Stylus cleaner

I think ME works great and I use it at the end of every listening session. But between sides, I prefer the Zerodust and some liquid stylus cleaner. IMO, using the ME between every side makes the process more prone to human error and the ME can definitely tear the stylus off if it gets caught in those fibers. Again, nothing wrong with ME - it's the human factor I worry about. The Zerodust is a really good product, IMO. It takes the initial dust blob off so it doesn't get into your expensive stylus cleaner and it's very safe, even if you are a bit careless and drop the needle for instance.

Chayro, excellent points. The highest risk factor for ME use is indeed the risk of user error. The material itself is completely benign.

Since I use the "brush along the cantilever and faces of the stylus" method, which cleans best, I suppose my cartridge is exposed to the highest risk of user goofup. :-0

It's also really clean. :-)

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)