Record Cleaning advice - pls share your opinion

[Deleted]

Dec 15, 2013 10:40:50 GMT -5 mepositive said:

In the last 18 months since I began my Vinyl journey, I have taken an immense liking to the experience. From my signature, you'd see that I have a pretty decent set up.

Now with over 300 records in my collection, most of them bought at shows or off Ebay. Most are NM or M condition, but they still are old copies used by someone and who knows how much of the SQ is hidden in dirt that I cannot see. I also buy approx 10-20 new records each month.

I now have the opportunity to splurge some money on a good cleaner. Assuming that money is not the prime determinant, can you suggest what you'd recommend. My initial choice seems to be between VPI HW-17 or the HW-27. But maybe there are options out there that are better and I am just not aware.

Appreciate your opinions.

I'll be a devil and throw this in because it's outside the game a bit and may add a little spice to the possibilities
recordrevirginizer.com/

.....or, you can just try your lady friend's peel off face mask - on something other than a cherished disk of course.
heh heh heh heh (rubbing hands, maniacal laugh)

[Priapulus]

 > I'll be a devil and throw this in because it's outside the game a bit and may add a little spice to the possibilities
recordrevirginizer.com/ .....or, you can just try your lady friend's peel off face mask -

I guess I misread this. I tried the Revirginizer on my lady friend and it didn't work. Turns out to be a great depilatory though, despite the screaming...

[briank]

Hydrochloric Acid cleans them to perfection. Not a single groove remains. . ?!?!?

[Priapulus]

I have a large collection of LPs, mostly mine from before the 1980's; more recently from yard sales. I have been extremely disappointed with the playback quality: very low fidelity, lots of noise: snap, crackle and pop. But today a fiend gave me a new, virgin record: U2 "The Joshua Tree", and it was excellent (my first new vinyl in 25 years) .

So my problem isn't the type of media or my playback equipment; its dirty/worn records. Is a worn record retrievable, or damaged beyond repair? Can cleaning salvage a dollar-bin used album, or are we wasting our time? I'd like to know how successful you guys are cleaning records.

Thanks,

[jefft51]

I clean my records much like audiobill. I put a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water (about 20% alcohol) in a spray bottle with a drop or two of dish soap or simple green. I rinse the record at the sink with very warm water (using the sink spray hose) which gets off any surface dust and helps loosen any other stuff, then spray on my mixture and run a toothbrush or soft sponge (both seem to work) around the grooves. Then I rinse again with the warm water, flip and do the other side. It's easy to avoid the center label. Then I put it between two microfiber towels and gently blot it dry. I put them in plastic sleeves then to store.
This is NOT for high volume. It does work well though. I do this mainly when I get a 'new' used record. I've compared by playing a record with just using a record cleaning brush and then again after the cleaning and it does help a lot. It can't restore warn records, but old records tend to accumulate a lot of oil/smoke etc.
I am lucky that the water here is pretty pure out of the tap, so I don't worry about minerals left behind.

[rohrej]

Check out the Keith Monks RCM. The price tag is outrageous, but I've seen them in action and they are impressive, as well as much quieter than other vacuum options.

[audiobill]

Driving through Maine last Summer, I found 100 vintage jazz albums (mostly Tal Farlow, Jim Hall, Joe Pass, etc) in great condition for $1 each.

Since I play jazz guitar, I snapped them up, brought them home, did the dawn/isopropyl thing, and they sound great!

[jmilton]

Putting my LPs in the dishwasher sounded like a good idea at the time...

[drtrey3]

Cleaning is great for, well, cleaning! It can really lower the noise floor and take out pops and cracks caused by gunk in the grooves. It won't do a thing for a worn record though. If a record is cheap enough and a title I am interested in, I usually get it. Some AWFUL looking records have surprised me with how great they sounded! Then too, some pristine looking records sounded like listening through a brush fire!

Trey

[jefft51]

Dec 18, 2013 10:20:57 GMT -5 jmilton said:

Putting my LPs in the dishwasher sounded like a good idea at the time...

Make sure you turn off the 'sanitize' cycle.

[drtrey3]

Nice photo!

Trey