I’m skeptical this can be solely attributed to the Zerodust, without some other "unusual" factors coming to light. Either way, it’s not going to affect my occasional use of the DS Audio gel pad. I also scrub the stylus after each session with Magic Eraser, and vigorously brush around the stylus and cantilever with firm bristles often, so nothing’s gonna accumulate there anyways.
Every single cleaning tool has its weaknesses, but when combined you’ll have a clean stylus for its (long) lifetime. Like with dental hygiene - don't JUST floss, or just brush, or rinse. Do them all. You can tell audiophiles who don’t brush well because their carts always have large particle beards lol.