Korean Job Discussion Forums

Yaya · Joined: 25 Feb 2003 Location: Seoul

For those of you who still have a VCR, I found out something interesting. You should NOT use a head cleaning tape to clean your heads, wet or dry, because such tapes end up damaging your machine.

The better option is to first take a brand new blank tape and play it for 10-20 minutes AND THEN DO NOT REWIND. The blank tape can probably collect dust and other particles from the heads. And then take it to an authorized repairman who can open the machine and clean the heads professionally.

idonojacs · Joined: 07 Jun 2007

It seems to me this should be in the technology queue.

Nevertheless, you are correct that using those cleaning VCR things is a big mistake.

They come in two forms, one is dry, a sort of sandpaper abrasive tape. This basically grinds down your delicate tape heads. The other is a cloth tape that you apply cleaning fluid to and then insert. I used this once long ago and it snagged on the helical scan tape head, destroying it. I had to pay an exhorbitant $150 to get the head replaced because the vcr belonged to a friend.

There is a way to clean VCR heads yourself. You need to take off the cover, though. You can get a foam Q-tip type swab (do NOT use a cotton swab) and apply some tape head cleaner, essentially pure grain alcohol. Rub on the helical scan heads gently, then clean guide posts and the stationary audio head, if it is not hifi. I have never had a problem with this method.

However, with a good vcr and good modern tapes, I don't think you usually need to clean the heads. But the one I have here does seem to have gotten a bit dirty, so I don't know what the deal is. Maybe the humidity is part of the problem.

Alyallen · Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 1:07 am Post subject:

eamo · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.

I used to spend more time inside my VCR cleaning heads, or untangling mangled tape, than I ever did watching stuff!!

Anyway, God bless VCR and audio cassettes. They were cheap and friendly technology that most people could use and their easy recording functions saved me, for one, a lot of money!!

I resisted CD and DVD for a long time. But, I finally came round. I still get nostalgic when I have to use tapes for English classes.