Best Practices Record Cleaning

I've always wondered about a chicken-or-egg situation here. I have personally found that with cleaning solutions that contain alcohol, especially homebrew formulas, you need to do a really good job rinsing or they can sound a little muted as you say. I don't know why this is. I'm not sure if its the alcohol or other things that alcohol-based cleaners tend to have in them. I've found water-based enzymatic cleaners seem to be more forgiving if one skips the rinse.

Note that I think the "official" reason why alcohol is allegedly bad for vinyl is it drys out the vinyl compound somehow. I would put this in the "probably not true" bucket unless one is soaking records overnight in a vat of pure alcohol.

I'd say use the Mofi stuff you're using, but don't add alcohol. Use it as-is, exactly as the label says to.

 

If this is correct, then I've made a bad assumption. I thought mixing alcohol with the rest of the solution caused the entire solution, not only the alcohol, to evaporate. You're saying this is incorrect?

I don't think I've ever had a case where cleaning my vinyl made the situation worse, and I used to clean my vinyl every time before playing since the very early 80s. Anyway, I don't think my records are generally THAT dirty. I think my method, at the very least, gets rid of stuff on the surface, which, 95% is enough. In 2014 when KISS re-released their catalog on vinyl, I picked up almost all of them. That's between 20 and 30 LPs. I still cleaned them even though they were brand new because, as I'm sure you know, new LPs still have "stuff" on the surface. My results were very good; a few were even dead-silent. I'm saying this to say I know I'm not making things worse with my current process. Anyway, I do have a few vintage copies picked up on ebay which may, possibly, require something a bit deeper. Although, I've had good results with them as well using my current method. Could I get even better results with more steps or a different method? I don't know, probably. As I said, I'm really just curious about the alcohol issue and all the opposing claims.

 

I've also heard people say the same thing about adding Dawn to their homemade mixes.

 

I can't see how evaporating the fluid would cause particulates or other solid contaminants to be evaporated- the liquid goes, but the heavier stuff stays. If you aren't hearing noise, you are probably doing a pretty good job.
As to improving what you are doing, I think the first thing is a rinse step, as mentioned, but you want relatively "pure" water- that can run from distilled, reverse osmosis or deionized to so-called lab grades. A fellow named Rushton, who just wrote a piece on DIY ultrasonic, said he is getting some crazy pure water at Whole Foods for very cheap and it is processed through multiple steps. (I think you bring your own container, and I'm not sure if it is available at every Whole Foods location).
As to fluids, everybody has their favorite- one factor is ease of removal. I use several different types, depending on how nasty the record is (most of the records I'm dealing with are old and have been through other hands). Using Dawn, which you mentioned, would be something I'd be reluctant to do unless you do multiple rinses and have a vacuum machine.

I think a vacuum machine would up your game. The trick once you get a decent, basic machine, has more to do with method than features or bling. I can get a record really clean using an ancient VPI from the early '80s- though I have far more costly machines that I generally rely on now. If you do go this route, a VPI with two wands and wand support pillars will allow you to switch out between fluid and rinse vacuum wands in seconds. A few good applicators (the MoFi or Disc Doctor) and you are in business. Then it's down to technique. You get very good at it with a little experience- the main issue is to avoid over-vacuuming, which creates static (and which is less of an issue with some other types of machines). Hope that helps....

 

No, no. I'm not thinking it evaporates the dirt/particulate. I'm thinking it promotes evaporation of the entire solution. I'm relying on my brush to pick up the dirt along with the rest of the liquid. Because of the alcohol and evaporation, I'm not worried about any of the solution being left behind at the bottom of the groove and tracking onto my needle.

I'm really not interested in vacuuming, and don't think I really need it. I'm not saying it doesn't work great, I'm just not going to go quite that far. If anything, I would start rinsing. One of the users on this forum, chriswiggles, posted a great video of the method recommended by the Library of Congress. Personally, I do think I would protect my labels. If you look at his feedback, you'll see a user that said you get even greater results by adding a second rinse.


Anyway, thanks for trying to help me out.

 

If you're interested in Tergitol, I'd suggest Tergi-Kleen, which takes some of the hassle out of acquiring two different tergitol compounds and mixing them. Note the gloves the guy is wearing in the video aren't optional, it will mildly irritate bare skin. I tried it recently and it works well.

But to be honest in my personal experiences, most of these cleaners do about the same job in removing foreign debris from records. A very large portion of record cleaning is ease and convenience - the joys of a vacuum RCM is the ability to quickly clean a single record without mixing a batch of chemicals, filling vats, etc. That video feels like the other end of the spectrum.

 

Does anyone else have old records that sound fine one day and then noisy as heck the next? And then back to listenable the next time...
I can't figure out what is going on.

 

I thought most vacuum systems were used in conjunction with "mixing a batch of chemicals, filling vats, etc."? Anyway, I agree with the idea that most of the fluids perform similarly, with roughly the same degree of efficiency.

 

Well, the inner sleeve may have dust in it, which the vinyl picked up and was noisier the next time. In the second case, your needle may have "cleaned" the noisy record as it played, so the next play had less surface noise. Just a guess, of course, but I'd definitely check my stylus for debris.

 

This has been the case sometimes. But I have become pretty OCD about keeping my stylus clean. Although recently I was having noisy playback and the stylus looked OK to my eye...until I looked at it under a microscope. Caked on guck but with a smooth finish so it looked OK to the naked eye!
Actually, Batman, you may have solved my mystery...

 

Completely agree Rob. In fact I believe a 1:2 solution of the great DDMRC and distilled water along with the good off the shelf microfiber cloths intended to clean a car is a better bargain than the Spin Clean. Not to knock you guys because you obviously promote cleaning but there's not too much to the Spin Clean machine. Unless I want to really clean a 45, I put the diluted DDMRC solution in a spray bottle and hose down the entire record while wiping with a terry wax applicator sponge that you'd use to wax your car with and then run the whole record under a running tap. Drying is done with a well washed old towel. I let them air dry on another towel for about a 1/2 hour flipping them after to dry the other side. I bet I can clean three times the number of 45's by hand than using the Spin Clean. The VPI 16.5 is like the Buick of record cleaning machines. I have one and love it. I used a entry level Nitty Gritty, the one you turn by hand, for about 20 years before breaking down and buying the VPI. Unless you spend the same for a Nitty Gritty as you would for a VPI, the Nitty Gritty 1.0 is like owning a Chevy as it gets the job done but is loud as an echoing screech and probably led to my hearing loss. The VPI 16.5 is a dream after 20 years with a Nitty Gritty 1.0. When VinylRob passes on his collection, the new owner will be grateful to receive pristine records. No use doing all that if you're not cleaning your stylus and keeping on top of wear by properly setting up your record player. May as well buy the Disc Doctor's brushes and stylus cleaner as well as a half gallon of his Miracle Record Wash. And never use alcohol especially on 78's. Even using straight ammonia on vinyl is better than using any alcohol.