vinyl cleaning questions

Many of my albums are in serious need of deep cleaning, and I am trying to find out the best way to go about it. I am thinking about buying a label saver off ebay and just cleaning them off in the sink, has anyone had success with this method? And what type of cleaning agent did you use? Ive heard some people use dawn dish soap, is that safe to use on vinyl?

I also have a clean-sweep record purifier brush, but am not sure exactly how to use it or when to use it, so I was hoping someone could explain that method to me.

I'd look into a Spin Clean. $79 and it works pretty good once you get the hang of it.

I use Dawn in the sink with a sponge, good rinsing and dry them with microfiber cloths. No complain from me.

There are many threads in this forum about cleaning.

The guys here run the gamut from sink/Dawn to the $4000 ultrasonic machine, which automatically cleans them and dries them.

I personally use and recommend the Disc Doctor brushes and fluids. They can be used with or without a record cleaning machine.

I might just be sold on this little contraption. It now seems pointless to spend 50 bucks on a label saver when I could just spend 30 more bucks on the Spin Clean and make the process much more simple.
Heres a solid video about the Spin Clean-

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DaUKsA_yytAI

OP:

Deep cleaning? Are they truly that dirty or are you simply assuming they are? Wet cleaning is better than dry, IMO, and any system that uses fluid is what I have always used.

I've used a Discwasher brush and ZeroStat since the late 70's and all of my albums are in terrific shape, looking like new. I also have the RCA Knockoff Discwasher brush from Amazon in two of my other systems and no complaints. I think the original Discwasher had a better "one-direction bristle cleaning brush", but the RCA seems to do the job IMO.

As mentioned, most of us use different methods and have varying degrees of success. This ranges from 15 bucks for a Discwasher brush and fluid (New RCA BRAND), to a multi-thousand dollar untrasonic cleaner, as previously posted.

Your Spin Clean is basically a Discwasher that you put the record in, instead of cleaning it on the platter as the Discwasher does. The original Discwasher is less work and less fuss, IMO, but to each their own. If this is what you want, go for it.

Good luck with your cleaning and keep us posted.

-Billy

BillyBatts said:

OP:

Deep cleaning? Are they truly that dirty or are you simply assuming they are? Wet cleaning is better than dry, IMO, and any system that uses fluid is what I have always used.

I've used a Discwasher brush and ZeroStat since the late 70's and all of my albums are in terrific shape, looking like new. I also have the RCA Knockoff Discwasher brush from Amazon in two of my other systems and no complaints. I think the original Discwasher had a better "one-direction bristle cleaning brush", but the RCA seems to do the job IMO.

As mentioned, most of us use different methods and have varying degrees of success. This ranges from 15 bucks for a Discwasher brush and fluid (New RCA BRAND), to a multi-thousand dollar untrasonic cleaner, as previously posted.

Your Spin Clean is basically a Discwasher that you put the record in, instead of cleaning it on the platter as the Discwasher does. The original Discwasher is less work and less fuss, IMO, but to each their own. If this is what you want, go for it.

Good luck with your cleaning and keep us posted.

-Billy

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A large portion of my vinyl collection was bought at garage sales so there are some that are most definitely in need of a deep cleaning. The last house I lived at was extremely dusty all the time, so even my new vinyl albums are in need of a little cleaning. I got a vinyl styles carbon fiber brush, but I cant seem to get it to work the way I want it to. I'm going to do some more research on this subject and I'll report back after I figure out the route I'm going to take.

I also have a spin clean and I think it works great... never used a discwasher.

Oldskool88 said:

A large portion of my vinyl collection was bought at garage sales so there are some that are most definitely in need of a deep cleaning. The last house I lived at was extremely dusty all the time, so even my new vinyl albums are in need of a little cleaning. I got a vinyl styles carbon fiber brush, but I cant seem to get it to work the way I want it to. I'm going to do some more research on this subject and I'll report back after I figure out the route I'm going to take.

Click to expand...

Good deal. Personally, as I posted, it is a must for me to have some type of "Wet" cleaning for truly clean records. The Discwasher brush is meant to be lwet on the leading edge, and you rotate it from wet to dry as you spin the vinyl on the platter. Simple but effective.

I'm not "recommending" this system, but I am recommending some type of wet cleaning system for you. Which one is subjective. Let us know what you get and how it works out for you.

Good luck!

The net is full of this BTW.

A proper 'Deep cleaning' needs a vacuum RCM cos it sucks the crud off.
I use a PHK RCM.

At least a 'bath' style is better than rubbing the dirt into the record.

I purchased my Spin Clean several years ago, and thought it would be good enough until I got a Vacuum model. But after cleaning thousands of records, it's never let me down. It's all I'll ever need. and I'm extremely picky about how my records sound. I especially like how the spin clean soap kills all the static in my records. Highly recommended.

Go to a Bunnings and buy a paint edger.
Various model available from a couple of dollars to about $12.
Mix up some distiller water with some isopropyl alcohol with a dash of detergent.
Put it in a small spray bottle.
Give your record a short rinse under the tap.
Most labels can handle being wet for a short time.
Put your record on the sink.
Spray it and scrub it with the paint edger in a circular motion backwards and forwards making sure you do the whole side.
Flip it over and do the same.
Rinse with either tap water or another bottle of distiller water.
Dry with a microfibres cloth
Place it in a dish dryer and allow to dry.
Repeat if necessary

I've cleaned hundreds possibly thousands using this method

How many records do you have? It's kind of hard to justify an RCM if you have <100 records.

