Even if you treat your tapes with great care, they can still get dusty over time as the tape’s magnetic layer attracts dust. But, if you use a dirty tape, you risk damaging the read/write head or destroying the data on the tape, due to the dust rubbing on the surface. To solve this problem, clean the tape using alcohol or a cleaning cartridge. Alternatively, use specialist machinery which removes dust and dirt by running special cleaning pads over both sides of the belt. If you choose to clean the tape yourself, be aware that opening the case is not without risk and should only be done by an experienced professional, especially as the mechanism inside is sometimes more complicated than it looks.