how much early education and demonstration I give them about taking care of things, and not touching my stuff, things still happen. That's the way it goes.

Thankfully, I don't have kids...... yet (I'm still too young for having kids)

I have always had good luck with warm water and soap. When wiping the disc, I always go outward from center. Someone told me to do this long ago, and it has worked for me so that's what I do.

Windex and a kleenex - always has worked fine for me.

It sounds odd but I use NuFinish car wax. I tried it on a kids DVD I took out from the library which looked like someone attacked with 20 grit sandpaper.

Just rub the wax on, let it dry after a minute or so and then buff it off with a cotton cloth from the center to the edge.

The wax fills in the more minor scratches and fixes the playback issues. Gives it a nice shine too!