Here's another area untouched by the Cleaning Cassette. Wet the cleaning cloth with solvent and gently wipe the tape guides, upper and lower head drum, capstan and pinch roller. Wipe them dry. Be sure to read the Recorder's operating manual, if the instructions in the operating manual are different from these procedures, follow the operating manual. Turn off the VCR before wet cleaning.
Rotary heads are particularly delicate.
Be very gentle and wipe only in the direction of rotation. Never wipe vertically. Never touch the tape or tape path with your fingers. Even if you've just washed your hands, you'll leave fingerprints residue that can cause substantial spacing loss. Avoid touching the oiled parts of the recorder.