Spin Clean newbie: Any advice?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by CMT, Oct 18, 2020.

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  1. John Brunatti

    John Brunatti Forum Resident

    Location:
    Parry Sound On
    I agree and have recently acquired a Record Doctor to vacuum following a Spin Clean wash. Initial result is very good.
     
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  2. antnee

    antnee Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Union KY
    Make sure not to use any kind of fabric softener either washing or drying your towels...you can also get detergent made especially for micro fiber look at auto detailing supplies if you want to get some I also use auto detailing towels found them to work great for this....I use my spin clean as more of a rinse and use only distilled water after applying tergikleen with a wet brush then a rinse under the sink then the distilled water rinse thru the spin clean....on extreme cases I use scrubbing bubbles but only as a last resort it works if it is just real stubborn gunk of course on damaged ones nothing will work...I have used the above regiment on every album I own with great results...good luck
     
  3. vinnn

    vinnn Forum Resident

    Location:
    England
    True, same goes for any towels really, stops them being absorbent.
     
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  4. irender

    irender Forum Resident

    I hand wash the cloths that came with the Spin Clean in distilled water and air dry. I also rinse the cleaning brushes with distilled water after use.
     
  5. AH55

    AH55 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    I currently use a Spin Clean & Record Doctor combo. I currently only use distilled water in the Spin Clean. I am wondering if somebody with more knowledge than myself can tell me if this is in fact doing anything at all (other than surface static removal), or if a fluid (like the Spin Clean fluid) is needed to actually do any deep cleaning? I am very, very hesitant to add a record fluid to my cleaning regime as I can't stand the sound of residue on new records (something I have heard often after cleaning with fluids). I'm thinking that the spin cycle in the Spin Clean will get into the grooves regardless if a fluid is used or not given the good quality of the brushes; however, other than allowing debris to drop to the bottom, is the fluid necessary to actually do any cleaning of the grooves? For the record, I only really buy new vinyl. Thanks!
     
  6. 33na3rd

    33na3rd Forum Resident

    Location:
    SW Washington, USA
    I do own a Spin Clean, but by the time you purchase two Spin Clean's, you're only a few bucks away from a Record Doctor or Squeaky Clean RCM. No towels required.
     
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  7. marcb

    marcb Senior Member

    Location:
    DC area
    1) Throw away the crappy clothes which come with the Spin-clean and buy yourself some good quality microfiber towels. 2) Ignore anyone who says microfiber towels leave lint behind, cause micro scratches, etc.; decent ones (which aren’t expensive).
     
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  8. MadMelMon

    MadMelMon Forum Resident

    DO NOT clean truly dirty records without thoroughly rinsing them off first. God knows what could get stuck in the brushes and scratch the bejezus out of the next thing you clean.
     
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  9. luckybaer

    luckybaer Thinks The Devil actually beat Johnny

    Location:
    Missouri
    Advice: upgrade to a vacuum device.
     
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  10. doctor fuse

    doctor fuse Forum Resident

    If your record is noisy after you use your Spin Clean (as there is for MANY of us), you need to clean it again and this time vacuum it dry, hopefully with your household wet/dry shop vac, with a soft, clean microfibre cloth attached with rubber bands to a crevice tool attachment. My crevice tool unfortunately is not quite wide enough to do the entire groove in one pass, but two passes a couple of times around sucks all the crud out of those dirty grooves.

    Without vacuuming, the crud in the grooves of your really dirty records just gets moved around by the Spin Clean, and ends up resettling in the bottom or sides of the groove walls again.

    You will need to move the microfibre cloth often, so the same part isn't touching lots of records, or even change them out totally, if you are cleaning large batches of records.
     
  11. riverrat

    riverrat Senior Member

    Location:
    Oregon
    Interesting how many of us have significantly different routines with the SC but most are still pretty happy with the results.

    I'm in the camp that uses two of them, the 2nd as a rinse. Mainly because I got the 2nd unit for 50% off.

    I'm also in the camp (perhaps minority) that absolutely hates microfiber cloths. Spin Clean has been around awhile; they ship with absorbent cotton cloths for a reason- they actually absorb water. The microfiber cloths I've tried aren't very absorbent until they are dampened. And then sort of mediocre for absorbency. Much prefer the stock soft cotton ones. All I can say in response to those who advocate for synthetic microfiber towels is that they must be using a different kind than I've tried.

    I place the cleaned lp on a cotton bath towel, then dry the exposed side with a fair amount of pressure, circular motion following the grooves. Then I flip the lp on its edge and wipe the other side. Then I wipe around the rim where most fingerprints occur.

    I can see the potential benefit of adding a final vacuum dry to the process. But I still like the way the Spin Clean system keeps the brushes perfectly aligned at 90 degrees to the grooves as the lp is cleaned, all the way around.

