Record-playing Rituals?

I notice on this thread that many people eschew cleaning the stylus. With good reason, as the harm some of the cleaning fluids out there can do to the cartridge.

I use a Japanese product called Zerodust to clean my stylus. It is a piece of very soft plastic which you push up against the stylus and remove. Any dirt on the stylus is transferred to the plastic. After a lot of use you can see a build up of dirt on the plastic and you just wash it with hand soap and it is good as new.

Shiprepair - FWIW, I made up some of the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser "lollipops" that Dougdeacon had described. Use the ME followed by carbon fiber brush (Discwasher, I think) before and after each side. I don't use any liquids. A magnifying lens confirms this dry process removes dust as well as discoloring residue that builds up on stylus.

Probably worth noting there's less risk of harming the cantilever with the device you use.

Also want to voice support for steam cleaning LPs as Creml has been advocating.

I, too, use a VPI 16.5. I also use an Onzow Endust to get any detritus off the stylus. I use the stylus cleaner once daily, but more often if needed. That, and a record clamp, and I'm good to go.

Hey y'all, I use a totally diy system of cleaning made up from following some of the ideas from a lot of different sites in the analogue community. You know, ice cream maker, old platen, ball bearing lazy susan, homebrew, vacuum, etc etc... When I am going to listen to an album I give it a good few turns with the carbon fibre brush and then clean my stylus with the brush provided from the cartridge company. Upon finishing the side I will again pass the old c.f. brush in the event I dislodged any gunk and give her a flip to the other side following the same procedure. I give my stylus a good cleaning now and then with the same brew that I use on my records along with a gentle scrubbing with a fine paintbrush which I shortened to about 1/4 inch, always from back to front and then I will give it a good blow again from back to front to keep the fluid from being forced up the shaft of the stylus. I should have mentioned that I take the cartridge off the arm and never clean the stylus with the cartridge upside down as this might allow some of the cleaning fluid to get into the bowels of the cartridge. Yes, my cleaning fluid contains alcohol but I don't worry about the bond between my stylus and the shaft. I've been doing it for at least one and a half years with no ill affects. I also regularly check my stylus under a quite powerful microscope to verify condition and cleanliness. My kids sometimes shake their heads but never complain when the tunes are on and we are all bopping our heads to the music

With records I just obtained, I first clean them with my Loricraft, and later on I dust them off before and after playing.
I also them to ensure they smell like vinyl,
Thats it
VINYL Meister