How to Clean a VCR or Television

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Here are some basic steps for cleaning a VCR or television, which is important in the maintenance of these two much-used machines. You can extend the life of home electronics by keeping them clean.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Window Cleaner
soft, lint-free cloths

Step1

Unplug the VCR and television before cleaning.

Step2

Dust television screens weekly with a Masslinn or electrostatic dust cloth.

Step3

Clean the dust-free screens with the same cleaners used on windows, eyeglasses and electronics. Spray the cleaner on the cloth, not on the TV directly.

Step4

Polish any wooden parts of the TV or VCR with furniture polish, spraying on the cloth first - not directly on the wood.

Step5

Wipe the knobs, buttons and exterior of the television or VCR with a cloth dampened in neutral cleaner or electronics spray cleaner.

Step6

Clean the tape heads of a VCR about once every two months, depending on how often you use the VCR. Check the manual for the manufacturer's instructions.

Step7

Consider investing in a tape-head-cleaning videocassette for your VCR. Know the difference between a wet-cleaning cassette and a dry-cleaning cassette. With the wet, you put drops of a special solution provided on the ribbon of the cleaning cassette. This is especially effective for dissolving gunk on the tape heads, capstan and pinch roller.

Tips & Warnings

Read the owner's manual for your television or VCR to learn specific guidelines for cleaning the machines.
Over time, videotapes shed oxide particles onto the tape heads, and airborne pollutants build up on them, too. Rented videocassettes transfer materials from other VCRs to your VCR, so regular cleanings are useful in removing these.
Do not poke anything into the slots of the television set or VCR.

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Comments

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 I don't care how many times someone tells you to, never clean a screen with a dryer sheet! They contain fabric softeners that leave residue on your screen. I've seen it everywhere. Older TV screens are OK for this tip, but the newer ones with anti-glare coatings, and pretty much any computer screen (LCD or CRT) should not be done this way.

The best advice is to dust it with a clean, dry cloth designed for dusting. For anything stuck to the screen first try breathing on it and then use the same dry cloth. The moisture in your breath is often enough. If that doesn't work, use mild window cleaner on the cloth. Never spray the screen directly.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 PLEASE!, unplug VCR before cleaning, don't just turn VCR off, there are plenty of high amperage electrons waiting to bite in certain places!, ounce of precaution.........., this can also help reset VCR CPU (some), and take care of some other type problems, thanx!,
Larry

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 If you want your VCR to bite the dust early, heathers way is exactly how to!, sorry heather (I'm sure your reasons are to help), but it's far from it, ALWAYS use chamois tipped (chemtronics) cleaning sticks, NEVER clean heads verticly (up and down), always horiz. (side to side), use a good quality head cleaning solution, or isopropyl alchohol, when touching VCR heads with chamois tipped stick w/solution be extremely gentle!, you can use q-tips for upper half of drum assembly, but NEVER on the heads (located in rectangular windows on bottom of head assembly), I personally use chamois tipped for entire drum, and Bill, your tips are very good!..........(wiping brow), heather ya really scared me with that!,
Larry

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 The tip by Heather is just about 100% wrong. Instead, do this:

1. Before getting inside the VCR, buy a new tape and run it on "play" for at least 5 minutes. The tape oxide causing the problem will often rub off on the new tape and clear up the problem. Do NOT rewind this new tape. Instead, mark it as a "cleaning tape" and run it next time from the previous stopping point. When it gets to the end, throw it away!

2. If you must get inside your VCR to clean the heads, don't stop there. (More on this a little later.) The video heads are delicate! Never use a Q-Tip, cotton pads, or anything that might "snag" the head(s). The best bet is using Chamois cleaning pads specially designed for VCR cleaning.

3. Never rub the pad (or lint-free cloth) vertically on the head assembly. This is the best way to ruin your VCR. A safe cleaning method is to gently place the pad or cloth against the head and turn the head assembly clockwise.

4. Use ONLY 91% medical (or better yet) Isopropyl alcohol for cleaning. A Q-Tip is fine for cleaning any place except the heads. If used on rubber parts, wipe the excess off quickly; alcohol will degrade the rubber over time.

5. Older VCR's use a pinch roller that may need attention. If it's glazed or the rubber is hard, it's best to replace it (a simple job). Keeping your hands out of the VCR, run a tape with the cover off and determine if the tape feeds through the pinch roller properly. If it doesn't, use a cloth saturated with alcohol to rub the surface and "roughen" the rubber. After the alcohol has dried, again run a tape.

Sorry to be so windy, but I couldn't let Heather's bad advice stand.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 helps keep the dust away: If you have forced air heating or air conditioning, brush or vaccum return ducts on a regular basis and then replace filters. This cuts down overall on dust bunnies which of course go right for your TV and computer and stero equipment.

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