Caring For Your CD

The way that CDs are built and the options that they provide for playing is one that has used the latest of technology in order to work.  If you want your CDs to keep on working, you should also keep in mind the various ways that will allow them to play better and last longer.  Whether you are saving CDs that are being duplicated, or are building a personal collection, make sure you know how to care for your CD. 

The most important part to remember about CDs is that they have to be built with specific materials and components.  This includes outer layers that are built for protection, such as adhesives, as well as inner layers of metal that is compatible for laser reading and optical options.  CDs were designed to last for up to 100 years as their life span, with specific protection against heat and cold.  However, there are ways in which CDs can become ruined if not taken care of.  Because of this, there are important things to keep in mind to keep the disks this way. 

The first rule to remember is to keep your CD in a safe place.  When you scratch a CD, you are actually taking off the protective layer that is used for the trackings on the CD.  When you scratch your CD, you are taking off the protective layer and sometimes the metal underneath.  This causes the data that is stored in the tracking areas to be lost in the scratch. 

Along these lines, it is also important to keep your CDs cleaned.  There are several items that you can find that help to keep dirt off of the CDs without you scratching the CD.  If you think there are any problems with your CD or if it has been out of it's storage space, this can help you to keep the information in the right place and take preventative measures for the CD loosing information. 

Not only can this happen with CDs being outside of the case, but also from being touched.  It is recommended that CDs are held on the outer edges of the CD or in the middle hole.  This is because there is no information in these open spaces and it will protect it from dirt, grease or other components getting into the data area.  If you do touch the inner part of the CD, make sure that you clean it off in order to keep the grease out of the CD. 

If you have a CD collection that you have built yourself, you will also want to be careful of what you allow to be in or on the CD.  For example, you should never write on a CD with a permanent marker.  This may be important for labeling, or even finding a cheap way to put a design on your CD.  However, the chemicals that are in the markers can damage the media.  This is done because over time, the chemicals will take in oxygen.  This will take away the protective layer and will allow dirt and other things to build up inside of the CD. 

Whether you are working on your CD duplication sales or want to make sure that your CD collection stays at it's best, keep these simple things in mind.  Keeping your CDs protected from dirt and other things will help to keep the CDs lasting for a longer time and will allow you to enjoy all of the music.