STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO CLEANING AND DEMAGNETIZING CASSETTE TAPE HEADS

Cassette decks are oldies but goodies. They haven’t made the same explosive comeback as turntables, but cassette tape sales have still been on the rise in recent years. And there have always been the loyal audiophiles and dedicated tape lovers who have kept cassette recorders as part of their repertoire.

Proper tape head care is an essential step that’s vital for keeping your cassette deck in optimal condition. It offers the protection against magnetic build-up that cassette players recorders need. But as cassette tape players are a relic of the past, there isn’t much information out there about the proper way to clean and demagnetize the heads.

That’s why we’ve created this simple, step-by-step guide! Whether you’re a newbie to the world of cassettes or you’re a long-time tape head who wants a refresher course, this easy guide will walk you through how to get your tape players sounding like new again.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

First - why bother demagnetizing? Well, because it helps degauss the built-up magnetism on the head surface of your tape deck. In other words, it demagnetizes it.

When tapes are recorded, the magnetic particles on the tape are arranged in a particular pattern. These particles will reproduce the recording during playback. So if anything disturbs these particles during or after the recording, the content will be altered, resulting in extraneous noise, poor audio fidelity, distortion, or even partially erased tapes in some extreme cases.

Any metal part containing iron or ferroalloys can be magnetized by electric currents or contact with another magnetic field. So heads get magnetized over time from being next to a high-powered speaker or while running tapes (as the tape itself carries magnetism across the guides and the capstan).

In short - in order to keep both your cassette player deck and cassette recordings in optimal condition, you want to make sure the heads are magnetically neutral. This is where the demagnetizer comes in.

MATERIALS TO GATHER

• Head demagnetizer
• Cotton swabs
• Isopropyl alcohol

Pro Tip: For the isopropyl alcohol, 91% or above is best; however, 70% is fine if that’s all you have (just be extra careful to fully let it dry after using it). Don’t use any other kind of cleaner! Avoid ammonia, all-purpose cleaners, etc.

BEFORE YOU DEMAGNETIZE

Before getting started, it’s a good idea to clean the heads, pins, and rollers with rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs. It only takes a few minutes, and it’s a great way to keep your cassette player in good and playable condition.

STEP ONE

First, hit eject to open the cassette door(s). It’s not required, but we do recommend leaving the cassette deck plugged in and turned on for this. Press the ‘Play’ button; this is because, on some tape decks, putting the tape recorder in play will extend the head to make it easier for cleaning.

STEP TWO

Grab a cotton swab, briefly dip it into the isopropyl alcohol, and shake off any excess liquid.

STEP THREE

Start on the playback/record head. This is located behind the cassette door, typically at the bottom center. Rub the swab horizontally and vertically using gentle side-to-side motions. Don’t use too much pressure or you’ll knock it out of alignment, but be firm enough to clean it thoroughly.

STEP FOUR

Using the same procedure as in Step Three, clean the erase heard, the pinch roller, and all plastic/metal pins. Do it until the swab comes back clean. To clean the capstan, pause the machine first; don’t get the swab too far down into the mechanisms or the fibers of the swab may get caught. Instead, just clean where the tape would actually touch the capstan and pinch roller.

STEP FIVE

After you finish cleaning everything, let it sit for at least five minutes to dry.

HOW TO PROPERLY DEMAGNETIZE

STEP ONE

Turn off power to the tape deck. If you’ve just cleaned it with isopropyl alcohol and cotton swabs, remember to give it a few minutes to completely dry first.

STEP TWO

Plug in the demagnetizer at least a foot away from your cassette tape deck. If the demagnetizer has a power button, switch it on.

STEP THREE

Move the demagnetizer very slowly towards the cassette deck. Touch the demagnetizer directly against the playback head. Gently move it up and down and back and forth across the head for a few seconds. You don’t need to do it for longer than 10 seconds.

STEP FOUR

Slowly draw the demagnetizer away from the head. Then proceed to the next head or part. Do the erase head, capstan, and any other metal parts following the same procedure as in Step Three. Avoid bringing it into close contact with any VU meters.

STEP FIVE

When you’ve finished, slowly pull the demagnetizer away from the deck until it’s at least one foot away. Then switch it off and unplug it.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU DEMAGNETIZE?

So how often do you need to demagnetize your tape deck? Well, you’ll get a different answer depending on who you ask. After every 50 hours of use is the recommendation in Teac E-3’s Owner’s Manual. Generally, we recommend every six months or so, or whenever you get a used machine and you don’t know where it’s been - like a garage sale or on eBay.

IN SUMMARY

Cassette tape players and recorders may be old-fashioned, but they’re not obsolete. Compact cassette tapes are a great way for listening to old tunes, and many people still have cherished recordings they like to play. That’s why it’s so important to keep your cassette decks in playable condition. Demagnetizing is easy if you have a demagnetizer - just a few steps every few months will save you time and money in the long run, and it’ll keep your recordings sounding as they should.

Thanks for reading! If you’re interested in one of our vintage head demagnetizers so you can get demagnetizing today, you can check those out here. You can also check out our cassette decks for sale here. We always clean and demagnetize the heads before we send them out, so you can be assured you’re getting the best sound quality from your deck possible. Have a great day!

https://spencertified.com/collections/tape-head-demagnetizers

https://spencertified.com/collections/cassette-player-deck-systems