Spin Clean substitutes?

I actually have one of these and I hate it. Maybe it’s because I ran out of fluid? Idk. Just replaced it with water and a little bit of Isopropyl Alcohol.

 

No drop of dish soap?

 

I use this, and its by far the best cleaning solution I've ever used.

Regards

 

Look at Groovewasher for $35, very similar to the original version Discwasher.

 

If your diy confident a wet vac setup is pretty good, I copied a YouTube setup and it works well, I was never happy with my Spin Clean

 

That is weird. I use it as my 2nd basin, just distilled water to rinse after cleaning with the Vinyl Styl basin and my own cleaning solution. I clean, vacuum, rinse, vacuum, put in a new inner sleeve and I'm done.

 

If I may be so bold. Once you have $150 to invest and don't mind a little noise this will work well IMHO.

 

Why not just get some more fluid from Amazon?

 

You can make your own cleaning solution much cheaper and it's the same thing, maybe better than commercial products. Distilled water, iso alcohol, and a soap. Some leave off the alcohol. Some use vinegar, types of soap vary but Dawn works well. I use Triton X-100 because it doesn't have the additives and perfumes but it is probably overkill. Simply take a gallon of distilled water and pour out 18 oz. Put in 13 oz of iso alcohol (91% preferably but if you use 70% just up it slightly / 99% reduce slightly) and then put in 5 0z of your soap. I dilute my Triton X-100 to 10% and then put in 5 oz. If you use Dawn just experiment a little with how much to add, probably 30 drops or so would work in 5 oz of distilled water, shake up and pour into your gallon. Mix it up a little and it will last a long time. Pour it into a spray bottle if you don't use a basin. It works wonders and costs are minimal. A gallon of 100% Triton X-100 is about $35 and will last a long long time! Remember you dilute it to 10%. Distilled water is less than a $1 a gallon. Iso alcohol has gone up and is a little harder to find in the pandemic but still a 32 oz bottle shouldn't run more than $3. So a gallon of cleaner should run no more than $2.50.

 

That is an excellent solution, and the basic mix for a lot of DIY cleaners. However just about everyone agrees that it is beneficial to rinse after using this solution because of it may leave residue on the LP surface.

I use a variation of this cleaner in my US tank. But I rinse before a final drying step.

I may try it as a pre-cleaner in my Spin Clean.

 

Agreed! I always rinse with distilled water in a separate basin and vacuum as my final steps.
Here's a video on making my version of the solution.

 

Nope. Is it ok for vinyl?

 

It runs out fast!

 

Soap is fine for cleaning records. Dawn is a good choice. I use to use it but switched to a janitorial supply soap because it doesn't contain extra additives found in consumer products. But it is always best to rinse after cleaning.

Watch the video I posted above. It covers most of the basics.

 

Not sure if it has ever been tested methodically, but many on these forums have used it for years with excellent results.

I haven't used the Spin Clean solution for a while, I simply use a drop of dishsoap and a capful of alcohol. I change the water as soon as it gets dirty, sometimes after one disc, however, because there is no "flocculant" like in the SC solution, which makes the guck fall to the bottom of the tank.

 

I experimented a while back with adding a flocculant to the mix. I honestly think that feature in the SC solution is just a gimmick with no real value. With my experiments using aquarium flocculant it indeed caused particles to fall to the bottom of the basin. The catch is that there is no way it can do so fast enough to make any difference. In fact you get the same affect without any specific flocculant additive. If you clean a batch of records and don't empty the basin right away, if you go back and look the next day everything will have settled to the bottom. I doubt anyone is going to fill their basin up with cleaner, clean some records and then wait for everything to settle to the bottom and then clean more records. We are going to change the water between sessions. I think you can clean multiple records without changing the basin solution. Sure a few particles from the water might end up on the record as you pull it out, but they will just be loose, surface particles that will easily be removed when you vaccum the record immediately afterward. If I am cleaning dirty crate dig records I change the basin about every 7-10 records, if they are new records (I always clean the new sealed records before first play) or records that have been well cared for and appear clean I usually can go 12-16 records before changing.

 

I used to drive myself crazy when it came to cleaning. So, I slowly developed a procedure that’s works for me.

