Magic Eraser as a stylus cleaner?

I use the ME on my Clearaudio Talisman v2. It gets stuff no other technique has been able to. I am no longer frustrated by stubborn fuzz balls.

 

So do most of you just lower and raise the stylus onto the ME? To me it seems that might not be enough. I take the headshell (easier with a 1210) off and inspect the stylus with a 10x handlens then I gently run the stylus across the top of the ME in the direction of play a couple of times and then I inspect the stylus again. I sometimes use a fine paintbrush to remove dust on the cart itself and the upper part of the cantelever. If the ME doesn't get it then I have some Mofi stylus cleaner fluid that usually does the trick.

I find that if I only play vinyl I've run through the VPI I rarely if ever get much off the stylus anymore. I do use a couple of older stylii and carts to play 45s and records that are VG or less, I still clean these records but I do get more crud on the stylus with those.

 

Too paranoid to "gently run the stylus across the ME". And yeah, I guess I play pretty clean records to begin with. I do brush it after each play, too.

 

+1

I have this fear that it would tug too much on the stylus/cantilever assembly, and pull something loose over time. I just tap the cartridge body straight from the bottom up with the ME after returning the arm to it's cradle. Sort of the opposite of cueing it down on top of the ME.

 

I've been using the ME dragging method for about a year and not negative effects so far. I'm not using a crazy expensive stylus ($100 JICO SAS) and I change it out about every 3 years anyway just to be safe (I use the previous one to play beater copies of rare things). If I had one of these multi thousand dollar jobs then I'd probably be hesitant, I just don't think lowering and raising it gets enough of the grime off that I can't see with the naked eye.

 

I use the ME to clean my stylus (with the lowering rather than dragging method), and it works fine.

It also works well for cleaning dust and debris off my Hunt record brush. I use different MEs for each purpose, of course.

 

What does cleaning off your record brush with a ME buy you?
I'd be more worried about leaving ME fibers behind that could potentially damage record grooves.

 

I use the dipping method.

 

If you cut the magic eraser into a very thin wedge piece it can be used like brush and the possibility of harming the stylus is minimum to none. In any case one should always be careful.

 

It gets the accumulated dust etc off the brush. I haven't found a better method for cleaning it yet. Definitely haven't observed any fibers being left behind by the ME.

 

I have tried the ME with good results.

Just as an FYI, the SoundSmith recommends using "Blu Tack" to clean a stylus. Lower the stylus on a ball of Blu Tack just as you would the ME, or other sticky gel type stylus dips.

 

Every time I use it I leave a little smudge. Perhaps your records are perfectly clean.

 

As Mr Clean products don`t seem to be available easily in the UK will any Brand be okay if its made of Melamine ?