KVR Audio

flynsk · Post by **flynsk** » Fri May 11, 2012 1:45 am

Hi!

Not sure if this is the right forum. Please move if not.

I have Event active monitors, with exposed --everything. And the cones are collecting a lot of dust. How do ya'll clean them safely? besides pumping serious bass to shake the dust off?

I'm thinking soft fiber cloth (like for glasses) with no cleaners.(?)

Thanks,
Flynn

BertKoor · Post by **BertKoor** » Fri May 11, 2012 9:20 am

Best imho is to blow the dust away with canned compressed air. Not too close, you don't want to blow holes in the membranes. Maybe a smooth brush or feather duster can work well too.

Vacuuming the room often also helps preventing it. A clean room means less dust to gather in the first place.

bronxsound · Post by **bronxsound** » Fri May 11, 2012 9:22 am

i would throw them out and buy new ones

just kidding

Scotrick · Post by **Scotrick** » Fri May 11, 2012 1:31 pm

You should also consider getting a vacuum that has a very soft, true horse hair softness, attachment and use it to remove dust.

It also helps if your vacuum is equipped with a very good filter, preferably HEPA.

As was already mentioned, a good watercolor brush, or if you can find it, a brush that was designed for cleaning photographic negatives will be soft enough to brush away dust from the most delicate or easily damaged parts of musical equipment.

They used to sell an anti-static negative cleaning brush that actively repels dust.

I've gotten good use along these lines with the Swiffer brand dusters, the ones that look sort of like a normal Swiffer after it was attacked by a pair of scissors or something.

Also, dust is mostly human skin, right? So, the suggestion to make sure you keep your room clean is also a good one.

If you can afford one, and your control room is small enough, you could perhaps get a room air cleaner. If it's of a high enough quality, it will be silent, or nearly so, and worth it in keeping dust out of your computer or mixers, and off your monitors etc.

To make sure you get a good air filter, use a site like Consumer Reports to check for good reviews, as many supposed air cleaners are a scam and do very little actual air cleaning and instead just push the air around the room.

Some monitors speakers seem to attract dust. Over the years, I've noticed that some of my various speakers had tweeters in particular that were coated in a grease of some kind that would attract and hold dust. UGH.

Good luck. And also watch out for the canned air, as has been mentioned, you can blow a hole in a driver easily, and if you tilt the can, you might get a blast of super cooled liquid and freeze your speaker cone, perhaps damaging it.

flynsk · Post by **flynsk** » Tue May 15, 2012 3:35 pm

Sorry it took a few days to respond. Thanks for the advice! All sound like good approaches...except, possibly, the throwing one

I'm thinking very light brush paired with air treatment is a good fit for me.
Might help with seasonal allergies, so my ears and nose both win!

ShadowVlican · Post by **ShadowVlican** » Sat May 19, 2012 12:31 am

i use a can of compressed air held far away (holding it close might damage the cones)

Cleaning Active Monitors