Stylus cleaner

I've used both Stylast treatment and their stylus cleaner without problems. With the stylus treatment, one should take care to only apply a very small amount directly to the stylus and avoid slathering it all over the cantilever. The fluid dries to a sticky consistency and some people have had issues with that goop getting up into the cartridge's suspension. There are some claims that liquids applied to the stylus and cantilever can migrate up the cantilever by capillary action (wicking).

With liquid solvents, always leave some amount of time between cleaning and playing the record to allow the glue that holds the stylus in place some time to harden (in case the solvent softens the glue). Lyra makes its own liquid cleaner (so it is presumably safe for their cartridges), and they recommend something like a 10 second wait between cleaning and playing to allow the glue to harden.

I have not used Zerodust, or any other such sticky pads to clean my cartridges. My concern is with accidentally pulling the cantilever out of the suspension. The suspension is design to accept the load of the tracking force pushing in one direction, but not necessarily the force pulling in the opposite direction. I know of someone who pulled the cantilever of his Allaerte cartridge out of the body of the cartridge using one of these things. I don't know if this is something particular to the Allaerte, or whether the cartridge was somehow damaged before such use, but, in any case, this was a VERY expensive attempt at cleaning the stylus.

Magic eraser works very well. If you have real stubborn gunk, use a magnifying glass(jewel loupe) or microscope and a small piece of the ME and gently work with the tip of the stylus to loosen the stuff. on very rare occasions, i have tried the "chemical" solution to soften but ME usually does the trick. Put the cartridge on the Microscope to really see if you have an issue. Kinda changes your perspective when the stylus looks like a chisel up close. Easy to see what you are dealing with and if you have steady hands really helps you clean it

Unless a cantilever were made of a layered material, with gaps running up it's length, or it were porous(highly unlikely); no liquid could venture up it's length, via capillary action/wicking. If the cantilever were hollow, as some are, one would have to dip the end in a pool of liquid, for it to flow up into a cart's body/compliance. That's just the Physics of it. I suppose their are some, ham-fisted enough, to slather enough cleaner on stylus/cantilever, to wet it's compliance too, but- I'd hope for better. Some info: (http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Physical_Chemistry/Physical_Properties_of_Matter/Bulk_Properties/Cohesive_And_Adhesive_Forces/Capillary_Action)

Yes, I am always acutely aware of the risks using ME on every side. Audiofeil reminded us some time ago that alcohol and vinyl just do not mix. I can attest, as I learned that lesson quite well in the late '80s. All my shenanigans now wait until later in the evening, when I am playing internet radio!

Rodman,

I have seen cartridges with mysterious goo up near the cartridge body end of the cantilever. I don't know how that happened, so I was relating what one cartridge manufacturer said. I never have a problem myself, but then again, I don't apply much Stylast or any other stuff to my cartridge.

I am sort of amazed at how many people clean their stylus with every play. I hardly ever need to clean the stylus. I keep my records clean and that seems to be good enough so that I only bother to clean the stylus once every ten or so sides.