Ripping my hair out trying to figure out the best way to clean my records on a budget. Send help!!!

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by ILikeMusic, Jan 18, 2017.

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  1. ILikeMusic

    ILikeMusic New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago
    So it feels like I've done hours of research on the best way to clean records from the elusive and legendary
    "vintage dicswasher" to the loyal hunt 6 brush and the more research I do the worse it gets. So far I've just been using a Microfiber cloth and distilled water (apparently my tears aren't good enough). I don't really have the money for one of those 70-100 dollar systems although (I'd gladly accept one for my birthday present if anyone wants to send me one). Long story short I read the carbon fiber ones can shed bristles even the respected brands and "this is bad" but, oh wait, "its the best" and then I read more and "its the devil don't unless you hate your records". I've done hours of research to spend 10 dollars before and it seems dumb to buy something to have it suck and need to spend more later. This is my first post on the this forum so eager to see what everyone has to say.
     
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  2. russk

    russk Forum Resident

    Location:
    Syracuse NY
    Record Doctor from Audio Advisor. Works just as well as the VPI and Okki Nokki. Only difference is you have to turn it by hand and it's only 200 bucks. You'll still need a decent brush to use in between vacuumings. I have the Audioquest carbon fiber brush, I think the whole fine scratches thing is overblown, and s Revolv goat hair brush. Both purchased from Audio Advisor. I do like the goat hair brush a little better. It's seems to get dust and the stray pet hair off easier.
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2017
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  3. Cheapskate here to try and help...

    Dead turntable + hockey puck + mini-Shop-Vac (can still be used for other chores if needed) fitted with microfiber cloth on tip

    Solution made of 1/3 CHEAP white vinegar 2/3 distilled water; cleans quickly and efficiently (incl. most finger smudges) with not much elbow grease.

    Rinse under tap + dry with paper towel.

    Re-rinse with distilled water + vacuum dry. Let dry good on some rack.
     
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  4. OP says he don't have the money for 100 bucks system.
     
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  5. russk

    russk Forum Resident

    Location:
    Syracuse NY
    Whoops read that as 700 dollars.

    Buying all the stuff to go the do it yourself route cost me around 100 bucks and after that experience I'd recommend saving up the extra 100 bucks to get the Record Doctor kit or a KAB EV1 from KABUSA.com which is like 160 bucks.

    I tried the sink, the do it yourself route, and a friend's spin clean. None worked anywhere near as well and a few records ended up with label damage or scratches.
     
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  6. chervokas

    chervokas Senior Member

    Personally there's no wet cleaning system I've been satisfied with outside of a vacuum system since the old Oribtrac (I can't understand why in the vinyl revival someone hasn't brought that back) -- because I think drying and getting all the liquid out of the grooves quickly and deeply makes a difference in terms of residue left behind and noise from that residue. I've never been satisfied with air drying or towel drying. Somehow the Orbitrac pad fibers seemed to do the trick though. That had to be a microfiber cloth over a pad so maybe there's some similar pads out there that can pull stuff out of the grooves with capillary action. But other people report satisfactory success with air trying or towel drying. Are you using those really fine microfiber clothes that are used for cleaning photography and eyeglass lenses? At least a lint-free lens cloth will do no harm.

    I like a record cleaning solution that has alcohol as a solvent because it evaporates quickly and it is actually a solvent, which obviously water alone isn't -- the water won't really dissolve any stubborn stuff and unless you do something to break its surface tension it won't really spread into the grooves. I make my own with distilled water, around 20% isopropyl, and just a dash of some kind of surfactant. You can buy a little supply of the the Library of Congress' preferred surfactant/detergent, Tergitol, from Amazon now, and dilute it with distilled water to make a fluid. But that'll still cost you some money -- circa $25.

