Record cleaning on the cheap :)

Holy cow, I can't believe there is yet ANOTHER thread based on dubious record cleaning procedures and the sharing of yet more misinformation. I've already posted in two other similar threads this week. I can't believe I'm gonna do it again but - I feel compelled.

People, if you want to actually improve the sound of your records via cleaning then you need to invest in a proper vacuum record cleaning machine at some point. All these other methods are home remedies that at best do almost nothing to improve the sound or the noise floor and at worst are damaging your records, either the labels or the grooves themselves. Tap water, paint pads, scouring pads, wood glue, submerging entire records (!) or allowing labels to be exposed directly to water are not proven methods and if anything, are thought to be extremely risky to dollar records and priceless records alike.

**If you are a beginner or just thinking about getting into record cleaning please check out the many other threads on the forum about wonderful machines like the VPI 16.5 the Okki Nokkis or even the Nitty Grittys (they are out of business now so support / repairs may be difficult which would be a caveat). As another forum member stated in the last one of these threads, these machines are not cost prohibitive nor are they cheap but they are essential for anyone that is serious about cleaning records.

 

The water here in Sweden is probably cleaner than in any other country in the world as a matter of fact.

But that doesnt even matter as I dont use tap water for cleaning, only distilled. So the answer is pretty much nothing except H2O.

 

I use SB and a blast with the tap, then a spray with distilled. My vinyl's void of all clicks & pops. Mabey I'm just lucky.

 

Vinyl records are made of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) -- the same material that water pipes are made of. Therefore how can water damage them?

 

Do your homework by reading the zillion threads that discuss why tap water shouldn’t be anywhere near vinyl records and then we can discuss further, ok?

 

I am sorry but the OP's method would not be worse or better than a vcm...

 

Its not the water that does, the people against tap water still use distilled water. Its the other stuff thats in the water and thats the whole point of why distilled is used.
And how can we compare pipes to records? They function in completely different ways and as such are susceptible to different kinds of problems to work optimally.
No one ever said tap water melts a record though, its just not preferable.

 

At what exactly, and have you tested this scientifically or something?

 

Perhaps some local tap water is so hard and mineral laden that it might leave deposits behind. MIGHT. I routinely use a simple tap water rinse (a little detergent spread with fingers under water stream if needed) and immediately wipe with microfiber. I own a spin clean which also works well, but once I found the simple sink method worked just as well, the spin clean has remained in its box since. I have not avoided getting labels wet and not one has bubbled, peeled, or been worse for wear after cleaning, out of hundreds of records cleaned in the sink.

My records sound wonderful and I just don't buy the RCM orthodoxy. If the vacuum feeds a need for you, awesome, but those of us with positive experience doing other aren't buying the "must use RCM" or "must use vacuum" line. Records are very, very durable and made for regular consumer (read hard handling) use. Records may be some of the most durable, longest lasting objects in our lives when you think about it. This kid glove stuff is nonsense.

 

At cleaning records, he basically does manually what a vcm does.

 

Yeah, he's just using a more manual version of a vacuum based RCM. He's even using label protectors, at least in the photo examples he posted, so labels are protected and his cleaning solution is triton based, which is a good product to use. Nothing that different other than manual vs less manual IMO. At least in this case.

 

Nice little nonsense dig you threw in there (I'll let that fly) but an RCM is hardly the the "kid glove" treatment. It's the bare minimum, it's industry / hobby standard and has been proven to significantly improve noise floor and sonics since its inception decades ago.

 

I agree about the kid glove stuff as some people, to me, go over board.

Fluids pretty much all work the same IMO for the majority of records that have a, what I call, normal level of dirt. Things start to change when dealing with dirtier records but for the most part, most people would be ok with just about any non-vinyl damaging formula. Use what you like to use.

I would say that the reason you haven't ruined any labels is mostly down to the records you are buying, a combination of era and record company budgets has helped you. A lot of what I buy, would not survive water damage and that's from personal experience.

In addition, RCMs aren't recommended because they are gentle on records but because they use a vacuum to suck up the liquid along with the dirt. I would not be able to enjoy a large majority of my records if I did not have a VRCM as a manual clean would not suffice. That's down to the records I'm buying and if I was buying much later pressings I'd probably feel different. I've played records before a clean if they look fine and of course they played fine. But others, went from VG to NM after a vacuum clean and that would not have happened with a manual clean, based on my experience.

People really have to use the method they are happiest with and works for them. If I was buying records pressed from the late 70's onwards an RCM would probably not be worth it. I rarely find records from that era and later to be excessively dirty. Most only need a quick water only rinse IMO.

 

I'm happy with my Record Doctor, which is a nice happy medium between manual and totally automated cleaning.

Use a heavy flat mofi cleaning brush and pads and a liberal use of the cleaning fluid to get in the grooves. Then choose my own adventure on the rotation speed while vacuuming. Does the trick for me. The ultrasonic stuff fascinates me, but not to the extent that I'm willing to spend the money on it.

 

The Record Doctor does indeed seem like a fantastic deal for someone who wants to get into RCMs to see what they can do. Nice!

