Pen Marks on DVD

[lhbrown]

My 3 year old decided to color with a blue pen on 3 recently burned DVDs , does anyone now how to remove the ink without harming the disc or what type of quality I will loose on playback with the ink marks on the disk.

Thanks
Len
lbrown0661@charter.net

[johns0]

Use isoproponal alcohol right away,if you leave it on too long then it will stain and if its on the writeable side then it might get knackered.

[redwudz]

I use isopropyl alcohol (Called rubbing alcohol) and it will take it off, if it's not soaked in too bad. Takes off permanent Sharpie lettering fairly well. 90% strength is faster, but even the common 70% will work. Make sure it doesn't have other ingredients. It's never caused any damage so far. Stay away from petroleum products as they can damage the surface.

And hide all the permanent markers.

[BobK]

If it was a blue marker (vs an ink pen) then alcohol will work, but a better method is to get a dry erase marker. Go over the marks with the dry erase marker, wait a couple minutes and then wipe everything off. There'll probably be a few spots remaining, so go over them again with the dry erase marker, let it dry and wipe off.

[waheed]

If all else fails, you can always make another backup

[simonko]

DO NOT USE isopropyl alcohol

It will dry out the plastic and cause the plastic to look cloudy.
(If it is on the label side it wont matter, but on the write side it will)

Try some windex with a lint free cotton cloth, or plain soap and water (ie. SoftSoap brand)

[redwudz]

simonko said, "DO NOT USE isopropyl alcohol ".

OK, I took a recently burned DVD (PRODISC3) and soaked it in isopropyl alcohol 99% for half an hour. Result No damage, no clouding. It did completely remove the Sharpie marking from the other side.

I took another DVD and spayed it with Windex over the Sharpie marked side. Result, no damage to the Sharpie marking or the disc. I would be careful with Windex with ammonia, though I haven't tried it.

My conclusion is that isopropyl alcohol doesn't do any damage, at least to my brand of disc. Also Windex might work on oil based ball point ink, but doesn't do a thing to Sharpie permanent type markings.

[tnamrog]

I would try alcohol first, if there is some left you can try one of those Disc Doctors.

[garryheather]

The only time I've ever seen Isopropyl turn anything white is on my fingertips handling the stuff - it's an excellent degreaser.

Many cleaning solutions comprise Isopropyl so it can't be that bad - just try not to get it on the label side if you print on them.

[whitejremiah]

if its like a sharpie marker (had this happen...my son got ahold of a sharpie marker and scribbled on a few retail dvds) what you do....i know this will sound funny but it DOES work and has a LOT less of a chance of screwing up the disc...is put toothpaste YES TOOTHPASTE (it acts as a slight abrasive...but not enough to actually damage the disc, this works for other things too) on the disc and rub it over the parts where there's markings then clean it off with water (perferably purified water if at all available so all the crap thats in regular tap water..minerals and such doesnt get on the disc) then let it dry out for a while and it should work...lemme know how it goes if you go this route. I had no problems with it.

[pinetop]

I think the safest option might be perfume or cologne. That what I've used on permanent marker. I'm no expert. But it works. It doesn't hurt your skin or stain your clothes. Will dry out the disk ?
I don't know.

[garryheather]

Plus it makes your computer smell nice.

[quiller]

A little late on the discussion, but what are the results from older discs? I was just given a thermal transfer printer and would like to take my 350+ disc collection and transfer them from Sharpie to actual font/logos.

The current suggestions: rubbing alcohol, toothpaste, Windex and dry-erase marker. I'll be testing all four soon if nobody else has already beaten me to the task.

[redwudz]

I still swear by the isopropyl alcohol. But if you have any doubts, soak a disc that you can afford to lose overnight. Old Sharpie markings may be harder to remove completely. There are commercial disc cleaning solutions, but they may contain alcohol or similar. Read the label. Toothpaste or any abrasive will remove some of the plastic coating. Not good if you don't need to. Windex, as far as I can tell, is mostly ineffective. I use glossy top DVDs. Those with a printable surface may be harder to clean. The bottom line is 'Don't damage the disc just to clean it.'

[Bodysurf]

My 3 year old decided to color with a blue pen on 3 recently burned DVDs , does anyone now how to remove the ink without harming the disc or what type of quality I will loose on playback with the ink marks on the disk.

Blank DVD-Rs are < $0.50 each for the good stuff.

Blanks DVD+R DLs are <$3.00 each for the good stuff.

If you are so worried, just make a couple copies of these discs right now, rather than worrying about/spending 1/2 hour with a QTip and some isopropyl alcohol.

[Super Warrior]

My 3 year old decided to color with a blue pen on 3 recently burned DVDs , does anyone now how to remove the ink without harming the disc or what type of quality I will loose on playback with the ink marks on the disk.

Thanks
Len
lbrown0661@charter.net

I say just make 3 backups of them if you can. By trying to "save" the discs you might run the risk of screwing them up further,preventing you from backing them up onto fresh discs later on.

[MOVIEGEEK]

I agree with redwudz,isopropyl alcohol or vinegar is safe for all plastics.In fact you should never use ammonia on any plastics because it can damage it.

