Hi people I am Florens and I am pretty new to vinyl. I have a question and I just wanted to know what are your thoughts. I use a antistatic record cleaning spray in some of my records. After applying the spray I let it dry for a few hours before playing. After cleaning the record still has some pops and crackles. Do I need to rinse the record with distilled water after cleaning? Will this make a difference? Cheers!
Yeah, if you're not wiping the record in any way you're not cleaning it. Yes, distilled water is good. Then wipe with a soft, absorbant cloth. But think about investing in something that really gets in there and cleans the grooves. There are lots of options. I use the old-school fully manual Spin-Clean. Cheap and effective.
Thanks. But what is the best way to rinse it off? Do I just put water on the record, wipe it around with the soft cloth and let it dry? Or is there a better way to do it?
A distilled water rinse is exactly that. You might do better to use a purpose-made brush, like a Disc Doctor, than a cloth. However, you should know you are not cleaning the record in any significant way by spraying it with that solution. A Spin-Clean is the minimum requirement. You can go a lot further than that and spend a lot of money, but there are great rewards. I'd rather play a well-cleaned record on a poor system than a dirty record on a great system. It's that important!
The spray and wipe method of cleaning records do absolutely jack-all as you're merely moving around dust and dirt in the grooves instead. Been there, done that myself. What you'll need is something like a Spin Clean or if you have the budget, a vacuum-based Record Doctor cleaning machine to get the dust and dirt out, along with using actual cleaning fluid.
Possibly the best method would be ultrasonic cleaning which I do and recommend. In terms of ati-static/cleaning spray only use gruv glide. It should be sprayed incredibly small amount as a line on the supplied pad. It’s best to use it on ultrasonically cleaned records not the dirty ones.
I have many use records cleaned with only an Audio Technica 6012 and 91% alcohol that play likely better than new. I've tried the Spin Clean, the Disco, as well as the Vinyl Styl Deep Groove basin cleaners. They're meh. People that think cloth and fluid can't remove dirt from a record should try it on a window sometime, they might be amazed. Once dirt is suspended in fluid, mopping up said fluid brings the dirt with it. Yes, the same way mopping a floor works.
You mean to say that all the people who use machines that work on those principles but are automated to some degree such as VPI, NittyGritty, Monks, Loricraft, AudioDesk, Klaudio and Degritter machines are wrong? Big claim. Evidence?
I'd like to suggest a few inexpensive to fairly inexpensive possibilities. You really need to do more than what you are doing now. Here are some inexpensive ( total investment less than $200) ways to get a record thoroughly cleaned. One possibility is to get a couple of basins. Spin Clean is the most well known but the knock offs will work just as well. With one basin put the cleaning solution of your choice in and in the other put distilled water. Pick up a small shop vac (wet/dry vac) and vinyl vac attachment. Clean with one basin, vacuum (you'll need an old broken TT or a lazy Susan to put it on) rinse in the 2nd basin and vacuum. Air dry (use a dish rack) and you should be good to go. Another possibility is to get a manual RCM. There is a guy in Canada that makes one called Squeaky Clean for $144 that works great. Again you will need a shop vac, but you don't need the basins or vinyl vac attachment. You will need some spray bottles and some brushes. I do two cleans with a vacuum and rinse in between each Put your cleaning solution(s) in the spray bottles. Fill another one with distilled water. You simply spray on solution and vacuum, then spray on again and brush while turning on the squeaky clean, vacuum, then rinse by spraying distilled water and brush (use a dedicated brush), vacuum, then spray again (but don't brush) and vacuum. The water should bead up indicating all the solution has been rinsed off. Put the cleaned records on a dish rack and allow to completely dry. As others have indicated what you are doing now isn't really going to be very effective. More detailed process and formula directions are found in the booklet I referenced in an earlier post. Good Luck