 

Inching up on 15 years with mine > a great investment! No regrets!

 

This has to be an OK method for cleaning dollar records at the very least. I had a cheaply bought copy of "The Story Of The Who" that was horribly dirty, it came up wonderfully clean and sounded great using the JC process. I don't own an RCM, but a local record store has one, and charges £1.50 per side to have an LP cleaned, so I get my more precious records done there.

 

A lovely day for cleaning records,here's what i do.
first give them a soak in tepid water.I use a purpose made label protector i bought from the states
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I like this record protectors, I have one, but it is solid white. I like that you can visually see if the label is getting wet through seepage.

I initially used a record protector when I went through and cleaned all of my old records.

After that, I was watching a video, where a member was just putting them directly into the wash bath. He showed his cleaning process from start to finish, where he was also air drying them with a coated file rack like the OP's. He was not trying to achieve archival quality results, he just wanted to give them a quick bath, before playing any of them. Which, I think, is a smart move.

After they were dry, he showed close-up's of the labels and they all appeared to be fine.

So that I what I do now, and I find that it works just fine. If I have a rare or pristine record that I want to take extra care to preserve, I use the label protector.

I prepare a 10% Triton X-100 stock solution. I pour out 11 Oz. from the gallon of distilled water (in the red cap). I pour in 8 Oz. of rubbing alcohol and 3 Oz. of the Trition X-100 10% stock solution.

I use two Chicago style, aluminum deep dish pizza pans, one for the wash and one for the final rinse.

Since the records are not "grungy" there is no real need to soak them (*unless they are). But I do use a Mo-Fi brush that has replaceable pads. It is more expensive than a paint pad, but it is specifically designed for wet or dry record cleaning.

In looking at the amount of soap suds that you are producing, you might be going a tad heavy on the Triton X-100 solution, which according to the Chemist over at AK "You're doing it all wrong", where I got this formula, he was suggesting a Triton X-100 final solution of anywhere between .0%1 and .05 %. He also suggested the use of alcohol, which is a good solvent, but not kind to vinyl in larger concentrations. F.Y.I.

Not really, I also wash off the Triton X-100 solution before placing them in the final rinse bath, so as to not over contaminate the rinse bath with the wetting agent / detergent. After that, I just blot them dry with a microfiber cloth and a bath towel and let air dry before I place it inside a new Mi-Fi inner sleeve.

No it is definitely not preferable, as you have previously mentioned "it does leave a mark".

NEVER, let tap water dry on the surface of the record, it will dry and leave behind minerals which will be impossible to properly remove without incurring permanent record damage.

After I went through and meticulously had cleaned all of my used records (I don't personally care to clean new ones, not at this point anyway), I had only one label, "The Sound of Music" that came out with a slightly damaged label, and that was because I did not have the record protector tightened up enough and there was water seepage.

When I do my $2 used record purchases, I put them directly into the wash bath and go through the entire cleaning process of submerging the record in the wash solution, rinsing under the sink and then the final rinse bath in the pizza pan and there was zero noticeable difference in the label, before and after.

* If your records do have a lot of crud on them, you can include enzymes in your soaking bath. No need to pay for fancy "record cleaning" enzymes, you can purchase the enzymes at your local pharmacy. You can also add a couple of drops of Hepastat 256 to your Triton X-100 solution. It is a disinfectant that is used in Hospitals, that is excellent in mitigating mold's.

 

Each time I play an album, I use a carbon fiber brush for 10 revolutions, and then a damp disc washer brush for 2-3 revolutions.

Caution - potential freak out coming up:

For very dirty used records, I wash the records in the kitchen sink. I put a pencil the center hole of the record, spin the record. While the record is spinning, I blast the record grooves from water in the sink's squirt gun. If the LP is really dirty, I'll rub some dish washing liquid on the album, and spin and blast again. after both sides are washed, I lay the record on a clean cotton towel, and gently run a soft cloth around the grooves to dry the record. Than let the record air dry for an hour. My father recommended this method when I was a teen in the late 70's, and it works really well for very dirty records.

 

Towels of any sort, paper or cotton or . . . all leave debris on the records. You'd be better off just air drying them or getting a small fan to speed up the process.

 

Personally speaking, I don't trust tap water. You can never be sure what people have done in it...

 

letting sit while drying can also increase dust build up. Sleeve them ASAP.

 

Cant do that if you dont have something like an RCM though.

 

With or without. Sleeve when dry. And use a new sleeve.

 

Here is another manual cleaning system that is under $100 and looks promising. Available from Amazon.

Vinyl Styl Deep Groove Record Washer System




Here is another manual record cleaner that is also available from Amazon for only $35.75

Vinyl Record Cleaning System with Cleaning Solution and Soft Pads Included



What I like about these designs are that the cleaning reservoir's are small and don't require a lot of cleaning fluid. They take up only a small footprint and you don't need a lot of space to store or to use them. They both seem to be simple, yet effective. I'm thinking of trying one of them. I think maybe the one above.