[Coco] Diskette Cleaning Solution

[Gene Heskett]

On Monday 16 September 2013 02:00:12 Steve Ostrom did opine:

> Radio Shack used to sell diskette cleaning solution, a fluid to be
> applied to a cleaning diskette and run in a disk drive to clean the
> heads.  It came in a white plastic bottle with a flip-up spout.  The
> contents, as listed on the label, were: Fluorocarbon and Isopropyl
> Alcohol.  My guess is that this solution is no longer being sold by
> anyone (or manufactured, maybe due to the fluorocarbon?).  Is there an
> acceptable alternate solution still sold, or is the market so small
> that nothing like this is still manufactured? Could straight isopropyl
> alcohol be used on the cleaning disk to clean floppy drive heads?
> 
> --- Steve ---

I wouldn't recommend it.  First off, isopropyl has water in it.

2nd, the cleaning disk is a lot like a scotchbrite pad, and I have scoured 
at least 2 drives into dead drives with one of those.

The best cleaning solution is actually the paint thinner alcohol sold in 
quarts or gallons at Ace Hdwe or a paint store.  And Sherwood Medical (they 
invented the original Q-Tip) makes a single ended q-tip on a wooden stick 
about 7" long, roughly a tenner for 1000 in 100 pack white paper bags in a 
carton that you can get from a pharmacy, probably special order.  With the 
drive out of the box, you can insert one of those wetted with that alcohol, 
in through the slot near the end of it so it will go around the spindle and 
slip between the heads to clean, or in some cases I broke it without making 
two pieces so I could slide it between the heads and wipe them.  Do NOT put 
the used q-tip back in the booze as you will contaminate the booze, bin it 
and get and wet a fresh one every time, its only a penny.

Funny thing about the freons.  We used TF by the gallon cleaning videotape 
heads, several times a day in every machine.  When they started fussing 
about the freons, I switched to the Ace Hdwe alcohol to clean with.  It 
didn't take long at all, 1 or 2 days maybe, to note I wasn't doing it but 2 
or 3 times a week per machine, and as time went on we were having to do it 
only 2 or 3 times a month!  The TF was I believe, contaminating the tape!

Cheers, Gene
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