Stylus Cleaning Rituals

I've been using the Flux Hifi Ultrasonic stylus cleaner for about a year now, with a Hana ML & a AT 150 mlx, with no problems to the units. Every 2nd or 3rd LP for me.

For years I've been using a handsome, elegant nine volt powered device called simply "Professional Electronic Stylus Cleaner" but when I google the name I come up empty. In any case, you guys have gotten me paranoid. It never seemed to harm my Grado or my Lyra Delos but should I shun using it on my new Hana ML?

I use 3 different approaches:

1. anti-static stylus brush. I use this most frequently and is good to remove a gob of glop that is interfering with playback

After every 7 records or so:

2. Sandpaper: not real sandpaper, but emory paper designed for cleaning stylii;

3. Silly putty. I pull off a small hunk and gently press it up to the stylus 2-3 times. Being careful to just blot the stylus with it; don’t get it on the cantilever. Gets the glop off.

I do either the silly putty or the sandpaper every 7 records or so, not both

I use a thin sliver of Magic Eraser and just barely touch the stylus before each side.

15 years on and no problems.  The stylus is spotless . I also US clean all albums I play and brush each side off  before playing

I sent a cartridge in to one of the rebuilders to have a look at it after a couple years of using it because I had bought it used and had untold hours on it. So figured it was time.

He said the stylus didn`t need replacing at all and that it looked very good.

Really appreciated his honesty.  

In addition to a standard stylus brush, I use a DS Audio ST-50 gel pad after every few sides, then every few days carefully with Lyra Stylus treatment, stylus only. No cantilever painting! I like the ST-50 cause it’s shallow and flat, and can just lower the cue lever and dip the stylus in the ST-50 while it’s on the platter. The cantilever never touches the gel, so all that fuss the Fremer (bogusly) started with his Onzow article doesn’t apply here.