cartridge cleaning? Not the stylus........

Sm2727,

If Soundsmith said the "cartridge" was dirty, they may not have been referring to the stylus. Cartidges tend to collect gunk everywhere, including on internal surfaces that most users cannot (and should not) clean. IOW, before you go looking for solutions, make sure you understand the problem.

That said, a Magic Eraser and Zerodust regimen, if used correctly and regularly, will keep a stylus and lower cantilever as clean as the day they were made. If yours are dirty, the flaw is more likely to be in your technique than in your tools.

P.S. Soundsmith is 100% correct about compressed air. Blasting the delicate interior wiring of a cartridge with compressed air would be a great way to make the cartridge play quietly, very quietly... forever.

Apart from that don't forget to use healthy Frequency Sweep LP (Cardas) to refresh the sound of your MM/MI/MC cartridge and even the speakers. Very cheap and effective solution.

Yes i use the magic eraser and the zerodust. Do people rub the stylus in the magic eraser? I just let it settle on it with the damped cue. I will try the putty. I was afraid it would be too sticky and take the diamond off. I periodically use a brush on the whole underside. I guess the dirt inside the body is best left alone then. It is a wooden body cardas and I think the air holes and the open space around the workings invites it.

sm2727,

I use a sliver of ME on a toothpick and brush VERY DELICATELY down the cantilever and all sides of the stylus. That said, I'm myopic and have small, steady fingers. If you have trouble seeing tiny objects or are inclined to be a klutz, think twice before using this method.

Agree with using a soft brush on the whole underside. I do that after every ME cleaning to assure that any small particles are removed. ME fibers are very abrasive, you don't want them in your record grooves. A stylus dip in a Zerodust or piece of silly putty (or similar) is a good idea for the same reason.

All cartridges get dirty inside, some more than others of course depending on how open they are. Cleaning inside is for experts only, as the coil winding wires are extremely delicate. They might break if you look at them too hard. ;)

+1 to Chakster's mention of the Cardas frequency sweeps. Makes a nice sonic improvement to any cartridge with no risk.

I just throw my cart in the wash, with the whites.