Your technique works pretty well for me, unless there's a stratch. In this case I've often turned to a spot of metal polish and a fine duster. In most cases if the scratch is fine and running across the tracks, I still get perfect rips compared with the AccurateRip database.

If you're having this much trouble with your CDs, you might want to get some cheap jewel cases to store them in.  Or you may also be able to find the soft plastic inner sleeves that the Japanese LP-cover CDs come with.

Have you tried Audience Auric Illuminator CD treatment. Can bring great improvement to the sound of your CDs. 

I use moistened spectacle wipes on kakky CD's. Wipe from centre to edge.

John.

Audio Paradise are my best friends for these. I've lost count of the number of trips to the Post Office to return CDs which arrived damaged. No such problems with Japanese imports.

John, as I posted on another thread, if you are seeing frame level re rips on the last tracks on CD, it could be because of edge finger prints... But also does this occur more on longer CDs? It could be a sign that your CDROM reader is moving out of spec and the servo is tracking less well towards the edge. You might find a CD rips better with another CDROM. I just recently replaced my aging CDROM ripper and troublesome CDs now rip more easily. BTW  if error correction is utilised, there is no drop in audio quality with a CDP, unless the error is not recoverable in which case there could be a gap, pop, or tracking error.

Simon

I had though that these sleeves may be a hekp but could not source them, still can't find them googling audio paradise- any chance of a link Harry? (or my email address is in my profile)

I think it could be a mix of both Simon. Cleaning the CDs in question usually let them be ripped without error but one or 2 persistent offenders ripped in my second drive without error indicating CDROM drive errors.

My layman's understanding was the more work you gave the CD player to do by having difficulty reading the CD the poorer the sound quality. I would have thought this was verified by a CD I bought lately Televisoin's Adventure which sounded horrendous on cd player (but still played). Cleaning did nowt and when I tried to rip it dBpoweamp could not rip one track without needing to re-rip frames (one CDROM drive would not read the CD at all!).

SJB

If you just need to get grubby finger marks off, try lens cleaner spray or wipes from an opticians.  Just a gentle cleaner used for cleaning reading glasses, works fine for me!

....err, just like John said earlier 

(Note to self: read entire thread before posting!!)

The ulltimate CD/DVD cleaning /storage medium.

search for these on e-bay

and Google this :