09-01-2011, 03:27 AM
Head-cleaning solutions are made from isopropyl, water & scent.
You should be able to use straight isopropyl with no problem so long as you don't go overboard with it. Rubbing alcohol is okay, too, but not as good as the real stuff. Don't saturate the fabric-tape with liquid.
Wait at least 15 minutes after doing a wet-clean before you pop a tape in the VCR.
Don't believe the hype from the manufacturers about the frequency of head-cleaning. It's very unusual for tapes to shed & mess up the head on a VCR in any significant way. Even old tapes. Unless you're a chain smoker you probably only have to clean the heads once at the beginning of your project to get the dust off.
You should be able to use straight isopropyl with no problem so long as you don't go overboard with it. Rubbing alcohol is okay, too, but not as good as the real stuff. Don't saturate the fabric-tape with liquid.
Wait at least 15 minutes after doing a wet-clean before you pop a tape in the VCR.
Don't believe the hype from the manufacturers about the frequency of head-cleaning. It's very unusual for tapes to shed & mess up the head on a VCR in any significant way. Even old tapes. Unless you're a chain smoker you probably only have to clean the heads once at the beginning of your project to get the dust off.