How to Clean a Cassette Player Manually
Proper maintenance and cleaning of home audio equipment is necessary to maintain optimum audio and ensure the system is functioning properly as a whole. You will find that of all your home theater equipment, a cassette player requires the most cleaning and maintenance. Because cassette tapes release oxide when used, residue can form on your cassette player. If left alone, residue and other dirt buildup can reduce performance and cause your cassette tapes to jam inside your cassette player.
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Instructions
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Clean your cassette player after approximately 20 hours of play time. This number is only an estimation of the total number of hours suggested before cleaning is necessary.
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Dip a cotton swab in isopropyl alcohol, which is available at a local pharmacy or large retailer. Wet the cotton swab but do not drench it. It should not be dripping, but be wet to the touch.
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Sweep the cotton swab over the exterior of the cassette player and inside the cassette deck, including the inside rollers. Isopropyl alcohol also removes dirt, dust and other buildup.
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Clean with an up-and-down action and remove residue from the inside edges of the cassette deck.
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Let the cassette player air dry. The dry time should only be several seconds.
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Tips & Warnings
If you cannot obtain cotton swabs, purchase a specially-made cleaning cassette tape, which is placed inside the cassette player and used to clean residue from a cassette player. Specially-made cassette tapes feature a self-cleaning mechanism and are available online and from audio retailers. Cassette tape cleaners may be good for up to 60 cleanings, depending on the brand.
Failure to clean a cassette player could cause it to stop working over time.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit cassette image by Shawn Stallard from Fotolia.com
