I've been dropping good cash on CDs for more years than I care to count. Through improper care I had become the proud owner of a pile of scratched CDs that no longer played correctly. That pissed me off to no end. To make it worse, I knew that every scratched CD, due primarily to improper cleaning, was my own fault. The music I listen to is an integral part of my life, it's also one hell of an investment. I've only recently learned how to protect that investment. Like anything else of value that you own, you wanna extend its life for as long as possible. And like those other valuable things in your life, it starts with basic maintenance. If you want to get the most out of your music, start by keeping your CDs clean. It's easy, and you've probably already got everything you need to do it and do it right. And there are a number of ways to clean a CD incorrectly. If you want to avoid ending up with a bunch of music that you've rendered unplayable through improper cleaning, check out my article on How to Clean a CD.