How to Clean a Cassette Player
Cassette players may be outdated, but if you've still got tapes, you're going to want to keep them in good condition.
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You Will Need
- Cotton swabs
- Isopropyl alcohol (also known as rubbing alcohol)
Steps
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Step 1
Open the player
Open the door to your cassette player by pressing the eject button.
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These tips apply to freestanding players. To clean a car cassette player, you'll need to buy a specialized kit.
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Step 2
Dip the tip of a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol, also known as isopropyl alcohol.
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Step 3
Clean the tape head
Clean the metal tape head with the tip of the cotton swab, rubbing it both horizontally and vertically.
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On some tape decks, you can extend the head to make it easier to clean by pressing the "Play" button.
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Step 4
Repeat
Keep cleaning the head with new alcohol-dipped swabs until a fresh one comes away clean.
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Step 5
Clean guides and pins
Clean all the tape guides, rollers and plastic and metal pins the same way you cleaned the tape head.
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Step 6
Wipe the reels
Wipe the reels with a rubbing-alcohol soaked cotton swab. This time, a black residue on the swab is acceptable. Now pop in your favorite mixtape.
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In 1963, the manufacturer of the first tape recorder let others reproduce the technology royalty-free, making cassettes the global standard in audio recording.
