Koetsu Rosewood - Best/safest way to clean stylus


I have a Koetsu Rosewood Signature and have been cleaning the stylus using LAST (I think that is the brand) liquid with a brush, followed by using the cueing to drop the needle onto a Magic Eraser 4-5 times. I think this works pretty well, but I worry about the liquid... having read about liquid wicking up the cantilever, etc.

Could using liquid damage the cartridge? Could dropping the cueing down onto the Magic Eraser "grab" the needle and damage the suspension as I raise it? It seems like the only safe way to use Magic Eraser because I don't trust my hands to be steady enough to do it any other way.

Is there another cleaning method that has actually been proven (via microscope) to clean the needle safely and be safe for the cartridge?

Thanks
montaldo

Showing 1 response by mijostyn

Montaldo. Fill up a little glass jar with 3/4 91% Isopropyl alcohol, 1/4 distilled water. Get a small soft artist's brush, dip it in your solution and brush the stylus and cantilever clean. Go no further than 1/2 way up the cantilever. You can brush the stylus in any direction without fear of hurting it. I'll do this once a week or so. Between records I use a standard stiff stylus brush wiping back to front only.
I have news for you Last folks. Last is just Freon, Freon with various labels on it. Freon is a great solvent for non polar molecules like oil. It will to some extent clean your stylus and records. It leaves absolutely nothing behind to protect anything. I took a microscope slide and started dripping one drop of Last record preservative at a time on the slide allowing it to dry between each drop. After 50 drops I looked at the slide high and dry. Nothing. Not a darn thing. Everything had evaporated. There is nothing in Last besides Freon. Brilliant rip off.