3 Simple Ways to
Share What You Make

With Instructables you can share what you make with the world — and tap into an ever-growing community of creative experts.

PhotosPhotos

Share one or more photos of a project, recipe, or whatever you've made, quickly and easily.

Get Started

Learn more & Get Tips

Step by StepStep-By-Step

Share your step-by-step photos with text instructions of what you made so others can do it too!

Get Started

Learn more & Get Tips

VideoVideo

Share your how-to video. You'll need your embed code from a video site such as YouTube.

Get Started

Learn more & Get Tips

Print PDF

Favorite

Remove Scratches from a CD/DVD with Vaseline (Petroleum Jelly)

Step 4Finished!

All clean! As you can see, there are no more visible scratches. If this didn't work for you, try peanut butter. Rumor has it that it works.

If there are any improvements that need to be made, please do not hesitate to comment.

« Previous Step

Download PDFView All Steps

Next Step »

20 comments

Jan 15, 2012. 5:36 PMpowerfool says:

Instead of a cloth do you think I could use some pure cotton (eg. a cotton bud) to apply the vaseline locally where the scratches are? I only have two or three tiny marks, not even deep. Do you think cotton is ok?

May 19, 2011. 2:58 PMfuzz200 says:

This method saved my disc!!!

Mar 19, 2011. 3:44 PMicaraon pinoy pride says:

ive done all of the steps but i still have alot of scratches but i still thought it was going to work but my wii didn't detect it ive done this like 6 times already please help!!!

May 5, 2011. 1:08 PMmhasanx says:

Brasso metal polish will work, thats what professionals use, and it worked for me., its in a liquid form in a can.

Jul 20, 2010. 9:59 PMetaf7 says:

would this work for informational disks such as video games?

Apr 10, 2010. 10:11 AMxc1024 says:

Does that make the laser lens dirty with that dead dinosaurs' jellified corpse? If it does, I wouldn't risk doing that. Maybe when I have a spare CD drive.

Apr 15, 2010. 12:05 PMac-dc says:

Wasted colorful comment. You wipe off exess and the laser lens never touches the disc so the most problematic thing that might happen is due to the disc now being stickier, if you have a lot of dust in your optical drive you may need to pull the disc out and wipe all the gunk off then reapply vaseline.

However it would be prudent to use mild compressed air to clean out an optical drive beforehand, sometimes it is not only the disc at fault but a combination of factors including dust buildup (or other environmental pollutants like grease near a kitchen or smoke from a tobacco smoker) on the lens.

Apr 19, 2010. 8:31 AMxc1024 says:

Yes, but then if I reapply the jelly, doesn't the disc get destroyed even more than it was before? I would assume that the jelly gradually reacts with the plastic on the disc and eats it away. Is that true or not?

May 6, 2010. 2:42 PMderranged-gadgeteer says:

no. Petroleum jelly is made up of very long, nonreactive hydrocarbons. The atmosphere would be more corrosive to your disk than the Vaseline.

Apr 27, 2010. 12:51 PMcodongolev says:

I think it's more a matter of the petroleum jelly filling the cracks and allowing the laser to pass through again.

Apr 15, 2010. 9:15 AMdrronnyallard says:

I wouldn't imagine. I'm guessing that's why we're to let it sit overnight, then wipe it off... don't know, but I'm excited to try it today and I will let ya all know how it works for me!

Apr 17, 2010. 2:29 AMyaswanth.sagar says:

you does not have that much capability to over night sit and wipe today man

May 4, 2010. 1:58 AMwanwarlock says:

first time commenting on here

this actually worked on my sons' Thomas the tank engine DVD! that saved me some $ and also for not doing any illegal downloading! heheh

thanks a million for this very easy (and works!) instructable!

Apr 16, 2010. 3:40 PMradarguy says:

Has anyone ever tried that product that was advertised on TV for taking the scratches out of eye glasses? I have wanted to try it but don't want to scratch a DVD in order to test it.

Apr 17, 2010. 2:13 PMgpotvin (author) says:

I have heard it works from my friends that tried it.

Apr 17, 2010. 2:22 PMgpotvin (author) says:

but just in case i am wrong try it on a cd you dont really care about.

Apr 17, 2010. 10:47 AMyeah i know says:

Nice instructable! 5*

Apr 15, 2010. 10:43 AMarrow_strider says:

I didn´t understood what you mean by "warp Disc"... I thought that the mix of Alcohool and Vaseline was the secret behind the whole process...

What´s a warp disc? Sorry!

Apr 15, 2010. 1:08 PMkajin41 says:

a warped disk means i will become deformed like if you have ever left a book or a piece of wood out in the rain it bends out of shape. the alcohol does the same to the disc

Apr 15, 2010. 3:24 PMarrow_strider says:

Ouch.. NASTY!

So, just vaseline, and nothing else, right?

I thought that "warped" would be when some sectors became unreadable beyond repair, but in this attempt, the drive would skip the read and read other trails and sectors next to them, allowing one to catch other pirces of data...

Apr 17, 2010. 10:46 AMyeah i know says:

Ummmmm... Sure! We'll go with the shape being warped...

Apr 16, 2010. 12:56 PMSpooky Donkey says:

Smooth or crunchy?

Apr 17, 2010. 10:45 AMyeah i know says:

lol

Apr 16, 2010. 6:07 PMdoughnutguy1 says:

probabally smooth

Apr 7, 2010. 10:36 AMmodtrend says:

my reading glasses are scratched. would this work for the glasses also or has anyone got an alternative solution

Apr 15, 2010. 12:10 PMac-dc says:

No, this marginally works for reading a disc but the human eye can see the distortion and it would be headache inducing.

They make a proper plastic polishing compound for optical lenses, or even regular plastic polish would be be better. If the lenses are glass I recommend just replacing them.

Apr 7, 2010. 1:41 PMgpotvin (author) says:

(removed by author or community request)