    For loose, surface dust, which is for the most part all you'll need to clean on new LPs, a carbon fiber brush is OK or one of those Decca/Hunt style combo velvet and carbon fiber brushes is OK, a can of compressed air is OK (but don't accidentally get any propellant on the record), just one of those things you squeeze to blast out air to clean sensitive surfaces is OK. Someone will have a reason why each of these is a lousy choice, and have some other preferred method. Don't get too hung up on extreme Internet opinion about every little thing. Nothing's perfect, but you'll get by OK with any of those, the least potentially problematic being just that kind of squeezing puffers of the sort that might be used in darkrooms or to clean cameras.

    For deep cleaning, if you have really dirty records or you're buying beater used records, well, if that's your plan, save your sheckles and buy the Record Doctor that @russk is talking about. But for $25-35 you can get a couple of lens cloths, an air puffer, a tube of Tergitol and some distilled water and be cleaning records the LoC way.
     
  7. richbdd01

    richbdd01 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    Blow on the record and a quick wipe across my shirt :laugh:
     
  8. Marshall_SLX

    Marshall_SLX Rega P9/RB2000

    Heres something i made and posted a while back... cheap version dont make a table just but a $10 plastic lazy susan off ebay the same type as mine and make the vacuum wand from pipe wrapped in microfibre cloth or if you like you can buy nitty gritty velvet pads for like $25 for a pack of 4... you can cheap out on the record clamp by using anti slip draw mat glued to a piece of mdf, it wont protect the label but it will spin the record... all that might cost $50-$70 incl the vacuum at the most it you dont have any of it at home already.
    ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Hi all,
    Recently finished making a DIY RCM and thought i would post up some pics for others thinking of doing the same. I realise there are other posts on this but i think this is a very simple design that most could follow and ive had great results so far.

    Pictures:

    Postimage.org — free image hosting / image upload »

    This is a bit of a prototype model and is yet to be refined however even in its current form is highly effective and very cheap. I will list my parts and measurements but be aware this is all metric.

    I used MDF to make the table which isnt ideal but its cheap and once its painted its ok. Size up to you really mine is 450mm x 350mm and 300mm high 16 mm thick.

    The turntable is a cheap lazy susan off ebay $10USD or so (type multipurpose turntable in ebay). I am using an audio technica felt mat but you could DIY anything. What i dont recommend here is anti slip shelf liner or those thin yoga mats as they leave a residue on the record.

    The vacuum wand is made from the following:
    -25mm pvc pipe 120mm long with a 100mm long slot
    -25mm 90 degree angle joint with a 40mm 25mm pvc pipe joiner
    -I used a chair leg rubber end to plug the end of the pipe but gluing an acrylic disc here would be better
    -The actual vacuum slot is made from 1.5mm acrylic plate (3mm would be better) cut to 30mm wide and 100mm long with a 95mm long slot cut into it (used a dremel mini angle grinder disc), super glued to the slot cut in the pipe
    -The vacuum brushes are genuine nitty gritty pads which work way better than trying to DIY with velvet ribbon and worth the extra cost
    -I suggest making 2 vacuum wands, one for fluid wash and one for distilled water rinse
    [​IMG]

    The label clamp and what is also used to spin the record is made from the following:
    -The top is a 90mm pvc end cap
    -The middle is a 3mm acrylic disc with 100mm diameter superglued to the end cap
    -The bottom is a 105mm outside diameter O-Ring which is actually called quad ring (x shaped square seals way better than the round or regular square o rings), the cross section on the oring is 4mm, this is superglued to the acrylic disc
    -The whole thing is drilled through the middle
    -The turn table has a hole drilled into it with an M6 bolt glued into the hole
    -A wingnut screws down onto the top of the clamp to secure the record and stop it from slipping whilst being rotated
    -Done with accurate measurements this is highly effective and will not slip or leak
    -Side note dont use super glue as it leaches into the plastic and discolours it

    The under side of the table is made up of 25mm pipe and 25mm pvc straight couplings. I used a hole saw to cut the holes in the table. I also cut a slot into the long pipe on the under side with a slide piece so i can vary the level of suction. I use a 1250 watt wet dry vac and at full suction i think its perfect. This whole thing will cost $120 max including buying a wet dry vac.

