Wayne Parham Messages: 18791 Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
I think some common sense is in order here. CDs and DVDs are pretty durable, and not as affected by scratches as vinyl records are. But that doesn't mean they're immune. If the surface is sufficiently scratched or contaminated, it will adversely affect laser pickup. We've all suffered through a CD that skips because somebody scratched it bad enough to damage it.
My suggesttion would be to gently handle your CDs and to keep them clean and free of smudges. Treat them like you would a photographic negative. Handle it by the edges, or by putting your finger through the center. Don't touch the surface of either side if possible. The bottom surface is more important to keep clean, because that's the side that is read. But the top is actually more fragile, since it contains a (required) reflective layer that is only about 7 microns thick.