Don't touch the reflective surface of your CDs. Oil and grime from finger or palm prints can cause bad problems with the drive's lasers and cause the CD disc to skip, stutter, or even worse. To avoid problems, hold a disc by gripping its outside edge or the center hole. Make sure you do not touch the play/record side. Handle CDs only when you have to, and make sure your hands are clean. If you have been eating pizza and have not yet washed your hands, don't touch the CD disc.
Keep CDs away form moisture and direct sunlight. If you have excessive humidity on the CD, it can lead to water condensation on the disc. This in turn can damage the CD disk drive's internal components. Also, if you place your CD in places such as the window sill or the dash board of you car, you increase the likelihood of disc warping. Keep your CDs and your computer in a cool, dry, place. If a CD gets extremely cold, you should warm it to room temperature before using it.
If you look at a floppy disk or a zip disk you will notice the storage media is encased in a protective sheath. The hard drive computer is contained in a computer case. However, the play/record surface of a CD is always exposed. That is why you should not lay them down with the play/record side against any surface other than the surface of your CD storage case. Protect CDs by placing them in a CD storage case and do not leave them lying around on your desk, your computer, or anywhere they may be damaged.
Do not leave your CD in any disc drive whether it is your computer's drive or the drive in your car. Heat is generated by the drive and can warp the disk over a period of time. I can't tell you how long is too long. Environmental temperature and humidity all play a part in warping, so the safest thing to do is not store them in the drive.
Any CD you use on a regular basis will eventually become dirty. Clean it with a lint free cloth such as an old cotton T-shirt. Moisten the cloth with rubbing alcohol, glass cleaner, or a mild cleaning solution made for the purpose of cleaning CDs,. You may opt to buy pre moistened cleaning cloths that have been made for CDs. Clean the CD play/record side by putting the cloth in the middle of the disc and wiping outward to the edge. Let it completely dry before trying to use it. Do not use paper towels, kleenex, or wipe the CD in a circular motion.
CD Horror Stories
Finding CDs laying on the desk face down.
Finding CDs laying on the computer monitor or even...yike's in the computer's CD tray itself, having been there for two months.
Seeing CDs handled with grimy hands, fingers on the surface.
