I'm interested in the experts' opinions on cleaning.  I myself use a 
Nitty-Gritty machine that, for its price, is a wonderful tool.  (I use 
their "Pure 1" solution, not saliva.)

We should be careful when criticizing a cleaning method based on 
"knowing" that it's a bad idea unless that knowledge includes trying it 
the way the other guy does it.

In 1975 razors with multiple blades  were the subject of some ridicule, 
including a skit on Saturday Night Live carrying the concept to an 
extreme of THREE blades <http://www.themarysue.com/fake-snl-products/>.  
I've been using 4- and 5-blade systems for many years now, and my 
experience is that they provide a superbly close and comfortable shave.  
YMMV.

In 1990, Marilyn vos Savant, widely believed to have the highest IQ ever 
tested, answered a question in her weekly column in Parade magazine.  
The question isn't important, but it's usually called the Monty Hall 
problem <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Hall_problem>.  The correct 
answer, which she provided, is rather surprising and non-intuitive.  
Many mathematicians said publicly that she was wrong, and some implied 
that women were incapable of understanding the math or logic behind the 
answer.  A simple rather mechanical procedure would have shown them that 
she was, in fact, correct.  The experts reacted rashly, to their 
professional embarrassment.

As a final example, a few years ago I suffered from great pain in my 
right knee due to gout, a build-up of uric acid in the joint that all 
but stopped me from walking.  For me, the prescription medications 
available were not useful or interfered with other medical conditions.  
I went to the www, where I read about the really-stupid-new-age-healing 
crystal solution of drinking a dilute form of a specific kind of apple 
cider vinegar.  "Can't hurt, might help" is what my M.D. wife said.  Did 
I, with a PhD in Computer Science, think it was a load of mystical 
crap?  You bet.  Placebo? Maybe.  Did it work?  Yes.  Pain was gone 
within 12 hours, and I have used that stupid process several times since 
with similar results.

My point is that sometimes something that defies logic and science and 
tradition (at least at first glance) turns out to work, at least for 
some people.  If someone finds that spitting on their records gets them 
good results, shake your head in disbelief, but if you ain't tried it, 
don't knock it.

(... and on the other hand, if you HAVE tried it, I think we'd all enjoy 
hearing about the process and the results.)
-- 
*Pete Tinker*
West Hills, CA 91307