Best Audio & Video Head Cleaners of 2025

"I found out this is just 65% isopropyl alcohol. It's great for cleaning, but I feel it's quite pricey at $12.10 for 4.2 ounces compared to Amazon Basics 99% IPA."

"I was disappointed to receive what seemed like a fancy overpriced bottle of Isopropyl Alcohol. Somehow I ended up with two bottles and wish I hadn’t bought it."

"I purchased this for a neighbor's VCR cleaning, but it didn't do a good job. I accidentally ordered two bottles and now I'm stuck with them. Return policy issues make it worse."

“I found that this cleaner fixed the issue with my VHS player. After running it twice, my player was good as new! I love having my movies on physical media and this was a great solution.”

“I was thrilled when I used this cleaner on a tape that had static. It worked so quickly and I was able to watch the entire tape without any problems. I didn’t expect it to perform this well!”

“After my VCR went haywire with a VHS tape, I got this head cleaner. Just 30 seconds of use and my VCR was as good as new! It’s reusable up to 30 times, making it a convenient option for future issues.”

“I have a brand new cassette player that sounded great until I played a bunch of used cassettes. After using this product, my cassette player sounds better than when I first bought it! I was skeptical, but it really works!”

“I found some old cassettes in my attic and wanted to listen to them in my plow truck. The cassette player wasn’t working due to dirty heads. I purchased both the Arsvita Cassette head cleaner and the CD cleaner. The cassette cleaner worked like a charm, bringing back memories of Joy Division and the Ramones! I made a mistake with the CD cleaner, but the company refunded my money without me asking. Their customer service is amazing and should be a model for others.”

“I have an old boombox that recently started acting up. When I played a tape, the music sounded distant. I decided to try this product before making any repairs, and it fixed the sound immediately. Thank you!”

"I bought this for my family since we couldn't watch our tapes. Initially, I thought it was the player, but it turned out the player was broken. Thankfully, the tape didn't tear, and we could still watch our old tapes. We have this cleaner just in case we need it in the future!"

"I was hopeful about this cleaner, but it was poorly made. The spindles didn't rotate well, causing my VCR to eject the tape immediately. After some manual effort, it worked briefly, but eventually, my VCR ate the tape. I’ll be seeking a refund for this."

"I ordered this cleaner because I needed to clean several VCRs. It worked great the first time, but afterward, none of my VCRs would accept the tape, and I received error messages. The cleaning paper felt stuck and only moved with a lot of force."

"I find this cleaner easy to use and it really cleaned the heads on my old cassette tape player."

"I appreciate the affordable cleaners for all my players, very satisfied with the results!"

"Unfortunately, the cleaning solution will not dispense properly, and ended up spilling everywhere."

"I have an old Teac tape deck that sounded very low and lacked stereo. After trying various cleaners with no luck, I decided to give this product a shot based on positive reviews. It worked wonders! Now my tape deck plays loudly with crystal clear stereo sound. Truly an amazing product!"

"I was worried when my new 4-track recorder stopped recording on track 2. In just one minute, this kit fixed it! It comes with plenty of cleaning solution, and I estimate I can use it around 20-30 times. For only $10, I will definitely buy it again!"

"Initially, I was unsure if this cleaner worked until I tried it on an old Beatles tape that had dirty heads. After using this cleaner, all residue was gone, and it worked beautifully! I definitely recommend giving it a try!"

"I find this cleaner very effective for removing debris from various surfaces, including tape heads and circuit boards."

"I've been using this product daily for my work with Sprint's F/O, and I have no complaints. I'm definitely planning to order more later."

"I've been using this cleaner for years. It keeps my capstan rollers, tape heads, and tension arms free from dust and oxide buildup after tape use. I believe it's the best for my Teacs and Otari Reel to Reel systems. The S-721H-4 cleans and conditions rubber parts perfectly, ensuring a smooth tape path for the best sound quality. Highly satisfied!"

"I purchased this to clean an old reel-to-reel, and it worked exceptionally well. The packaging was solid, and the product arrived in a nice glass bottle. I really appreciate the quality of this cleaner."

"This cleaner does a fantastic job on my reel-to-reel heads and rollers. It effectively removes oxide without leaving any residue. Unlike other cleaners, it doesn't have a strong lingering odor, which is a big plus for me. I confidently use this on my extensive collection of cassette decks. A+++"

"I waited a while to write a review to see if this cleaner would hold up. It's been great! I have used it several times in the past year to clean my VCR heads. The pictures are much clearer when I play my tapes now. I had someone ask if I could burn old home movies to DVD, and their tapes were so dirty. This helped clean my heads so their tapes would have a better quality onto DVDs. I will definitely be buying another from this company when this cleaner head is done."

"I recently tried the VCR Head Cleaner, and it exceeded my expectations for my old JVC VCR! It's incredibly easy to use—just pop it in like a regular tape, and you're good to go. After cleaning, the picture quality of my VHS tapes improved dramatically; colors were more vibrant, and playback was smoother. The build quality feels durable, and for the price, it's a fantastic investment for anyone who loves vintage media. Highly recommend for keeping your VCR in top shape!"

"To be honest, I was hesitant to buy this because I had used similar products in the past that were a waste of money. However, this worked bloody great. I hadn't used my VCR for years, and the first tape I put in got chewed up, which is why I bought this cleaner. I'm very glad I did! The instructions said to use it only once, but since my VCR had been unused for so long, I ran it three times. After that, I popped in a tape, and it worked. So to sum up, a bloody good VCR cleaner."

"I got this product to improve the quality of the tape deck I just replaced in my 2001 car. After using it, the performance improved significantly. I'm thrilled to have a working tape deck in my favorite old car!"

"After using this tape cleaner, I noticed a remarkable change in sound quality. It took some time, but I finally got good-sounding music out of my tape player. I give this product five stars for getting the job done!"

"I was really bummed when my tapes didn’t play in my Thunderbird. But after using this cleaner, my tapes are playing better than ever! I’m back to cruising with my mix tapes!"