i don’t think he needs the 190 page dissertation at this stage of the hobby Florens - yes you should probably do a distilled water rinse then wipe with microfiber cloth to dry. Used dirty beat up records will need some home brew solution like 90pct distilled water, 10pct isopropyl alcohol, one drop of dish soap first, wipe with one cloth, then distilled rinse with second cloth. I used this method when I first got into vinyl - Lay record down on clean microfiber cloth, spray home brew on one side, trying to avoid label but getting fluid in the grooves and letting it sit a minute, then firmly but not roughly scrub with one cloth, dry with second cloth. Then using distilled water for a quick rinse and drying again. Flip and do side two. Not as good as a record cleaner machine but it did make a noticeable improvement that I kept cleaning other records. Keep in mind cleaning records can’t fix scuffs and scratches, some old records are just gonna be noisy. But cleaning them should still make some improvement getting the dirt out. Maybe you take a G record to listenable VG, that’s worth the effort for me if you stick with the hobby, a spin clean or a vacuum cleaner like the Squeaky Clean should be on your radar. Cleaning records is the first big sound upgrade you can do, and a spin clean will do a better job than home brew and cloths, plus it’s a little faster than home brew. I could set up, resleeve, clean, dry, and a second rinse in clean distilled water, clean up and put away about 10 records in an hour which is about as much as I wanted to do at one time. Home brew took me maybe 5-7 per hour depending how dirty
Well I can't prove that there exists no record cleaning machine that can turn noisy vinyl into quiet vinyl, perhaps you could post a link to a youtube video or two that demonstrate a machine turning filthy/noisy records into quiet records. I mean, if I were selling machines for $500 to $5000, the first thing I'd do is hit the Goodwill store and pickup some $1 (well, now apparently $2) wonders that don't have any scratches, and record some before and after [cleaning] samples. BUT, there aren't many (any?) manufacturers posting such videos. Very noisy records can typically be quieted, just not in one go on any machines I've found yet. They require multiple clean/play cycles. And I've found the machines offer no advantage (actually some disadvantages) in this regard.
Either the SqueakyClean for around $150 or the HumminGuru US for $450 will serve you well and will make your future vinyl experience much more pleasant. At first sounds like a bit of money but down the line these are the two cheapest options.
I shall never ask someone to prove a negative! I am a listener who is skeptical about unscientific tweaks. But I was immediately impressed with proper vinyl cleaning, using a NittyGritty, a VPI 16.5 and then a Loricraft PRC4. Adding an ultrasonic cleaner does much more, and it isn't hard to see (as Sandy Denny sang in a lyric so appropriate in its full form). I should advise you not to try it, as it will cost you money once you do!
You are allowed to skim the booklet. For instance, instead of going out and buying expensive commercial solutions you can put together your own from Neil's booklets. And the way to brush the record is important in the process. That is covered as well. So you don't really have to sit down for a deep dive. It can be a gradual read as needed.
It is odd that people are so emphatic that record cleaning machines are the answer, but who apparently keep upgrading record cleaning machines. In fact, it wasn't long ago, just a couple of years, that people would insist on these very forums that they tried everything under the sun but finally broke down and purchased a vacuum machine and now their records are finally "like-new" quiet. Problem is, many of these individuals then went onto purchase ultrasonic machines. Strange that someone that previously declared their records noise-free was now seeking a means to make them more ... noise-free? If you've spent any time in the study of logic, you'll see that construct is riddled with problems. Me, I'll stick to my 6012 pad + 91% alcohol, a very lightly moistened carbon fiber brush to pickup any "groove poop" raked out by the stylus, and for really tough records, a label protector, Formula 409, and a brush at the kitchen sink.
Definitely go with what works for you. We all have to remember that there is no silver bullet. I have had a good time trying find the best way to clean my records without just throwing money at the problem. I don't stress over it, but rather view it as a fun pursuit. And for the record, I do not own a ultrasonic or a motorized RCM.
Just sharing my technique that seems to work very well for me. I have a Record Happy wet cleaning kit that I initially use on every record. Every record is then treated to anti-static sleeves when stored. I have a custom built "Lazy Susan" with a spindle and a round microfiber towel. When its time to play my LP, I lightly mist the round towel with G2 (from Groovewasher) to mitigate static as I then place my LP on the towel and use my carbon fiber brush to give it a good sweeping (allowing each stroke to hit the misted towel to decharge) while rotating the Lazy Susan at the same time. This nets very good results for me. Occasionally, I will do a heavier intermediate cleaning with my GrooveWasher cleaning pad and the G2 product, but only after a Carbon Fiber brush or a shot of compressed air to knock off the heavier dust. My rule is to always dry clean before wet clean so as not to bond the contaminants in the grooves.