[quiller]

I began testing options, starting with isopropyl alchol. Three seperate trials on a 1-hour, one-month and six-month old disc. A quick swipe and all three were gone completely, no difference between how long the writing had been sitting on the disc. (With the results being so positive, I didn't bother trying any of the remaining methods.)

[simonko]

This is the effects of 70% Isopropyl Alcohol on a DVD. On my back-up I wrote Half Life 2 with Sharpie then cleaned it with 70% Isopropyl Alcohol. I usually clean using windex multi-surface safe for plastics, when its fresh, but just to show you. Cloudy looking around where I use Q-tip and 70% isopropyl alcohol. On another note when I use to use Maxells, not only did it make it cloudy it actually removed yellow dye from where you cleaned.

[quiller]

To correct myself: I used denatured alcohol (90%) the first time, not isopropyl. I figured this out when I went back with a different bottle, this time isopropyl 70%, and found it making no impact. The denatured alcohol, however, worked as effectively as before: a few quick swipes, a bit of pressure if the marker has been on for a few months, and it's gone.

[HatchetMan]

When isopropyl doesn't work, I use finger nail polish remover (with cotton ball). I don't write on discs and then want to clean them very often, but I always write on the jewel cases to keep track of them before sending them to the epson inkjet printer. Usually, isopropyl takes too long and finger nail polish remover is instantaneous. And I always rinse off with water under sink and wipe with soft cloth. No clouding, key is to rinse clean.

[PhoneMatt]

I wouldn't use nail polish remover. It is mostly acetone. While acetone will remove nearly anything, it will make plastic very brittle. If you have to use it, make another backup of the disk you cleaned.

[fritzi93]

Hmm, interesting. Just checked, acetone is used in the manufacture of polycarbonate. (And a lot of other things, it's a common industrial solvent). I can't imagine it would be a good idea to use acetone on a (polycarbonate!) DVD.

Most aliphatic solvents are okay to use, as long as it's not a matter of prolonged soaking in the stuff. For example: Mineral spirits (paint thinner) and WD-40.

Isn't denatured alcohol the main ingredient of perfume/cologne/after-shave?

[ZAPPER]

Just for kicks take something that has been written on with a Sharpie and go over it with a Sharpie again, then real quick like, wipe it off with a soft cloth before it dries again.


Some of my favorite solvents:

Denatured alcohol. Dries fast, doesn't smell too bad, cuts most goos and marks and such and is great on glass. Watch out though some brands have something else added that leaves a haze.

Laquer thinner. Same as above except that it smells pretty strong and would most likely eat a DVD. But great on more durable stuff.

Acetone. Whew! I can't stand the smell and I would bet that it woud eat a DVD quicker than laquer thinner.

[kisrum]

Whatever damage any of these do, it will be quick rather than delayed. I'd be willing to try it with isopropyl (rubbing alcohol) or denatured alcohol (usually ethyl with some bad flavoring thrown in, as if everclear doesn't taste bad enough) or even methyl (wood) alcohol. Keep methyl alcohol way the hell away from kids. Permanent optic nerve damage if ingested. Why not distilled water to take off that which is likely to come off inside your player and then forget about it?

I'd be careful of nail polish remover (acetone). It's a very broad range solvent. We used to melt cigarette filters with it to make something very suspicious looking. Or just test it on your "Herbie" backup.

Why do you need to remove the ink exactly? Why not just back them up just in case and then proceed to enjoy your marked up DVDs.

[garryheather]

Stating the obvious... because the ink is on the DATA side making it unplayable ?

The picture above of the Half Life disc shows ink on the label side, and a lot of discs have a "powdered" coating on them which will probably lift if subjected to a solvent. However the data side shouldn't cloud over or suffer any ill efects from a little isopropyl that a soft duster or microfibre cloth can't put right.

[cal_tony]

From cleaning disks to removing ink, I have used Silicone spray with very good results.

[Doramius]

Denatured alcohol works best. If the mark is very recent, then Isopropyl acohol may work and is best on the read side, but clean off quickly as it may cloud. Windex is meant for glass and sometimes causes spotting, but not all the time. I think it depends mostly on the material the DVD is made of. Dry erase markers are an inventive way to remove sharpie markers, but thought the ink is gone, some DVD materials show a light yellowish tint where the sharpie marker used to be and I haven't figured out how to remove it. Denatured alcohol doesn't cloud as easily and helps remove markings on the side you would actually write or put a label on. It also seems to work best on all DVD materials. But again, After you gently clean with a q-tip, wipe of with a dry lint free cloth quickly afterwards to to remove alcohol reside which may cause light clouding.

Nail Polish Remover does contain acetone, the same ingredient in super glue and modeling glue. it can melt certain plastic materials. Not recommended as it may warp or ruin the disc surface. The best and easiest way to see what happens is to get styrofoam cups, lay them upside down, then place a drop of modeling glue, nail polish remover & super glue on the bottom of each one and see what happens. They are meant to soften plastics. WHen they harden, they become extremely brittle and are even more suceptible to scratching and breakage during play.

[HatchetMan]

I am holding a 1.0 Oz. bottle of Maxell CD/DVD "Cleaner, Polish & Sealer". Ingredient: Isopropyl Alcohol.