If the belts are cracking, the last thing you should do is clean it with a solvent (alcohol). Cracking means that compounds in the belt are evaporating leaving it brittle.. you don't won't to remove more of what keeps the belt pliable with alcohol. You may want to do some reading on techniques used to preserve old rubber parts... might be that you need to keep 2 belts, 1 in a solution to restore pliability, the other in use and swap them periodically so as to recondition the one just used. Cleaning the belt with a soft cloth should be all you need unless you have an oops moment with Silclear or Cramolin. On the AR and Sota I have, belts never crack, they just eventually stretch too far after a few years.
Suggestions please about turntable belt
I have a Music Hall 7 turntable and I have gone thru several belts in a years time. I live in a very dry area of the country. They crack and break within 6 months or so and paying 25 or 30 dollars for each belt is getting annoying. Are there cheaper alternates or materials for belts? Is there a treatment that will prolong the life of the belt and not cause it to slip on the motor or the platter? Or, is this just how it goes in this expensive hobby? Thanks in advance.