Are these foam swabs going to destroy my VCR video heads?
 

I just ordered some of these swabs and some 91% IPA and just realized that the swabs are labeled as being open-cell which is apparently ruinous to video heads.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P88RZRG...ESF7MSB7VA6GE2

They are foam not fiber so they are okay for video heads, just make sure you use the flat side and don't press too hard, Never move the swab, just rotate the head slowly with one hand while pressing gently with the other.

Q: Are These Swabs Going To Destroy My Video Head
A: YES! DO NOT USE!

Be very wary.

For years, I bought foam swabs, all was well.

In recent years, the foam quality is junk, and snags video heads worse than cotton swabs. So I no longer buy foam swabs to clean video heads. For a while, chamois was not available or overly expensive. For my own most precious decks (A++ graded), I've used dSLR sensor swabs (old style) for about 15 years now. For all other decks, I now use the copy/printer paper method.

The open-cell is fine for non-head cleaning (rollers, etc), but that's it. But so are cotton swabs (good quality like Q-Tip brand), for that matter.

I about to purchase some chamois swabs, is 15 for $15 a decent price or is it a ripoff? I know that it would be worth it to keep a VCR working but I'm not sure if I'm overpaying. I think 91% IPA with those should be safe from what I've found on the site.

I personally prefer foam over anything else including paper but I'm not going to force my opinion on you. Though I've been repairing VCR's as a hobby for years, Good luck.

Nah that's what they go for if it's the MG Chemicals or chemtronics white ones. These are specifically designed for audio/video heads. You can get the double-headed one for not much more than single headed ones so may be worth going for those if you have the choice. You can find them in larger packs for less per swab at amazon or at electronics stores like digikey if you need a lot.

I've used chemtronics ones a fair bit after picking up big pack of them and they work pretty well, sometimes use paper on cheap decks I don't care as much about. You can use other stuff like cotton or foam swaps on stuff that's not heads in the vcr and save the chamois ones for the heads themselves.

It's possible there are cheaper alternatives, or maybe one could DIY something from a chamois cloth/strip but it's not something I've personally looked into.

But I thought that you were against the printer paper method before reading other replies around the website. What changed? As long as it isn't super detrimental to my VCR, I could do that and save the chamois for when I get a proper S-VHS deck.

Paper leaves white dust residue on the surface it cleans, I've seen it with 60x magnification, Synthetic foam is about the only material that doesn't leave anything behind that's the reason it is used in data tape storage readers and consumer VCRs seen as an automatic cleaning wheel, It supposed to be replaced every service but that never happened for consumer VCR's so it becomes a ball of dirt.