How to Repair/buff a Disc for Cheap

Intro: How to Repair/buff a Disc for Cheap

I went to GameStop the other day and paid $7.99 for 2 fluid ounces of their "disc skip liquid". After about the 4th day of using it (And this stuff really works great, by the way) I found the smell to be really familiar, but I just couldn't place it. Yesterday, about 2 weeks after I bought the stuff, I placed the smell: Lotion. If you think about it, it doesn't sound as crazy as it seems. Lotion is a mild abrassive (Gets off those  dead skin cells. But enough gross-ness), it's slightly greasy so it polishes well. It was one of those things were I smacked my forehead and went "Doh!" after. But enough talk. Let's repair those discs, shall we?

STEP 1: The Materials

Get these materials (Usually you'll have them lying around your house):
-Lotion (Of course)
-microfiber cloth (Their very soft. Screen cleaing cloths, and eyeglass cloths are both microfiber. Wanna go cheaper? Take a baby wipe and let it dry for a couple of hours. Boom! Soft polishing cloth)
-You're injured disc. It can be a CD, DVD, video game (including teeny-tiny GameCube ones).
-Something to put under that disc to catch excess lotion, such as toilet paper, a wash cloth, towels, etc.

STEP 2: Start the Buffing Process!

First put a little squirt of lotion onto your microfiber cloth, then start buffing from the inside of the disc out, using a little bit of pressure (Not too much; you'll crack the disc!). This is what gets off the heavy, deeper scratches. Do that until the lotion on your cloth runs out.
Next, put another squirt of lotion on, and go around in tiny circles on the surface of the disc, using light pressure. This is what gets off some of the lighter scratches, and polishes the disc. Let the lotion dry on the disc when you've finished (Usually after you run out of lotion on your cloth). After it's dry, go around in small circles again with a dry microfiber cloth until all the dried lotion is removed

If there is still some greasy residue left behind, you can run it under some water in the sink, or even give it the old spit 'n shine.... Or not.

EDIT: Read this before you begin buffing!!! To avoid greasy build-up on your discs all together, you can dilute the lotion with 1 part water to every 3 parts lotion. This makes the lotion so that it doesn't leave your CD's slightly cloudy after. Sure, the cloudyness shouldn't afftect the way your disc plays, but it makes the disc look less.......Fixed? Working?

STEP 3: Finished!

Your disc should look almost like new again. If it doesn't, re-do the process a couple of times.

Comments

[mikes176]

what product did you use

[Mixedd1]

I'v been doing it for 30 minutes so far
My game had marks on it so I tried this. But it kinda made my problem worse and I'm still stuck all the same loading screen that keeps crashing
If you can see this be advised

[DylanM61]

Does this work on xbox 1 disks

[HackG]

This worked great with toothpaste! I had a burn ring in an xbox 360 disc that would not play. I buffed it microfiber cloth, with toothpaste for 5 minutes, cleaned off with wet rag, and repeated the process 6-7 times. It plays perfect again now

[Jaredschulting]

Ok so i went in vaca and i had brough my xbox along and was playing it in the car. The car infront of us slamed on ther breaks snd so we had to and my xbox that was sitting an its side the way it's saposed to and then it fell on the ground onto the spot where the on button and tray is. So my disk, which happened to b my favorite game (gta 5) now has a ring around the outer edge and so what i was wondering is did the toothpaste work on the ring or just a normal scratch

[mtettey2]

Would thos process work for gamecube games

[seth.butler.313]

I did everything for an hour and it made my game not work

[Ant_Baez]

Hey... Lol you said soon and it's 2014 January

[mstar010]

It is weird, about after an hour of polishing (it may have taken me longer) I got a scratched disk that wouldn't even load be fully operational. After my success I played the game for a while (I bought it on eBay then got a refund because it didn't work), then I tried it on another game. I got it to work a little better although it still is messed up after scrubbing for maybe 45 minutes.

I am going to try to use PB then I will use lotion again if it doesn't work.

Although thanks for your instuctable!

[R.A.T.M]

i works i have a metal gear game best series ever i plaed it so much it wold not work but i fixed it

snake eater

[videogamemaster]

Nice. Glad to hear it worked for you!

[R.A.T.M]

thank you so much you have no idea

[videogamemaster]

Heh, no problem!

[R.A.T.M]

could i re make you instrictable

[videogamemaster]

Well, I would appreciate it if you didn't, but you can send me some pics of how well it worked and I'll post 'em and give you credit?

[R.A.T.M]

may i ask why and i will giv you credit and a link to yours dont worri bout that

[videogamemaster]

Well... Ok, fine. As long as you give credit, go ahead and make the Instructable. You have my permission.

[silencekilla]

Please post your own pictures so we know that this actually works. Thank-You.

[videogamemaster]

Yeah, I will soon.

[Ranie-K]

So these are your pictures?