Abstract: A tape cleaner for cleaning debris from the surface of a recording tape uses a tape wiping or cleaning medium advanced across the surface of the recording tape at a speed correlated with a selected speed of operation of the recording tape. The tape wiping medium may be in the form of cleaning tape driven between a supply reel and a take-up reel by a stepping motor driving the take-up reel at a sub-multiple of the selected recording tape speed. Thus, the speed of the cleaning medium is automatically selected by selection of the recording tape speed, and, to minimize the usage of the cleaning medium, the cleaning medium is driven at a predetermined fixed ratio of the recording tape speed.