    Cheers Guys.
     
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  9. I also made a vacuum RCM out of a dead turntable, a shop vac and some PVC plumbing. I got fancy and mounted it all in an old dry sink cabinet I had and wired in a switch but my total cost was under $75. I've used it for 4 years or so and it works great. I use a homemade solution of about 30%isopropyl alcohol, pure distilled water and a couple drops of dawn soap and Jetdry dishwasher cleaner. I wash/vacuum, then rinse with pure water vacuum. I gave my Spin Dry away.
    It might not be fancy but it works very well and sits hidden from view in my living room where I can clean a record without any fuss or delay.
    Late edit.
    I also use a hockey puck ( Canadian eh) and turn it manually.
     
  10. richbdd01

    richbdd01 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    I remember as a kid saying to my grandfather....'this record looks dirty'....before i could do anything, he grabbed at the record and proceeded to clean it aggressively in a circular motion with a tissue. Bless him. Needless to say, the record was then covered in a variety of marks :laugh:. True story. He did buy me the record though and it only ended up going on my crosley- type player anyway! :shake:
     
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  11. sberger

    sberger Dream Baby Dream

    Are you experiencing a lot of noise on your records? Are you buying a lot of really dirty, beat up records? Unless the answer to either/both is yes don't worry so much about it. I've been a collector for 40 years. I hardly ever use my Nitty Gritty. A dry run with my Discwasher normally is all it takes, along with a clean of my stylus, and my records are quiet. I typically don't buy records in very poor shape. .25 cent specials, etc. but I buy and own a lot of old records, and hardly ever anything other then the very tire pop or click, or maybe some minor background noise.

    So my advice is to enjoy your records, unless there is a lot of issues that is really bothering you. In that case it might help to get a wet cleaner. Or another method to enjoy music. Records are not the be all end all to achieving this.

    In any event, good luck.
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2017
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  12. Marshall_SLX

    Marshall_SLX Rega P9/RB2000

    Doesnt matter even if hes buying new, still should be cleaning
     
  13. sberger

    sberger Dream Baby Dream

    In your opinion.
     
  14. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Brushes don't clean records, period. They only do a light surface dusting. You'll need to wet clean via a spin clean-like device or RCM. Save up your money until you can afford to buy a ready made one or build your own as discussed above. There are tons of shortcuts and half-assed ways to clean records that are a frankly a waste of time (been there, done that). Google for those.
     
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  15. Prism

    Prism Damn Dirty Ape!

    Location:
    Miami
    I use the Spin Clean system. It works well for me, though I try to only by records in near mint condition (or new). Its only $80 or so and is recommended by Analog Planet / Michael Fremer.
     
  16. Scott Davies

    Scott Davies Forum Resident

    Spin Clean is a stinker, with it's surface only velvet pads that bow out towards the bottom so you do not clean the outer most groove. The Knosti Disco Antistat is similar but better because it uses brushes that dig deeper, and I love the crank on the latest version, although the "improved" label clamps still do not stop the label from getting a bit wet. There is a brand new Knosti rip off that was just released domestically. The parts are all almost identical with a few slight changes, mainly to the base:

    VNST10060261 Vinyl Styl™ Deep Groove Record Washer System - Vinyl Styl »

    But I'm a firm believer that you cannot wet a record and let it simply air dry. I use a different homemade solution that I rinse off and blot (not rub) dry. Deep cleaning only comes from immersing the records, no simple brush will do the job.
     
  17. PhilBiker

    PhilBiker sh.tv member number 666

    Location:
    Northern VA, USA
    Am I the only one who's never obsessed about cleaning records? If I get a record that has fingerprints and debris I clean it under the sink with mild hand washing soap. Otherwise I either use my old vintage Discwasher brush (with fluid only if the record's really dirty) or the MFSL Microfiber brush that's currently available.
     
