Out of curiosity, I'm wondering how many people here are actually "for" not cleaning new, sealed vinyl? I've always believed that it was necessary; however, at this point I am not so sure any more. For the record - I do not own any expensive vacuum cleaning machine. I own a Spin Clean and a Vinyl Vac, which I have used for the last while. But I find that this actually can destroy the listening experience sometimes because every pop, click, and crackle I hear I'm left wondering if I actually caused it during the cleaning process. I just played a sealed copy of the 2013 pressing of "Ella and Louis" (Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong - Ella And Louis ) and, just for kicks, I thought I would play it without cleaning it, minus a dusting with my carbon fibre brush. Silence between tracks and maybe a pop or two throughout, but it was one of the quietest listening experiences with vinyl I have ever had. I will always wet clean used records. But, I'm wondering if there is any absolute reason why I should not play new records without cleaning them first (other than with carbon fibre brush). Will I ruin the record? Will I ruin my stylus? New records are bought every day and there are no "warnings" to clean these albums before play. Will there be automatic destruction of my stylus/new records without at least wet cleaning? I fully realize this is a controversial topic, and there may not be a 100% correct answer. But, looking to be persuaded if a full cleaning of new, unplayed, sealed records is actually needed? Many thanks.
I clean new vinyl. It’s made in a factory, not a clean room. One of the filthiest records I can recall was brand new/sealed.
I always clean new vinyl before playing. Always. If I wanted a crystal clear listening experience, with complete silence in between tracks, I'd listen to CDs....
You've written your poll question in the negative, and I actually answered contrary to what I believe, and then had to change my vote when I realized how the question was worded.
Besides the factory contamination issue there is another reason to clean a new record: removing factory mold release. This is the lubricant used to ease the record out of the stamping mold -- often teflon these days. Have tried both methods myself and have fallen into the habit of listening to the record first and if it is pristine, keeping it that way and just doing the dusting routine. Many of the 45rpm audiophile and better labels (Speakers Corner), when new, seem to be quiet, occasionally very much so. But I still find that every third record has problems, typically serious ones that can range from cleaning requirements to out and out pressing defects.
The mold release/lubricant thing is something that I've research a lot about and there seems to be such a wide range of opinions on this (Everything from there is none to absolute certainty). I've just listened to a couple of new, sealed albums without cleaning that sound fantastic and have minimal surface noise (virtually none, except in a few places...and I know well enough at this point that playing with absolute zero surface noise is really not possible). I do know that many new records are sub-par and do come with defects, so if I play a new record (without my cleaning routine) and if it's crap, then I think I'll take it back for a replacement (I have done this before and most places are good about vinyl exchanges/replacements). Some may need a quick wet clean with the Spin Clean, and I'm happy to do that, if necessary. I have a strong stylus, and I clean it after each play with the great Audio Technica stylus cleaner: https://www.amazon.ca/Audio-Technica-AT617a-Cartridge-Stylus-Cleaner/dp/B07JJ327T9. I'll always clean used vinyl, that's a given. But if I have payed $30-40 bucks for a new record, then it should play pretty well out of the sleeve. If not, it does not deserve my money. I also have thought rationally about manually cleaning new records and, truth be told, I'm sure that it probably does add some new surface noise to the records. When you think of all that it comes into contact with, all the dust and artifacts in the air, the contamination of Spin Clean water as soon as the first record hits the water...there has to be some unintended damage (even with the most upmost care). I guess that's why people go with the very expensive vacuum machines..
I voted no. I have a VPI 16.5 RCM that I have been cleaning records with for about 10 years. For about 10 years before that, I was manually cleaning records using the Disc Doctor system. For about 30 years before that, I did no cleaning at all. When I first got the VPI, I began cleaning new records out of habit, but soon realized there really was no difference. If it is visibly dirty or dusty, I'll vacuum with some distilled water but I've found that to be rare with most of the new records I buy.
No vinyl (new or used) touches my turntable platter and sees the stylus of my cartridge until it is thoroughly cleaned.
I clean every record I get, new or used. I have a process that I trust to get the records truly clean before I put them on the turntable.
Have ever played a new record without cleaning first? Did you notice a substantial difference in the quality after you cleaned?
I only clean brand new/sealed records if they look dirty or have any sort of debris on them. And yes, a fair amount of new LPs do have some kind of crap on them - it's annoyingly common in my experience. The worst offenders these days are LPs pressed at GZ - they always have those white lines that seems to consist of dried residue from the glue they use for the seams of the inner sleeves. Occasionally, I'll play a clean-looking brand new LP without cleaning, and there will be a little tuft of dust on the stylus after playing one side, and when that happens, then I'll clean the record.
Most have visible debris that I don't want being intercepted by my cartridge. If I am handling a new or used album, 99% of the time it is to rip it. Cleaning all the vinyl I rip provides a more quiet capture and less clean-up afterwards on my part.
It’s not detrimental, but I clean new records anyway. Records are dirty and get dirty, always, no matter how careful you are. I hate it. It’s a painful and frustrating hobby that I willingly participate in for reasons I can’t logically explain.
Here you go: Explanation of how vinyl records are made/pressed - The Last Factory For an excellent, VERY LONG, discussion of all of the elements associated with record cleaning, FROM THIS SITE, see the following by an established chemist: A (Very Long) Primer on Record Cleaning Fluids His discussion of the pluses and minuses of addressing factory mold lubricants is enlightening.
I clean all new records. I also replace most inner sleeves with good rice paper inners. I get annoyed with the poor quality inner sleeves provided with a lot of new vinyl.
Several people in this thread - Question about cleaning/washing Vinyl - assert that there is no mold release used in the pressing of records today.
I don't clean a new record just for the sake of it. I'll play the record first to determine if it requires treatment or not , then proceed accordingly. I do put the pressing in a good quality sleeve though .
I guess my collection / buying of records is 80% used / 20% new. I always wet vacuum clean both. As new records are often packaged in card or paper inner sleeves with no poly / antistat liner I find paper dust and static to be a huge issue. Not to mention scratches and lip warps caused by too tight packaging. Plus used records smell better (most of the time).
From what I've found in research, by actually asking people who make records, there is no such thing as a "mold release" agent or a lubricant applied during pressing. Some of the record manufacturers actually have videos on their websites of the steps in making a record. None of the videos show that anything is added during pressing a record. However, the vinyl used to press records with is not pure PVC and is actually a mix. Color is added and at that time other things might be added to aid in the record pressing and playing process. This can't be cleaned off of a record because it is a part of it. If you know and understand how a record is pressed then you would realize that there is no need for a mold release agent. Last summer, I was speaking with Steve Sheldon of Rainbo Records. He told me that the vinyl pucks are 260 degrees when they are automatically put in the presses. The presses further super-heat the vinyl as the presses close with steam running through them. Then, before the presses open, they are cooled down using cold water replacing the steam. When the presses open and release the records, they are trimmed and stacked. At that point, the record can be handled with bare hands. So, through the process of heating and cooling, the records shrink and pull themselves from the stampers.
A record is new and unplayed only once. Other than removing dust or paper scraps from a new record and removing static electricity, that is the extent of any type of cleaning which might be done before playing a brand new record. Unless a new record has a problem, resulting in pops and ticks from remnants of vinyl flashings left behind, cleaning a new record is unnecessary and can also negatively affect the sound. With the recent Mofi audiophile release of the Yes album "Fragile", it took 3 sets to make one good set and of the two I kept, one record had to be replaced to make a second good set. Multiple cleanings on my VPI RCM didn't help. Ofcourse cleaning a new record can't correct edge warp or an off-center pressing, nor can it correct any other physical defects.
