How do you clean the laser in a CD player?

Go to Radio Shack & buy their CD lens cleaning disc. It has carbon fibre brushes on the underside that cleans the laser lens.
As an addition, RS has put a bunch of test tracks on that CD that you can use to setup your system.
Lens cleaner CD is $20 or so, if memory serves me correctly.
FWIW.

I agree with Bigwavedave. I have done this many times, and it always works, but be very carefull not to use to much force since the the laser would be dislocated and wouldn't read your cd's anymore. Compressed air is safer, but will only remove dust, and if you're a smoker the tar will pollute the laser.... so there's another reason to quit smoking ! :)

MCM Electronics sells a pen specifically made to clean the laser's lense:
SIMA lense cleaning pen

Compressed air like Paulwp said. I would stay away from cleaning discs.

I read an article in stereophile magazine april 2002 issue, pg.210. It says to use denatured alcohol and a Q-tip very gently on the laser and then a dry wipe with a Q-tip. I tried this with my fingers crossed on my cdp with good results and no apparent damage. Good luck.

I have used the Maxell lens cleaner (the one with one brush) on my Pioneer PD-65 with no problem and it appeared to work fine. I was skeptical as well, but the Pioneer was not reading the several discs "correctly." You will only "play" the cleaning disc in your player for 20 seconds. Regards, Rich

There are products in stores like Fry's with little brushes on the bottom of a cd. I am afraid to use them on my good cdps, but my transports come out in the drawers so the lasers are exposed, so I just spray them with canned air. The guys in the stores say those cdp laser cleaners are perfectly safe.