Best head cleaning tape for a Canon HV20

[MrTazPants]

Just as the title says what's the best, most effective and least damaging way to keep the heads clean?

 

[senu]

Dont use the camcorder at all...!

Just kidding of course
I guess the real answer is to

Try to stick to one brand of tape,: most brands are well made and the manufacturing processes tend to minimise build up of magnetic "dust" from tape wear but using brands interchangably is seriously not recommended

Dont reuse tapes excessively
Some say excesive rewinding and Fowarding tapes is unkind to the heads ( and mechanism) i guess the operative word here is "excessive". Saying that, I do have a cheap knockabout Mini DV camcorder I use for that ( just because i happen to have it)
Be a lot more careful when using the camcorder in areas of dust ,smoke, fumes
Be wary of temperature extremes ( Car boot to indoor situations) in which moisture can build up within the insides
These are common sense precautions you are probably already aware of anyway

My experience is that you should hardly ever need to use a tape head cleaner let alone need the heads professionally cleaned unless you are unlucky. If you do need to use a tape head cleaner .. do so : it will invariably clean the tape head quickly and efficiently

I am very wary of playing tapes recorded elsewhere on my "better" camcorders.
You never know what condition they have been in and they are the most likely to dirty ( or worse damage) your camcorder tape head
HTH