Head Cleaners

A video head cleaner is a substance used for cleaning the record/playback heads of a video or audio cassette player. more...

Home
A/V Accessories & Cables
Antennas
Audio Cables & Connectors
Blank Media
Headphones, Headsets
Maintenance & Care
A/V Owner's & Service...
CD/DVD Cleaners, Repair Kits
Head Cleaners
LP Record Cleaners
Other
Mounts & Brackets
Other A/V Accessories
Remote Controls
Surge Protection, Filtration
Video Cables & Connectors
DVD & Home Theater
Gadgets & Other Electronics
Heating, Cooling & Air
Home Audio
Lamps, Lighting, Ceiling...
Major Appliances
Outdoor Power Equipment
Satellite, Cable TV
Televisions
Vacuum Cleaners &...

Audio and video (VTR) cassette players require regular maintenance to perform properly. Particles that come off the magnetic tape or videotape can build up on the record/playback heads, reducing the signal quality. Head cleaning may be done with a special cloth or long swabs and/or a cleaning cassette. This removes smudges and dirt on the heads.

Cleaning fluids

Fluids used for cleaning video heads include (but are not limited to) the following solvents:

Freon-Dichlorodifluoromethane (discontinued in 1995).; Alcohols are effective for cleaning heads and guide rollers.; Acetone is an effective solvent, but can damage plastics. When using acetone, it is important to avoid the fumes and use goggles, as it can cause permanent eye damage.;

Dry cleaners

Dry methods of cleaning include:

Cassette-shaped devices that can be inserted into a tape decks and played for a short time to polish the heads to remove smudges and dirt. This may shorten the life of the unit and should not be overused.; Cassette-shaped devices that have a cloth tape that can have cleaning fluids added to it before being inserted into a tape deck and played for a short time.;

Abuse

Video head cleaners can be abused as a recreational drug: see Poppers.

See Also

Cassette demagnetizer; VTR; Rubbing alcohol;

Read more at Wikipedia.org