    The advice to pre-rinse the more obviously dirty lps is spot-on. Being sort of lazy, I just run tap water over them in the sink. I don't even worry about a few drops of it getting into my Spin Clean, where I do use distilled water.

    The Spin Clean is perhaps the single best investment I've made in improving sound quality of my vinyl playback.
     
  12. Brian Lux

    Brian Lux One in the Crowd

    Location:
    Placerville, CA
    Here are a few things I do not mentioned in manufactures instructions:

    -I bought spare Spin Clean drying cloths so I can have plenty of dry/clean cloths.
    -After use, I hand wash the cloths in Woolite and hang dry them (no dryer or dryer sheets!)
    -I lightly pre-clean LP's that have obvious excess dust or dirt with a clean microfiber cloth using a light spray of quality LP cleaning fluid.
    -Even with any pre-cleaning I do, I never run anywhere close to 50 per cycle. Maybe 20 at the most.

    And finally (and this was lucky for me to have this, so maybe not so easy for some), I have a camping style dish drying rack that LP's can sit in without touching any of the grooves. I set the LP's in the rack with a fan running on low facing them edge-wise to fully dry them before putting back in sleeves.

    Remember to use distilled water only as recommended.

    Having a second unit for rinsing is a great idea. Maybe one of these days I'll invest in a second unit!
     
  13. marcb

    marcb Senior Member

    Location:
    DC area
    Just rinse and squeegee (I just use the rounded handle of an old toothbrush) the brushes several times after use.

    I’ve been doing this with disc doctor brushes and the spin clean brushes for years (I think this may even have been part of the disc doctor pad maintenance instructions). Not an issue.
     
    Last edited: Jan 7, 2021
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  14. marcb

    marcb Senior Member

    Location:
    DC area
    Those cloths are cheap crap. They’re just something included as a bare minimum so folks get a “complete“ package to get started. Plus some people just simply want to get the dirt off old records and don’t care about the last incremental improvement.

    If they were to include some decent cloths, they’d probably have to increase the cost by a few bucks. You need to replace cloths eventually anyway so instead of you paying for decent cloths and covering their markup, you can find cloths that work for you.

    If you’re at all discerning, get rid of those cloths.
     
  15. riverrat

    riverrat Senior Member

    Location:
    Oregon
    We've had this debate before, in a different thread on the Spin Clean. Remember?
    The factory cloths work just fine for me. They do not scratch. They are cotton so they actually absorb water, unlike every kind of synthetic microfiber cloth I've tried.
    Being a firm believer in the old adage "don't fix it if it ain't broke" I have no need nor plans to seek some other kind of cloth. And it isn't because I'm not "discerning".
    I've tried a few different kinds of synthetic cloths, and I hate them all. Other Spin Clean users have had the exact same experiences. Why is that so hard for you to understand?
    We've obviously had different experiences with the stock cotton cloths. I seem to recall reading elsewhere that some vintages of Spin Clean shipped with substandard cloths, or at least different from what they usually include. Maybe that explains it. Who knows, it doesn't really matter.
    You come across as condescending and insulting.
    You also seem unable to comprehend that there are people who do not share your experiences or opinions.
    And that is all they are, your personal experiences and opinions.
    You are, of course welcome to your opinions. But I do not care about them, and would appreciate it if you would not reply directly nor indirectly to me, regarding my posts.
    Thank you.
     
    Last edited: Jan 7, 2021
  16. marcb

    marcb Senior Member

    Location:
    DC area
    I’ll keep replying as long as you keep suggesting they’re aren’t just a cheap throw-in.

    Microfiber is more absorbant and evaporates quicker than cotton - and has far finer and less abrasive fibers than cotton. This isn’t opinion, this is fact. You can call a dog a horse and call it an opinion and call those “condescending and insulting” who point out it’s a dog, but it’s still a dog.

    Microfiber certainly has its flaws as a fabric vs cotton, but the right microfiber cloth is superior in virtually every way with regard to the task at hand. For those who claim it causes micro-abrasions when drying, do you think the cleaning brushes - which are making much more aggressive contact with the surface of the record (and more importantly, the grooves) - are made of cotton?
     
    Last edited: Jan 7, 2021
  17. krisjay

    krisjay Psychedelic Wave Rider

    Location:
    Maine
    Distilled water only and buy additional drying towels(actual Spin Clean clothes work best I find). After towel drying, air dry in dishwasher drying rack or similar. Done.
     
