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Stylus cleaners

I used to use Onzo ZeroDust with my first few cartridges years ago. With the last two cartridges, Hana ML, I have only been using the included Hana brush for every side of LP and the MoFi LP-9 liquid stylus cleaner (I get as much fluid out of the brush by pressing it against the neck of the bottle before I clean stylus) every 3-4 records. 
Onzo is collecting dust especially since the Fremer’s The Tracking Angle article. 
 

I’ve been looking at DS Audio ST-50 but at $80 I’m not sure it will do anything better than my current cleaning methods. 
 

What’s your stylus cleaning routine?

audphile1
foggyus91's avatar
foggyus91
612 posts
 

@audphile1 That is very effective and I am using the LAST products and have used the Kirmuss Audio solution that came with my Kirmuss LP Cleaning system.

 

lpluvr
69 posts
 

Another Onzow user here.  Been using it for many years on many different cartridges and it works well and does no harm.

audphile1's avatar
audphile1 OP
7,833 posts
 

Thank you all for a great discussion! I’ll be trying LAST kit. Can’t bring myself to dish out $80 for a piece of gel. May be I’ll change my mind later who knows. 

lalitk's avatar
lalitk
6,173 posts
 

“peer into the bottle now and then with an eye to the abrasive slurry floating around inside”
@tomic601 

I just looked up my LAST duo bottles under microphone…phew! Still… after seeing it under magnification, it’s hard not to instinctively cap the bottle a little faster next time 😆

@audphile1  Good call! 

sksos1
429 posts
 

From Peter L of SoundSmith.

"DO I use that clear GEL stuff?? NO NO NO. That will destroy some cartridges !!!
 
A DRY soft brush is somewhere between good and “OK”, but it is a good way to destroy your cartridge. The BEST dry method is to use some DAP Bluestik* – this is the blue clay-like stuff you get in the stationery department made by DAP. It is used for temporary sticking things on walls and such. Use it just before or after every play. Option one is to craft a “pedestal" on the turntable base and place a small FLATTENED ball of DAP Bluestik* on the pedestal so that you can use the cueing mechanism to allow the stylus to drop onto the blu-stik. CAUTION: Be sure that the top of the DAP Bluestik* is lower than the stylus before you move it under the stylus. You don't want the stylus to hit the side of the DAP Bluestik*; it WILL damage your cartridge.

The other good option is to squash a small ball (half the size of a dime) FLAT (the thickness of a record or less) FULLY ACROSS a heavy coin – such as a quarter. Then place THAT coin on the platter.  Then cue DOWN and up on the DAP Bluestik* several times. Be VERY careful not to DRAG the coin or turn the platter when the stylus is down on the DAP Bluestik* or you risk damaging the stylus or cartridge. 

Do this several times, each time moving the DAP Bluestik* to a new spot when the stylus is raised, so that when it comes down it hits a new spot".

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