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  18. P2CH

    P2CH Well-Known Member

    I've been using the Record Doctor vacuum, but I just recently added one final step to my simple method. I use the supplied brush and work the solution back and forth like I'm painting the deck. I vacuum that side, do the other side, vacuum that side but then I take the record over to my hair dryer (I know you're cringing now) and I carefully let it blow warm air, from a distance, to dry up the remaining liquid.

    It's worked well for me.
     
  19. russk

    russk Forum Resident

    Location:
    Syracuse NY
    I don't obsess about it. I give used purchases a spin on my Record Doctor before playing and have been slowly working my way through my collection. It does provide a nice decrease in surface noise. In fact I've noticed quite an improvement in playback now that I'm using the Record Doctor and a Onzow Zero Dust. You don't have to run an album through the RCM Everytime you use it. More like once every 20 or 25 times or so. My stylus get touched to the Zero Dust before every session.
     
  20. konut

    konut Prodigious Member. Thank you.

    Location:
    Whatcom County, WA
    I can send you my hair to"rip out". Will that help?
     
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  21. ggoat!!!

    ggoat!!! Member

    Location:
    Houma, Louisiana
    Back in the day, when I had a record that I cleaned over and over and over by hand (before the record machine craze) and was STILL noisy, I'd play them wet and record them.

    Literally soaking wet; I'd create a pool of water on the top of the record by dripping a clean wet washcloth over it as it spun on the turntable. Worked AMAZINGLY well; no more noise, no more audible dirt whatsoever. I don't know if the frequency response or wow/flutter suffered, but man did it make noisy albums 100% silent. Those recordings sound superb today.

    Of course, it made a mess, and this was a last resort to just get a perfect copy of the record...it didn't hurt the LPs of course, and they could then be cleaned properly with a proper apparatus which I did years later.

    I found an old 45 of a Sons of the Pioneers "Diesel Smoke" in a basement that had been in an old wet cardboard box for 50 years that I could NOT get to play after scrubbing it with every chemical I could find...just sounded like I was playing a rock. I played it wet and while still scratchy from the lack of care for half a century, the difference was night and day between playing the dry "cleaned" record and playing it while bathed in water. The recording I obtained sounds GREAT...scratchy, but not noisy/hissy...full, rich, vibrant, and thick.
     
  22. BKphoto

    BKphoto JazzAllDay

    I spin clean...

    1 round with solution and filtered water,

    rinse sin clean off, take apart brushes, etc, make sure all debris and cleaning solution is gone, then send records through a distilled water rinse...(important step that most don't do...)

    I have racks to hold them ( do around 15 or so at a time) let them drip for a couple mins...microfiber towel dry the rest, put in fresh mofi sleeve and there you go...

    relatively cheap and does a great job...
     
  23. PhilBiker

    PhilBiker sh.tv member number 666

    Location:
    Northern VA, USA
    ...And yet you describe "ripping your hair out".:shrug:
     
  24. Rentz

    Rentz Forum Resident

    Location:
    Texas
    cheap method is to get two oil drain pan and a paint edging brush.
    you can buy a disc cleaning solution or try distilled water and small amount of dish soap (dawn) and the other pan with distilled water.
    i got mixed results doing this, i think the main issue is the air dry/wiping with a rag which induces dust ...at least in my experience.
    So i bought a spin clean which basically does the exact same thing but its quicker, still not perfect.
    ultimately i will add a vaccumm cleaning system to dry these.

    i have heard of people using ionized hair dryers, you could try that.

    all of these methods are also improved by not having hair to rip out
     
    ILikeMusic likes this.
  25. curbach

    curbach Some guy on the internet

    Location:
    The ATX
    Certainly not worth ripping one's hair out. It ain't rocket science despite what the more anal retentive OCD lp collectors will tell you. The good ol' kitchen sink method is cheap and effective.
     
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