Analog maintenance

Kiss the cartridge before using it :-)

Never thought of that. My wife is already jealous enough, though, and that might put her over the edge. :->

Flyfish,

I use the Last Stylus cleaner only about once in 10 record plays. I want to touch the stylus as few times as I can. I find that it takes at least that long for plastic to build up on the needle and ultimately, each time you touch the stylus, you are putting pressure on the cantilever and the "o" ring holding the cantilever in position. If I actually have dust on the stylus, which should be seldom since you are using the VPI RCM, I use a Benz-Micro dust brush to remove it. As your mother wisely advised you in your teens, touch your needle only when necessary.

You could also use sacrificial records to sit on the turntable platter and on the VPI platter to act as a dust cover. I do that with my turntable because the non-hinged dust cover for the table is too much trouble to use as intended (currently being used as a VERY expensive rag bucket). My dustcover record is a Charlie Rich album someone gave to me that I have never once played. So the funny thing is that if I had to accurately report what record is most often on my table, I would have to say it was that Charlie Rich album.

Although I have never had a problem, I don't use solvent type cleaners as frequently as you do because of concern on what that might do to the glue that is used to hold the stylus in place. I use both the Last cleaner and stylus treatment, but not on every side. I will lightly brush off dust whenever that accumulates.

I also treat my records with LAST record preservative, but, I know, that is a controversial subject.

Look at ebay for AT-637
That's a - discontinued - stylus cleaner, best ever made.