  18. pacvr

    pacvr Forum Resident

    Location:
    Maryland
    I do not use the Spin Clean, but I use a manual cleaning process with label protector and I now use the following as the method to dry and it has proven very effective - much better than using cotton or medium knap microfiber cloths:

    Step 1. Remove bulk moisture with PVA cleanroom sponge - PVA Clean Room Sponges, Wipes, and Mops (super-cool-products.com) cost is $9. I use the sponge only to remove water (distilled) from a final rinse. It sucks up water like crazy, and leaves no residue, and by just squeezing it out, you can use for many records. I have dried >50 records with the sponge and so far, with no wear to the sponge. This sponge is stored damp/wet; just squeeze and then store in clean plastic bag. If it dries, it will harden, but it will rehydrate. If you use this sponge to remove cleaner, and then store wet without washing - it will likely grow mold. If you want some technical details on the sponge - PVA Sponge, Shammies, Mops, and Wipes.

    Step 2. Final dry - light wipe with Kinetronics Anti-Static Tiger Cloth - Anti-Static Tiger Cloth | kinetronics; very cheap - mostly <$10 depending on where you buy. I have been using the same cloth for >300 records; have yet to wash it. I only use it to remove water not removed by the sponge. I do not use this cloth to completely dry - just to remove most visible water - a very thin film is OK, it prevents any risk of developing static. After use, and I have cleaned up to 8 records at a time w/o the cloth ever getting too wet; I hang to fully dry - shake to remove any particles (being anti-static it does not collect many particles) and store in clean plastic bag. One item of caution, this cloth does not have finished edges, so fold in-use to prevent any particles from the edges - which are very noticeable with the cloth being orange.

    Step 3. Place record in rack, and the record is fully dry and ready to re-sleeve in <5 min.

    One item to note - I wear nitrile gloves when cleaning - so the sponge/cloth stay cleaner.

    Hope this is of some help
     
    Last edited: Jan 7, 2021
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  19. riverrat

    riverrat Senior Member

    Location:
    Oregon
    Here's another long thread on this topic where your arrogance and condescension are on full display, and called out by multiple other SH board members.

    I tried, as did others, to respond to you in a manner that respects differences of opinion, including yours. Seems pointless in your case.

    This time around, I'm simply putting you on my IGNORE list.
     
  20. marcb

    marcb Senior Member

    Location:
    DC area
    Opinions don’t trump facts.

    I’m always open to other thoughts, but it’s simply stubborn ignorance of fact to state cotton does a better job of drying than microfiber - particularly low grade cotton.

    There is a reason athletic wear moved away from cotton many years ago.
     
  21. Gumbo72203

    Gumbo72203 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Delmar, NY
    So you immediately wash anything that you buy, correct?

    This seems like the way I wish to go, but I'm always nervous about mucking something up that may play well out of the jacket.
     
  22. Phil Thien

    Phil Thien Forum Resident

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    Cotton works great, it can carry approx. 27x its weight in water, whereas the best synthetic fibers can do at best about 1/2 of that.

    I use disposable cotton makeup pads for the initial drying of very grungy records, nothing beats them.
     
  23. marcb

    marcb Senior Member

    Location:
    DC area
    I wash EVERY album before playing. As MATHY said, there is stuff floating in the water and a film of sludge at the bottom of a spin clean after cleaning just 10-15 NEW LPs.

    There are those who say things like “I shouldn’t have to clean a $30 LP”, but that’s like saying “I shouldn’t have to lock my car, so I don’t”.

    I’m not sure I agree with MATHY’s limit of 16 LPs (why not 15 or 17?), but I too am skeptical of Spin Clean’s claimed 50 LP limit. Having said that, I do tend to change after 15-20 LPs cleaned - if for no other reason than what’s left behind in the water.
     
  24. marcb

    marcb Senior Member

    Location:
    DC area
    What does carrying capacity have to do with drying less than a teaspoon of water on a record? We’re not cleaning up a water spill. And what good is using a water logged towel which doesn’t evaporate well to dry records? The goal is speed and effectiveness, not quantity, no?

    Cotton makeup pads for the initial drying of grungy records? Why? I’d want something good at picking up excess loose “debris” - and microfiber does that far better than cotton.

    FWIW, I generally use a towel for each side of the LP and a third virtually dry towel for a final wipe. I usually have to swap out the 2 towels after maybe 8-10 LPs.

    Sorry, but using cotton towels to dry records is stubborn folly - particularly the 100 for a $1.00 towels spin clean throws in to the deal. Microfiber is better in every way.
     
    Last edited: Jan 7, 2021
  25. Phil Thien

    Phil Thien Forum Resident

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    Well to answer a Q with another Q: Leather can capture a teaspoon of water, why not use that?

    The answer is obvious, the higher the absorbency, the better job the material will do capturing the spent cleaning fluid and any suspended particulate matter.

    Microfiber is also bad for the environment, plastics from microfiber towels that are washed and dried are ending up in our lakes and oceans, where they do not biodegrade.

    Cotton, OTOH, is biodegradable both anaerobically (without oxygen) and aerobically.

    I think you're just a microfiber industry shill.
     
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