Stylus cleaning thread*

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by wpjs, May 6, 2022.

  1. Andy Saunders

    Andy Saunders Always a pleasure never a chore

    Location:
    England
  2. Chemically altered

    Chemically altered Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ukraine in Spirit
  3. Tubby

    Tubby Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Sioux Falls SD
    Couple light passes with the dry brush that came with the cartridge before each side of a record. Hudson UV a couple times a month.

    I usually wash a handful of records before playing them so I know they're as clean as I can get them.
     
  4. I just had a friend pass by who has a very powerful magnifying glass; he checked my stylus thanks to this thread and said it was "spotless" "perfect". I cant even remember when i last cleaned it! Well over a year ago i am sure! Strange but true. I play about two albums a day.
     
    theMot likes this.
  5. Randoms

    Randoms Aerie Faerie Nonsense

    Location:
    UK
    Gently with Linn "green paper" after every LP side, Audio Technica AT-637 before every listening session, used dry.

    [​IMG]

    I never let fluid anywhere near the stylus and from inspecting dozens of cartridges under high powered microscopes, soft brushes are thoroughly useless at removing anything but lose fluff.

    If anyone doesn't know what the Linn green paper is, here is a Linn video, which also goes into using liquid cleaners. It starts with a section about stylus care:


     
    stevef likes this.
  6. Vibrolux_Reverb

    Vibrolux_Reverb Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Orleans, LA
    I clean it pretty regularly. Almost every day. It takes 20 seconds and insures better tracking and a longer life for my stylus. Why not do it often.
     
    TimB and Randoms like this.
  7. Big Blue

    Big Blue Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    I dry brush when I first turn things on to start listening, and then as I feel it is necessary between sides (not necessarily every side).

    The stylus I have been using for a little over 160 hours just got its first wet clean last week, and that was because the dry brush wasn’t getting something off.
     
    Leonthepro likes this.
  8. If anyone wants to come close to those seemingly outrageous stylus life claims, they should brush after every play. I also do a few dabs of ME every month or so. I wasn't always this dedicated but I started to remove the stylus a lot when my 2M Black was new, and put it under a microscope. Even a clean record dirts up the stylus after a side of play.
     
    Randoms and Leroyd like this.
  9. gakerty

    gakerty Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    I'm not too anal about this. Every side or two, I'll gently brush with a standard stylus brush. Every few records or so, I'll lower the stylus into my DS-50 pad. After that, about once a week I'll use the Lyra stylus cleaner. The Lyra cleaner is apparently enzymatic and not alcohol based, which should be OK on the stylus glue. While I don't have a microscope to view the state of my stylus, the silence, good tracking ability and depth of detail retrieval suggest what I'm doing works. : )
     
    GyroSE and Leroyd like this.
  10. Mark Shred

    Mark Shred Fiery the angels fell..........

    Location:
    Pendle
    I do exactly the same ! The record gets a brush and the stylus one too. Every side, every record.
     
    Zafu likes this.
  11. bluesky

    bluesky Senior Member

    Location:
    south florida, usa
    I clean the stylus when I think it needs cleaning.

    I always brush the stylus before each and every side play. Just prudent. Just makes sense.
     
    Zafu and Mad shadows like this.
  12. misterdecibel

    misterdecibel Bulbous Also Tapered

    Every album side.
     
  13. heyMo

    heyMo Forum Resident

    Location:
    LKN west, NC
    Zerodust before I start listening then dry brush every other album or two. Records are always cleaned before playing. Some favorite records require more frequent dry brushing before playing each side. :D
     
  14. CatManDude

    CatManDude Forum Existent

    Location:
    Connecticut, USA
    Every time I shower. Oh. Wait, this isn't a euphemism?
     
  15. Vaughan

    Vaughan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Essex, UK
    A quick brush after every play.
     
  16. Tony A.

    Tony A. Senior Member

    1) After playing a side I have just cleaned on the VPI 16.5. That first play sometimes dredges up debris that didn't get vacuumed.
    2) After I left the arm playing the lead-out groove too long, which happens often enough I don't have to keep a schedule.
     
  17. keiron99

    keiron99 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stockport, UK
    Basically I just blow the fluff off, with the power of my own cheeks, every now and then.
     
    FramboGND likes this.
  18. Leonthepro

    Leonthepro Skeptically Optimistic

    Location:
    Sweden
    Which cheeks is the question...
     
  19. Shak Cohen

    Shak Cohen Forum Resident

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    Brush under the stylus towards me, playing a clean record:thumbsup:
     
    wavethatflag likes this.
  20. Old Zorki II

    Old Zorki II Storm Watcher

    Location:
    near Tampa, FL
    I can slightly modify this statement, but forum rules prohibit me from doing so...
     
    keiron99 likes this.
  21. Twodawgzz

    Twodawgzz But why do you ask such questions...

    What stylus?
     
    Jari S. likes this.
  22. Catcher10

    Catcher10 I like records, and Prog...duh

    Every hour, I set my alarm clock to wake me up on the hour, without fail! My stylus is clean......
     
    Slippers-on and gakerty like this.
  23. Old Zorki II

    Old Zorki II Storm Watcher

    Location:
    near Tampa, FL
    I assume clock is tied to a cartridge, so even in a middle of the night you'll know what to do..
     
  24. Catcher10

    Catcher10 I like records, and Prog...duh

    Yup..
     
  25. theMot

    theMot Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney
    There you go. This whole cleaning every record, every side carry on is a nonsense.
     
    Fishoutofwater likes this.

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