Need help cleaning a VCR

[BetaWolf47]

Okay, you guys are scaring me. Not going to attempt this until I get some clarification.

Depicted above is the tape path of your typical Betamax VCR. The big round circle is the video head, and the four little grey objects to the left are the various audio/erase heads...those and the capstans are what you need to clean. You should be able to get by with Q-Tips and alcohol.

The big drum is the video head? I've read that this is the most fragile part. Those small squares are audio and erase? I'll check it out then.

Nooooooooooooo not q-tips those things leave bits of cotton behind!

If they're anything like VHS heads, I just soak a bit of white typing paper with alcohol, rotate them slowly, and lightly hold the paper next to the heads so they're cleaned up. DO NOT DO THIS WITH A LOT OF FORCE SINCE THAT WOULD BREAK THE HEADS.

Look for some videos on Youtube.

No q-tips. Duly noted. Cleaning guides have said that a lint-free q-tip is fine. There are no clear Betamax cleaning guides on YouTube though. The read and write heads are different.

Very bad idea some typing paper contains abrasive fillers with a 8.5+ hardness. That can do a LOT of damage. use lotion free Kleenex very carefully and blow off the fibers or ideally go to a photographic shop or an optometrist and get some lens cleaning tissue or microfiber cleaning cloths and use those. I have cleaned tape drive mechs that way and they use the same helical scan head on a much smaller and more fragile scale. BTW yes Q-tips suck and they don't work for anything bet the most mild cleaning. Keep in mind that a drive belt or other foam or rubberized part may have failed, but that is common in most older formats, I once had an early 90s Quantum SCSI hard drive from a Mac that had a melted rubber sheath on the head assembly hinge, but the drive still worked! Being a pure analog system, skipping is usually a mechanical problem such as slippage.

I have a microfiber cloth. Is that the best thing to use? What kind of cleaning fluid should I use? I have 91% isopropyl, Windex, denatured alcohol, and maybe a few others around. What's the best way to clean the heads without messing them up?

I don't know if there are any mechanical parts failing. All seems to be well, but I suppose I ought to give it a look. Here's the unit I have, if this helps:
http://www.betamaxcollectors.com/son...lsl-hf750.html