Depends on the cleaning media you use. Check with the hardware vendor which one they recommend. You can only use cleaning cartridges a limited number of times. When a cleaning cartridge has been used to its maximum number of times, the usefulness of the cartridge expires. When cartridges expire, replace them. Never reuse an expired cleaning cartridge. An expired cleaning cartridge introduces previously removed dirt to the tape drive.
http://ps2.kev009.com/rs6000/manuals/Tape/TS3100_TS3200/IBM_System_Storage_TS3100_Tape_Library_and_TS3200_Tape_Library_Setup_Operator_and_Service_Guide_GA32-0545-01.pdf
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Cleaning Cartridge
A specially labeled IBM LTO Ultrium Cleaning Cartridge is supplied in your
shipment to clean the drives in your library. The drive itself determines when a
head needs to be cleaned and communicates this to the library.
When the cleaning is finished, the drive ejects the cartridge and the Picker takes
the cartridge and places it back in its designated cleaning slot.
To remove a cleaning cartridge from its designated cleaning slot, export it from the
library.
The IBM Cleaning Cartridges are valid for 50 uses. The cartridge’s LTO-CM chip
tracks the number of times that the cartridge is used.
