Top 10 Common Mistakes When Handling CDs

Handling CDs, Blu-rays, and other media discs with care is crucial for preserving their functionality and ensuring their longevity. Mistakes made during handling can lead to scratches, data loss, and decreased performance. Here are some dos and...

Top 10 Mistakes When Handling CDs

Handling CDs, Blu-rays, and other media discs with care is crucial for preserving their functionality and ensuring their longevity. Mistakes made during handling can lead to scratches, data loss, and decreased performance.

Here are some dos and don’ts to help beginners and seasoned users alike maintain their media in top condition:

 

Top 10 Mistakes When Handling CDs

1. Touch the working surface of the CD with your fingers

Stained discs, CDs with “fingers” are a problem for any optical disc player (the laser beam ideally reads data only from a clean surface). In addition, stains and greasy stains on the working surface of the disc adversely affect the durability of the polycarbonate layer that covers the disc. There is only one rule here – you can only remove the disc from the box and put it back in by holding the edges and center of the media.

Solution – we take the disk only by holding it by the edges and center, without touching the work surface

Top 10 Mistakes When Handling CDs

2. Leave discs on the table or sofa without a box

This approach is guaranteed to lead to scratching the working surface of the disk and causing it to become dusty. It is necessary to remove the media from the case only while it is being played.

Solution: We always put the discs in the case after playing.

Top 10 Mistakes When Handling CDs

3. Place the disc in the player tray, touching the edges

If you touch the edges of the tray when inserting a CD into the player tray, scratches may appear on the disc. Likewise, when using a slot loader, the CD must be inserted exactly perpendicular to the slot in the slot.

Solution: put the disc into the receiver carefully

Top 10 Mistakes When Handling CDs

4. Store CDs in bright sun

Heating the disk or placing it under the scorching sun will definitely lead to degradation. You should never leave a CD for a long time in very hot rooms, such as a sauna.

The solution is to place the collection in a closed closet in an ordinary room.

 

Top 10 Mistakes When Handling CDs

5. Stack discs

If stored for a long time in this storage format, the geometry of the disks may be disrupted. Therefore, it is recommended to orient compacts strictly vertically when storing them, placing them in boxes on shelves in a closet.

Solution – orient the boxes vertically

 

Top 10 Mistakes When Handling CDs

6. Wipe discs with fluffy cloths

A common situation is that you noticed stains on the working surface of a CD and wiped the media with a cloth that was at hand. And then it became clear that the disk was now scratched. In order to avoid this, you must use only special wipes for wiping.

Solution: if necessary, use special soft wipes for cleaning

 

Top 10 Mistakes When Handling CDs

7. Close the player tray not with a key, but with your fingers

This method may seem visually impressive, but it adversely affects the mechanics of the CD player and can lead to cosmetic damage to the disc. It is best to use the keys on the front panel of the machine or on the remote control.

Solution – we comply with the requirements of the instructions for the equipment

 

Top 10 Mistakes When Handling CDs

8. Install the compact on the box spindle with great force

A very important point! Sometimes it happens that the inner insert in the disc case turns out to be very hard. If you constantly put a compact on it and remove it with great effort, the central hole on the CD will become loose – this approach will not lead to anything good. It is best to buy spare disc boxes and simply replace too hard inserts with standard ones.

Solution – change the liner in the box if the standard mount is very rigid

 

Top 10 Mistakes When Handling CDs

9. Transport discs in boxes with broken holders

If the CD dangles in the box during transportation, its working surface may be scratched and damaged. To avoid this moment, before transporting it is better to make sure that the media is securely fastened in the case.

Solution – before transportation, we check the reliability of the disk fastening

 

Top 10 Mistakes When Handling CDs

10. Label the CD

If it is absolutely necessary to mark the collection (which is also not recommended – this will reduce the collectible value of the CD), it is better to do this on a case or insert. It is better not to put inscriptions on the disc itself.

Solution – do not contaminate the outer surface of the disk