When we do stop and think about cleaning our tape drive we must consider a few things. First, it is important to know what kind of tape drive you are using because depending on the tape drive there are various ways of cleaning it. For example, if it's a stand-alone tape drive, you may use a cleaning tape and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Some tape drives need you to use the DPM (Data Protection Manager) when cleaning them. It is always best to follow instructions from the manufacturer when your are cleaning your tape drive so as to not mess up your drive.
Another question related to cleaning pertains to how often does your tape drive need to be cleaned? Cleaning processes will depend on how often you backup and how long is your backup process. Most tape drives need to be cleaned with a cleaning tape at least once per month.