You don't have to be an electronics guru to clean a DVD player. All it takes are proper cleaning materials and a little patience. Once you get the hang of removing dirt and debris, you'll find that the player will be as nice to look at as the movies it plays.
How to Clean a DVD Player
Having a clean DVD player will allow you to watch movies without the interruption of skipping discs or a wavy and grainy picture. It will also keep your DVD player working its best and protect your family from allergens. Before you start cleaning your machine, turn it off and then unplug it. You don't want to damage your machine, and you certainly don't want to shock yourself.
Cleaning the Exterior
Like it or not, many people judge a book by its cover. If you are planning to have guests over it's a good idea to clean the exterior of your DVD player so that it looks shiny and new. Regardless of whether or not you're having trouble getting DVDs to play properly, you never want excessive dust or debris to cover the outside of your machine. These simple steps will help you keep your DVD player looking and playing great:
- Gather a soft, lint-free cloth and a bottle of rubbing alcohol.
- Pour about a half cup of the alcohol in a small bowl.
- Dip the cloth into the bowl, wring it out, and then gently wipe off the exterior of your DVD player.
- To clean nooks and crannies where the cloth cannot reach, dip a cotton swab in the alcohol and use it to wipe away debris.
When executing the last step, be sure the cotton doesn't come loose from the swab as you work around any cracks and other openings. The last thing you need is more debris inside your machine.
Cleaning the Interior
To get a truly clean DVD player, you will need to dissemble the player and clean it out by hand. However, if you're happy enough with one that will just play the discs without giving you hassle and don't want to risk voiding your warranty, just buy a lens cleaning disc and run it through by putting it in your DVD player and pushing the play button. However, if the cleaning disc just spins or doesn't load at all, you'll have to do some heavy cleaning if you don't want to invest in a new machine.
To thoroughly clean the inside of your DVD player, do the following:
- Turn your machine over and look at the seams. You will see both small screws and tape holding the case together.
- Take the screws out and put them in a bowl or resealable bag so that they don't get lost. Lift up the tape if you need to, but don't worry about removing it.
- Use your cotton swab dipped in alcohol to wipe the dust off of any surfaces now exposed, except for the circuit boards. They are bright green and easily recognizable. Make sure to clean the laser lens.
- Flush out any areas that are still hard to get to using a can of compressed air. Hold the can at least five inches away from the area you're spraying and always keep it upright.
- Check to see that all of the alcohol is dry. Then reassemble your DVD player.
Don't take it upon yourself to remove any more than the case screws unless you're sure that you know how everything goes back together. A basic disassembly should give you access to enough parts of the player to get it working properly again.
If Your Clean DVD Player Still Doesn't Work
If your DVD player doesn't work even after you've cleaned out all of the dust, it may have an unrelated mechanical problem. In this case, you have three options:
- Send the DVD player back to the manufacturer if it is still under warranty.
- Take it to an electronics repair shop.
- Recycle it at the local landfill and then invest in a new DVD player.
Before you do anything drastic, try several discs in your DVD player. You don't want to get rid of it and then discover months later that the problem was actually a defective DVD.
