Lint is not as small or floatable as the dust that is everywhere.

And the cloth will attract and trap the dust.  Not so with plastic.

And lint is related to types of fabric. And is mostly generated by movement of the material which can break the fibers.

I continue to evaluate how much lint is captured by the dryer which is most likely the cause of breaking the fibers.

I prefer less dust (mostly skin cells), which is much smaller than lint, on the equipment. 

I also think any mic that has been used for vocals should be allowed to dry for a while before being placed in closed containers.

Pop screens are supposed to help this. But???

Would be good to know of any science research about this and longevity of equipment.

jm24


I also think any mic that has been used for vocals should be allowed to dry for a while before being placed in closed containers.

Pop screens are supposed to help this. But???

Would be good to know of any science research about this and longevity of equipment.

I agree with that - I tend to leave mine open on the stand for an hour or two before covering them IF I leave them on the stand.

Covering them with cloth is not bad, it will help absorb any extra moisture.

Putting them in a box too soon may retain the moisture on the mics bits.

I surmise the relative humidity is also a factor.

Or maybe none of this matters.

I leave mine out of the cases, on stands, covered when not in use.

And wash the covers weekly. 

My friend the Bass player has 3 Shure SM 57's he bought when he started out back in the 70's. Around 1998 when I had my music store He brought them by and asked me to take them apart and clean the small windscreens. They mostly were smoke stained but not clogged up like you think they would be after over 20 years.  So after I cleaned them, out of curiosity, I plugged them in to the studio system and  A-B'd them with some brand new 57's. 
There was no difference at all. 
These mikes look liked hell and the small screens were dented. 
He still has them and they still sound great. 
Because I leave the foam windsocks on all my 57's and 58's they are well protected. I bought these smaller sized ones that fit the 57's and those are secured with black tape so they can't come off. 
The windsocks also protect them a bit more when they are dropped. 
If a singer hates a windsock, then I let them remove it but they are told to put it back when finished.
 I have a open top foam storage bin and they are all pointing straight up in there. At our rehearsal space they live in the stands for months on end.

I have one AKG condensor mike that is also always on the stand ready to use in the studio. It has a foam wind sock too. 
Don't worry about dust. 
There is a thin layer of foam inside most mikes that you can remove , clean or replace. 
  

I've never seen a mic die of too much dust or moisture (except gobbing into it)...

See::  none of this matters.

Layers of dust is nature's way of providing protection for,...

Never put mine away.... Happy to let them deteriorate at the same rate as my hearing is.
Would love to know the best eq cut/boost for a dusty diaphragm tho

With one singer I've had to work with recently, I've taken to putting the mics away BEFORE the session.

jb101


With one singer I've had to work with recently, I've taken to putting the mics away BEFORE the session.

 God, that's funny! 


I love this forum. I recently bought an SM57 and was thinking about everything mentioned here every time I looked at it sitting in it's stand.  Unfortunately, I'm anal AND lazy at the same time. I feel bad that it's sitting out, but can't bring myself to do anything about it... wait a minute...


OK, I just put it in it's fine leather case.


I feel better.