I used to clean my VCR heads with rubbing alcohol for years before a thrift store clerk stopped me

I mean, everyone online always says isopropyl alcohol and a lint free cloth is the way to go right? I was at this little thrift joint in Portland last Saturday digging through a box of old Disney tapes when the old guy running the place saw me look at a grimy copy of The Little Mermaid. He asked if I clean my heads at home and I told him yeah with alcohol and a swab. He just shook his head and said I was probably pushing dried gunk deeper into the drum. He showed me his method with a plain paper towel and just dry friction, no liquid at all. Told me alcohol can actually strip the lubricant off the bearings if you keep at it long enough. I went home and tried it on a VCR I'd been getting snow lines on and sure enough the picture cleared right up after a couple passes. Has anyone else had their whole cleaning routine turned upside down like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

lily39411d ago

Huh, never had that issue myself honestly.

simonl868d ago

Did that thrift store clerk drop some kind of hidden knowledge on you or what? I've been using alcohol for years too and I always thought it was the gold standard, you know, because that's what every forum post says. Hearing that it can actually cause damage over time kind of makes me feel like an idiot for all those cleaning sessions. I'm definitely going to try the dry paper towel trick next time I'm fighting with snow on an old tape. It makes a weird kind of sense when you think about how alcohol evaporates really fast and might leave residue behind anyway. Thanks for sharing this, it's honestly a relief to know I wasn't alone in thinking alcohol was the only way to go.