My humble advice, don’t go overboard. Get what you can afford. I believe there are many good vinyl cleaners available. Do some research and purchase one. Then develop a procedure which works for you.

I use my cleaner, than I rinse several times with tap water and than I’ll use the hand held sink sprayer. After that I’ll have a final rinse with distilled water.

I don’t use my grove cleaner or follow this procedure again unless the LP appears dirty. And then I only clean the particular area that appears dirty.

This seldom happens as I put my vinyl back in their sleeves as soon as I finish playing them. I also inspect them after I remove then from the TT.

Before I play a vinyl I use an anti static brush several times. I check the LP for smudges etc. I also clean my stylus after playing each side of an LP.

That’s a procedure I developed over the past two years. It seems to work for me.

Finally, if I had the available cash I’d consider a cleaning machine.

 

As a suggestion to the OP- A number of years back I got an old turntable, ripped the arm off, made my own label protector, bought a cheap hand held vacuum and made a gallon of diy cleaning fluid. I bought a record cleaning brush and attached it to the vacuum hose. Probably not as good as a good rcm but it does a great job. As a related aside, I picked up the Stones 180g Let It Bleed yesterday at Walmart for $25. Sounds great but pretty dirty before cleaning. What’s up w that? The crud was easily washed off. Not an uncommon experience for me. Why don’t they at least vacuum or dust Lp’s before packing them?

 

I'll venture a guess that your method and material is at least as good as a RCM. I always clean my records when I take them out of the shrink wrap. Quality control just isn't there it seems. Also why do they put them in paper inners when a poly sleeve would avoid all the paper particles I so often find on the new releases?

 

Yes, spray-on fluids do, IME, run out fast. I started with GrooveWasher several years ago, and I was spending like $15 every couple of months on fluid. Not a great solution for someone with a lot of records, IMO.

 

I wouldn’t want to put soap on a record if I wasn’t using a vacuum to remove it.

 

Good point.

The soap comes off with the rinse, but the water is what is difficult to get out of the grooves. Surface tension? Or does it become a gluey goo when it mixes with the guck in there? Probably a sticky emulsion of water, soap and guck.

At any rate, it all comes out with a vacuum.

 

If you clean, then vacuum and then put in a rinse basin for a few spins, when you take it out you will know if you got all the cleaning solution off based on what the record looks like. If you put it on an old turntable to vacuum again what you should see is that much of the water has run off, it isn't clinging to the record. Remember the soap and alcohol in the cleaning solution is to break surface tension and get down in the grooves. If that has all been washed off and it is just distilled water on the record you once again have surface tension. Thus the water just sits on top, runs off, beads up. This looks very different from when you remove the record the first time from a cleaning solution basin. At that stage the record appears covered because surface tension has been broken or reduced greatly and it is down in the grooves, and clinging to the record.

 

I’ve tried lots of methods over the years, including steam cleaning (i kid you not) and have settled on my KlAudio ultrasonic for last few years, mainly for usability in getting through my collection. But a method I used along the way and still use on used records as a first clean is the kitchen sink approach that costs little. I bought a fine short handled paint brush, two-inches or so wide (not the floppy bristle ones which are useless for this) and I give the record surface a wash with warm water and a drop or two of an organic dishwasher soap. Swirl the liquid around the grooves using the brush to follow the grooves rather than scrubbing across them and you might be surprised at the results. I keep the labels dry but the odd drop or two on them has never done any harm I can detect. I’ve done this enough for it to become a habit and you can actually see the difference on the finished surface easily and in the run off when you rinse the brush. I’m comfortable enough with this to do it habitually and it cured my desire to try the Spin Clean which I had thought of getting as a pre-wash tool. I also have records in my collection that I’ve owned for 45 years, and many that themselves are older than this but I’ve never noticed any build up, damage or other supposed problem from using this method. Before spending money, try it. Distilled water final rinse a nice extra that might just be enough for all but us obsessives.

 

Like any record cleaning thread where you get 15 different tools, methods, idiosyncrasies when you ask 10 people...... by Page 3, I bet those new to the hobby, their heads are spinning.

But at least there isn't a need for anyone to get too emotional about it since there are so many ways to do it sufficiently.