How to Properly Clean Your Physical Media | 4K UHD, Blu-Ray, CD, & DVD Discs

[@b-icemedia]

Scratched/unreadable disc? Try this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qamZn5KVZad3pck ⬅

[@willisoften]

I use the impregnated wipes used for my spectacles. Sealed,clean lint free, fast drying, effective, inexpensive. The best cleaning advice is don’t bother unless you have to.

[@davidpanetta6400]

Like the man said: Always hold a cd / dvd by the edge with your fingers. Do not go in a circular motion. Begin by using rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and wipe from the middle like he said. When you're finished either put it in a case or in a disc sleeve. My dvds are still in good shape for 12 years at the most.

[@b-icemedia]

Thanks for watching! It's worked like a charm for me for 10+ years now.

[@stewm1267]

This worked like a charm! I got some new 4k UHD discs and they wouldn't play a few chapters. I cleaned it like you said and they work great now. There must have been a thin layer of grease or dirt on them from the manufacturing process.

[@b-icemedia]

I'm glad it worked well for you! Thanks for watching.

[@yourpalfranc]

Yes, I collect a lot of physical media, and use a very similar method to clean my discs. I was just curious to know what the source/authority is for your method. Is it manufacturer recommended or just something you came up with that makes the disc look better? Thanks.

[@b-icemedia]

I think my method came from previous KZbin videos regarding caring for video games and tech-related employment. I've used this method for 10+ years, and it's always worked great for me!

[@rogerwebb7501]

No need to use anything other than pure water! But the trick is how it's applied. I have a saucepan of water just under the boil, hold the CD over it (CD needs to be cold) and a fine misting of water will form, wipe from the centre radially with a micro fibre cloth. The is good for most contaminants, including fingerprints and mold (I live in a slightly damp cottage and little spores form mold on the discs) no matter this method brings them back to pristine condition.

[@b-icemedia]

That’s definitely new to me! Heat and moisture can damage your discs, so I would be careful, although moisture seems unavoidable in your case. I hope you’re able to find dry storage for them at some point! It will eventually cause permanent damage like disc rot and/or layer separation.

[@rogerwebb7501]

@b-icemedia Thanks for that! In fact I ran a classical CD store for many years (right from the early days of the medium) and some of my own discs date from then. My regime of cleaning has paid dividends over the years....I wish my customers had taken as much care of theirs! It was common for someone to come back into the shop claiming a disc had started to mistrack, and on inspection half of last night's dinner was stuck to it! The CDs in my method don't really get 'wet' as such, a mere bloom of vapour, as if one had breathed on it. The gentle attention of the micro fibre is enough to ensure they are put away dry...staying that way is a problem in the notoriously damp borderland of Wales/England!! My method with vinyl would, perhaps surprise you again!

[@BigMC329]

Thanks! Came because I just cleaned my first 4k disc with the method I’ve always used but wanted to find out other ways. The method I use is 91% Isopropyl Alcohol & Paper towels. Learned your cotton balls and the inside-out method. Will be trying that.

[@b-icemedia]

Glad I could help! Thanks for watching.

[@terrapinflyer273]

I've heard that higher concentrated iso alcohol can actually dry out (and essentially cause permanent damage) to certain types of plastic. Specifically to laser lenses in many DVD/Bluray drives. There are some other surfaces highly concentrated iso alcohol can damage too. I'm too scared to even use 70% on bluray or DVD discs lol. Though MOST bluray discs seem to be much more durable than DVDs, and especially CD-R and DVD-R discs.

[@FlaschDJ]

Good quality audio and video. You have a great teaching voice. I’ll try it. Thanks

[@b-icemedia]

Thank you very much! I greatly appreciate that.

[@davidhill7055]

Personally I would use your technique but would wear microfiber gloves as well. Not expensive, I have had mine for years and have washed them a couple times. They come in handy for all kinds of household projects where you don’t want to leave finger print oil on a critical surface.

[@b-icemedia]

That's also a great idea! I typically wash my hands before handling a disc, so I'm never too worried about it, but it would also be nice for handling electronics in general as you mentioned.

[@dd_zzero6827]

Hey, awesome video. I can't believe it is so hard to find a good video about this stuff. A couple of questions. I have a whole bunch of older games (PS1, Xbox, PS2) that I got at a garage sale. I honestly didn't know that you had to wipe the disc like you showed. I have a microfiber cloth just like you do but when I went in to wipe some smudges off, it left some light scratches. Is it because of the way I wiped (which was anything but the way you showed) or the cloth? Is there better cloths out there? Thank you so much.

[@b-icemedia]

Thanks for watching! Yes, you should definitely clean those off before putting them in your system as it can damage your system if they're dirty over time. I'd make sure you lather up the discs with plenty of alcohol before wiping, and then using a lint free (as possible) + clean microfiber cloth.

[@dustindixon6628]

This is a good method thanks!

[@b-icemedia]

You’re welcome! Thanks for watching.

[@MikeSerota]

What would you recommend besides the skip doctor treatment and isopropyl alcohol?

[@b-icemedia]

This is the only method I would use for cleaning, but I may make a video regarding scratches as well.

[@MikeSerota]

@@b-icemedia ok thanks

[@daniscolder]

can i use alcohol wipes?

[@b-icemedia]

No, I wouldn't use an alcohol wipe as the wipes themselves aren't the softest. It may scratch the disc depending on how wet/dry it is.

[@spiderplayzz0920]

Best video on this earth listen to all his direction to a T

[@b-icemedia]

I greatly appreciate you watching and glad I could help!

[@eianblosch3341]

maybe a stupid question but can a little bit of dust affect your Blu-Ray's playback? Can someone please answer me? I'm overprotective of my Blu-Ray's. I have a pretty big collection

[@b-icemedia]

It definitely can! Smudges, dust, dirt, and all the above can cause it skip or freeze. I always clean my used discs before watching for the first time.

[@pufferfish_in_cupholder0906]

Can you use this on video game disks ?

[@b-icemedia]

You sure can!

[@ElizabethMMarshall]

So helpful to know... thanks 😎

[@ZhuleCRO.OldGames]

What about isopropyl alcohol 99% ?Is still okey to use it?

[@b-icemedia]

Yes, 99% is actually the best as it evaporates quicker, but any percentage will work fine.

[@Squishmallows24]

I use literally the softest eye glasses micro fiber I could find and even with that I see a ton of small micro scratches on the disc if I put it up to the light :/

[@b-icemedia]

Hmm, I'd make sure the cloth is clean and the disc has had plenty of alcohol lathered on the disc.