Do CD and DVD Drives Need To Be Cleaned?

[TomBrooklyn]

Do CD & DVD Drives Need To Be Cleaned?

I'm not having any trouble with mine. My oldest one is several years old and I've never cleaned any of them.

I haven't heard much about cleaning them. It just crossed my mind that it might be a good thing to do. I seached the web and see there are some products for it.

Are there any potential problems with cleaning them?

If it is good to clean them, what product(s) would you recommend?

[CWR03]

If it's a slot-load drive (which is almost unheard of now) you should not clean it. Blowing air in it might blast some of the grease from the mechanism onto the optics. Cleaning disks can also pick up grease and spread it onto the lens. Normal tray loaders can be cleaned with a cleaning disk, but as long as it's working properly it's not necessary. Regular cleaning won't prevent a problem, and there's always a possibility that the lens could get scratched from a piece of grit on the brush.

[TomBrooklyn]

Wilco. Tray Loaders. Will not clean.