One-step record cleaning fluids

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by DK Pete, Oct 14, 2018.

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  1. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    ...can someone, to your experience, recommend the "best' one? I use Audio Intelligent solution no.6 but with mixed results and I find I really have to saturate the hell out of the vinyl surface and allow it to sit for a while before drying in order to get satisfactory results. My cleaning machine is the Record Doctor V which appears to be working fine. Thanks for any insight.
     
  2. leemelone

    leemelone Forum Resident

    Location:
    ATL
    This should be interesting. :-popcorn:
     
  3. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    ...oh boy.......:sigh:
     
  4. Pythonman

    Pythonman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    My favorite one step RCM fluid is TM-8. Leaves less residue than some bottled distilled water by the sound of it and really deep cleans.

    Don’t know if it’s thee best there is but it’s my new favorite by far.
     
    dusttones and mktracy like this.
  5. Wngnt90

    Wngnt90 Forum Resident

    I make my own. 20% isoprophyl alcohol (99%purity) 80% distilled water, and a few drops of Kodak Photoflo. (surfactant)
     
    Graham likes this.
  6. Nephrodoc

    Nephrodoc Forum Resident

    Wound up with AI #6 as well. Tried a homebrew and a few commercial brands and always go back to AI#6.
     
    DK Pete and ssmith3046 like this.
  7. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US
    Oh, boy, here I go. I'm tired of proselytizing it, but Mobile Fidelity's ONE record cleaner is fab. It's made with ultra pure lab grade alcohol (still the best cleaner for records) which you can't legally buy of that purity on your own. The other part of the solution is purified water, I guess and I think there's something else. I've said it a hundred times here, but it's amazing stuff and I'm the guy who hates to waste money, too, but I've laid out four times for a quart of of this stuff at $30 a bottle (I dont even pay that for booze!) and I will keep buying it. It's so purified, you can literally POOL IT on the surface of your record for a soak and it will evaporate with ZERO residual. The way it works is you put it on with a brush and clean the record, then let it dry and brush with a second brush to remove any dirt brought out by the ONE fluid. terrific stuff (even at damn $30 bucks a bottle! :rolleyes:) I've tried several homebrew and never came close to this result.
     
    The Revealer likes this.
  8. ssmith3046

    ssmith3046 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Arizona desert
    My favorite one step too.
     
  9. jon9091

    jon9091 Master Of Reality

    Location:
    Midwest
    That's one step? You don’t rinse it with distilled water after?
     
    vinylontubes likes this.
  10. Does it contain a surfactant and do you think it would be a suitable step prior to an ultrasonic cycle?
     
  11. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    I may give it a shot...is it recommended for vacuum dry machines?
     
  12. vinylontubes

    vinylontubes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Katy, TX
    I would try a rinse cycle before I changed fluids. I know it's less than ideal with a RD. I used to own one. Much easier with a wand system since you don't have to flip back and forth.

    If I had to suggest a single step fluid it would be MoFi for single step. It's alcohol based but not isopropyl alcohol. So it dries fast, no residue.

    I don't think there is a perfect fluid for every record. I would suggest having another fluid for filthy used records. But for new records, the MoFi solution seems like the best option. Myself, I don't mind rinsing. I've had good experiences with homebrew mixes. And I've recently tried out L'Art Du Son, I actually like it a lot. It's not cheap, but they sell you a concentrate, so a bottle will last me over a year. I clean a lot of records in year. I bought over 200 records a year over the past 5 years. So I don't want to spend a lot on fluids. I'll resort only to homebrew if I have to. I also have a bottle of Phoenix enzyme based cleaner for really filthy records. I let the Phoenix solution sit for about 5 minutes per side to activate. It's relatively cheap and works well, but I'm not waiting 5 minutes to clean a new record.
     
  13. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US
    I don't think it has a surfactant -- but I don't know. The formula isn't readily available.
     
  14. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US
    It says it's designed to let dry and then brush. So I don't know if you're getting the full effect by vaccuming it off while wet.
     
  15. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    so you just apply it, let dry and dust off...no wiping...interesting. Now I'm as much curious as anything else. Thanks for your suggestion.
     
  16. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    ...yea, it's more for the new records I'm curious about. The RD and AI solution are a perfect combination for used albums...and it works quite well...but I may find that the MoFi is the best way to go, all 'round...or use the MoFi for new albums and stick to the RD for used. Thank you both for your ideas.
     
  17. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US

    You do the brushing as you apply it. That’s the way I do use I use a mofi Velvet brush but you can use any brush that You have handy that can take liquid. I also use an old RadioShack clean sweep record purifier brush which you can pick up on eBay now and then for three or four bucks. Same material is on the mobile Fidelity brush: velvet.
     
  18. Wngnt90

    Wngnt90 Forum Resident

    No.
     
  19. E.Baba

    E.Baba Forum Resident

  20. caracallac

    caracallac Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ireland
    On all but the filthiest records L'Art du Son is all you'll ever need.
     
    Leonthepro and E.Baba like this.
  21. andy_0702

    andy_0702 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Croatia
    :thumbsup: yep.
     
  22. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    That's what I use with my Record Doctor V, and it works well.
     
  23. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    On really filthy flea market records, my method is:

    1.) place the disc on a flat work surface (I use this one.)
    1.) spray a light mist of distilled water onto a vintage Discwasher brush and, with a rolling motion, wipe off the top layer of dirt from the LP.
    2.) put 2-3 drop of LADS onto the disc and wipe in both directions with a Mobile Fidelity brush. LADS works best with just a light coating.
    3.) vacuum dry.
    4.) repeat steps 2 and 3.
    5.) spray a light mist of distilled water onto the disc, wipe with the MOFI brush, and vacuum.
     
  24. Mitsuman

    Mitsuman Diamond Tone Junkie

    Location:
    Missouri
    Disc Doctor Miracle Record Cleaner, with Disc Doctor brush, followed with a Distilled water rinse and dry with Scott toilet tissue. Carbon fiber brush before playing. Done.
     
  25. TheVU

    TheVU Forum Resident

    Last has a solution. It doesn’t look cheap however.
     
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