Tape decks, whether analog cassette or digital audio tape (DAT), need to have their heads cleaned periodically to maintain optimum performance. While there are cassette and DAT cleaner tapes available, dry cleaning is not as effective as a wet cleaning. However, a dry cleaning can be a decent way to maintain performance in between wet cleanings.
Dry Cleaning
Insert the cleaning tape into the tape deck and press play. Usually, the cleaning tape needs to run for up to a minute to remove dirt and deposits that are on the head. Sometimes you will need to do two passes to get the best results.
Wet Cleaning Tapes
For cassette heads, some companies, such as Radio Shack (see Resources) make a wet cleaning tape that both cleans the tape heads and demagnetizes them. To use these tapes, apply the supplied cleaning solution to the tape and then insert the tape in the deck and play it for a specified period of time, usually one or two minutes.
Wet Cleaning Manually
A manual wet cleaning is perhaps the best solution for cleaning tape heads. You may need to remove the doors on the cassette deck or, with a DAT unit, remove the entire outer casing to access the heads. To do a manual wet cleaning, you'll need swabs and a cleaning solution. Denatured alcohol is an effective cleaner; the swabs are essentially a cotton swab without any lint. Dip the swab in the solution and then gently rub the swab over the heads, being sure to keep the swab on the heads and not on the rubber rollers next to the heads.
Tags: cleaning tape, cleaning solution, manual cleaning, tape deck, tape heads