However, I think a vacuum RCM is a must if you buy a significant number of garage sale records. Check out the sticky on DIY RCM's. I spent $150 and built one that uses the VPI arm assembly. Every GW and garage sale record gets cleaned before playing.

I recently bought a record from a local record store. It looked pretty clean so I played it before cleaning. It was so noisy I stopped playing after 15 seconds. I used my RCM and cleaned it. It now plays NM! What you may think is scratches and use is probably just dirt, I estimate my records improve at least one if not two grades from cleaning.

BTW, the best cleaner I have found is Sparkle, a window cleaner originally designed to clean plexiglass windows on WWII bombers. I follow it with a distilled water rinse.

I have the Spin Clean machine- works OK.

the best cleaning is with an ultrasonic tank. vacuum RCM's do a good job, but how do you remove dug-in grime that's now 30 years old?

I run my records through an ultrasonic tank (bath), then follow up with the spin clean machine as a rinse cycle.

I won't play a record under my needle unless it's been through the US tank.
BTW, the sound quality before/after is night and day..

take the plunge and spend $150 or so on an ultrasonic tank. You won't regret it

Record cleaning threads/posts are some of the most common found here on AK, the OPs question is the same as hundreds asked before. No mention of budget but generally the more you spend the better the results. Considering the cost of records, even with thrift store records, as time goes by you will have a substantial investment in records and properly cleaning/maintaining the records makes a lot more sense. My recommendation is to start off with an entry level RCM like the KAB EV-1 or the Record Doctor and use commercial record cleaning/rinsing fluids. Just about any RCM if you ever decide to sell it your going to get most of your money back as long as you didn't abuse it.

Oldskool88 said:

I might just be sold on this little contraption. It now seems pointless to spend 50 bucks on a label saver when I could just spend 30 more bucks on the Spin Clean and make the process much more simple.
Heres a solid video about the Spin Clean-

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DaUKsA_yytAI

Click to expand...

My brother has one of those. He says it works Ok, but he didn't think it lived up to its reputation. He didn't think it got the records any cleaner, and it was only slightly more convenient, than sink cleaning.

I made a wooden label saver (which doesn't work as well as I'd like) and bought a "Trim and Touch Up" paint pad to scrub records.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Shur-Line-Trim-Touch-up-Pad/20934659

It probably doesn't work as well as one of the high dollar ultrasonic RCM's, but for an investment under $5 I'm satisfied with it.

As far as the label saver goes, I haven't had trouble with water damage even when the labels get wet at the edges. They don't come loose. That said, I buy records to play. If they were valuable collectors items, I'd find a better label saver.

DougMac said:

BTW, the best cleaner I have found is Sparkle, a window cleaner originally designed to clean plexiglass windows on WWII bombers. I follow it with a distilled water rinse.

Click to expand...

Do you use Sparkle full strength, straight from the bottle?

DaverJ said:

Do you use Sparkle full strength, straight from the bottle?

Click to expand...

Yep. I used drip heads from garden irrigation, a wide mouth quart glass jar and an aquarium pump to make a semi-automatic cleaner and rinse distribution system. The rinse has its own plumbing.

I distribute Sparkle full strength, then use a cotton makeup square to spread over the surface. I then use paint pad to work into the grooves. I vacuum, apply rinse, vacuum, then usually rinse once more.

Although not as good as a RCM, I suggest a Spin Clean. I used a Discwasher for years but found SC did a much better job than DW.

I do suggest a distilled rinse after SC use for max effectiveness; it's pretty cost effective if you have more than a few records.

Just remember any cleaning is better than NONE.

Good luck & happy listening,
DeeCee

One Of Many Threads

Here is another thread
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=656466
and as previously noted an AK search will turn up 100's of posts on how to clean LPs. There are varying degrees of expertise in mechanical ability here so the entire (huge) RCM DIY thread is well worth a look too.

After spending the last two days cleaning LPs (about 20 or so) here is my method.

I use my Tergitol mixture applied liberally with a good paint brush ( spend $12 it is worth is, they will last), let soak a minute or two depending on the LP. Then I use either or both the paint brush and a paint pad to "scrub" and you can see the suds turn grayish brown as dirt is lifted. I then use a (warmed) distilled water pressurized rinse (I bought a hand pump bottle but really like the fish tank pump idea) followed by a vacuuming up of the water and dirt. First pass is with vacuum wand off LP to lift away grime and second pass is with microfiber towel and direct, full, suction. I find that if you just vacuum without the first pass lifting off grime the towel pushes dirt back into grooves. Then I let air dry until ready for a new sleeve (vitally important) and away they go. Never to be washed again I am happy to say. Keep them clean once cleaned. Cleaning by this method is tedious (for me) with all that standing over the sink and getting all wet, not to mention it takes a lot of time to do it well (again, for me).

My results have been very good with only a couple LPs beyond saving (and may have been bad pressings, who knows?). Turn thrift trash into shiny and quiet LPs 90% of the time.

Next project after all LPs are cleaned is to begin to repair cover seam splits.

W/O an RCM and doing by hand I find diligence pays off. I had tried many previous methods with varying success until I landed where I did.

Lastly, if a lot of grime exists I may use a drop of dawn and a very, very soft (lab) bottle brush I have to try and remove. Most scuffs and embedded dirt can be removed with hard work. Those luck enough to have success with much less work are very lucky.