DO'S AND DON'T'S How to care for CDs and DVDs

Some handling tips for CDs and DVDs, including the recordable versions, from the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Do
1. Handle discs by the outer edge or the center hole. Your fingerprints may be acidic enough to damage the disc.
2. Use a felt-tip permanent marker to mark the label side of a CD. The marker should be water-based or alcohol-based. In general, these will be labeled "nontoxic." Stronger solvents may eat through the thin protective layer to the data.
3. Keep discs clean. Wipe with cotton fabric in a straight line from the center of the disc toward the outer edge. If you wipe in a circle, any scratches may follow the tracks of the CD, rendering them unreadable. Use CD/DVD-cleaning detergent, isopropyl alcohol, or methanol to remove stubborn dirt.
4. Return discs to their plastic cases immediately after use.
5. Store discs upright (book style) in their cases.
6. Store discs in a cool, dry, dark place with clean air.
7. Open a recordable disc package only when you are ready to record.
8. Check the disc surface before recording.
Do not
1. Touch the surface of the disc.
2. Bend the disc. This may cause the layers to separate.
3. Use adhesive labels, since they can warp the disc or unbalance it.
4. Expose discs to extreme heat or high humidity. Don't leave them in sun-warmed cars, for instance.
5. Expose discs to extremely rapid temperature or humidity changes.
6. Expose recordable discs to prolonged sunlight or other sources of ultraviolet light.
For CDs especially do not
1. Scratch the label side of the disc. It's more sensitive than the transparent side.
2. Use a pen, pencil, or fine-tip marker to write on the disc.
3. Try to peel off or reposition a label. Again, you risk unbalancing the disc.
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