There will be times that your XBox, PS3, Wii, or other CD / DVD system runs into read errors. How well does this GE Laser Lens Cleaner work in remedying them?

First, the basics. When you're playing a CD or DVD, there's a circular object spinning around like a wheel. A laser beam is pointed at that object, reading the information that goes past. If there's dust or dirt or grease within the unit, the laser can't read well. It begins to give errors.

Especially for gamers who have their console down near the floor, the consoles often get jammed full of dust and grit. It can be nearly impossible for the laser to see through that. Add in fingerprints and the oil they hold, and it's a recipe for gunk.

So you would think this GE Laser Lens Cleaner would be perfect. Put it in, it sweeps up the gunk, and you can see again.

Unfortunately, it just doesn't work.

I'm not sure what it's doing in there. It isn't cleaning the laser area. It might be smearing things around a bit. We used this on several systems and it had no result.

Then we opened up our XBox 360 (it was past warranty anyway) and we carefully used a Qtip with alcohol to clean out the dust and grease. Voila! The XBox 360 worked perfectly again. So yes, it was dirty. Yes, it did need cleaning. But the laser lens cleaner was not up to the task. It did not help in any way. And I want to point out that we're an adult household, no smokers, so the house is relatively clean. This was just "normal household dust" that caused the problem after a few years. If a house has dogs or smokers or lots of kids, the unit could easily need cleaning every year or so.

I know it's tempting to want the easy solution. Pop in a disc, let it spin, and everything is back to shiny and new. However, in reality, it takes some work. Keep your console or unit up high. Dust regularly. When the normal dust accumulates in there, clean it out. That's how to keep your investment lasting a long time.

I purchased this lens cleaner with my own money in order to do this review.