Cleaning Vinyl LPs

[J. PUPSTER]

Always clean your LPs before playing/converting them!!!

I normally do this with a Spin Clean device. Well, I proved that it's essential today, because I got distracted and forgot to clean an LP before playing it. There was a song (#2 on side 2) that got in about half way and then it just would sort of bounce and hang at the same spot. So I double checked my arm weight and anti-skate which were fine. I also cleaned it several times with vinyl cleaning brushes and that didn't help. Visually, I couldn't see anything that stood out. Today I got about 20 LPs together and gave them a good Spin Clean, and then tried that same LP again... and sure 'nuff it played through fine this time. And keep in mind I received this as a sealed album.

I wouldn't mind having an Ultra-sonic cleaner (I've cleaned other stuff with Ultra-sonics before back for a job I had in the '80s and they're amazing tools) but they're typically large and expensive, so not sure about that.

So CLEAN YOUR VINYL!

 

[Electric Moo]

Ditto!

I have a spin clean as well; I never play anything ( including new/sealed ) until it has been run through once. Then each LP gets a new sleeve, and it's good for a year or so...

New records often have bits of vinyl/debris, cleaning also saves your stylus from hitting stuff like that

 

[Sonik Wiz]

Always clean your LPs before playing/converting them!!!

I normally do this with a Spin Clean device. Well, I proved that it's essential today, because I got distracted and forgot to clean an LP before playing it. There was a song (#2 on side 2) that got in about half way and then it just would sort of bounce and hang at the same spot. So I double checked my arm weight and anti-skate which were fine. I also cleaned it several times with vinyl cleaning brushes and that didn't help. Visually, I couldn't see anything that stood out. Today I got about 20 LPs together and gave them a good Spin Clean, and then tried that same LP again... and sure 'nuff it played through fine this time. And keep in mind I received this as a sealed album.

I wouldn't mind having an Ultra-sonic cleaner (I've cleaned other stuff with Ultra-sonics before back for a job I had in the '80s and they're amazing tools) but they're typically large and expensive, so not sure about that.

So CLEAN YOUR VINYL!

Slowly, after the rise of CD & All Things Digital, I actually discarded some turntables that were taking up space & mentally relegated my substantial LP collection to Things of the Past. Then about 8 years ago I purchase a good (not great ) TT/Cart combo that none the less represents the best LP playback I've ever had. Unlike the 70's analog vinyl is not my primary form of musical source. So I have been rather cavalier in cleaning & playback. I use a carbon fiber brush & can 'o air & that's it.

Elsewhere there was a lengthy post on QQ about record cleaning that was so far ranging in products & methods it left my head spinning at 45 RPM. What I really want I can't afford, but the Spin Clean system seems to be effective at a reasonable price. I have two copies of the legendary Quadrafile records that are, um, well played. To clean them up as good as possible would make the Spin Clean product worth the price just for that.

So more specifically what can you mention about your personal use & learning curve on the device? How many drying clothes do you need to say, do a dozen records at a time? Are the discs really dry after cleaning or need some air time? Are the cloths similar to micro-fiber clothes? Have you needed to replace the cleaning brushes yet?

Thanks in advance for user tips & techniques!

 

[atrocity]

So more specifically what can you mention about your personal use & learning curve on the device? How many drying clothes do you need to say, do a dozen records at a time? Are the discs really dry after cleaning or need some air time? Are the cloths similar to micro-fiber clothes? Have you needed to replace the cleaning brushes yet?

I try to shake/drip as much of the fluid back into the bin when I'm done, but the records really do get and stay pretty wet.

I can't really clearly quantify how many drying cloths you'll need. I just keep a bunch in the box along with re-usable diapers (never had kids, but saw a suggestion somewhere that they work really well for this) and just swap one out for another when it gets soggy. The cloths that were included when I bought my SpinClean years ago weren't microfiber, but cheap microfiber cloths work well, too. After a cleaning session, I just wash whatever I used along with my towels.

Even after drying with a cloth they can be a bit damp, so I usually just put them in a plastic dish rack I don't use for anything else for a few minutes. If I'm doing a big enough batch at once, the records I started with will probably be dry by the time I'm done washing the last one.

I have had to replace my cleaning brushes, but it was my fault x 2. Not only did I clean some really thick 78s, I also forgot to take the brushes out once and left them submerged in the fluid and pressing against each other for days. Might have been my imagination, but they just didn't feel right after that.

One look at the water after you've cleaned a bunch of used records shows that it really does get dirt out, but I'm going to say something blasphemous: While I know it's necessary to clean records to keep the junk from getting ground in or piling up on your stylus, I've never, ever, not even once had the experience where a record that sounded bad was dramatically better after cleaning. It may be because I'm an idiot or because I pretty much never play vinyl unless I'm digitizing it, in which case I wind up paying VERY close attention through headphones, but it's been my experience that a noisy record remains a noisy record. I know that may others have had better luck and I've seen YouTube demonstrations of it, but it's never been my experience.

I've had a Nitty Gritty for even longer and my usual process is to SpinClean, put in new sleeeves, then Nitty Gritty right before playing/digitizing. I don't know if there's much left for the Nitty Gritty to do at that point, but I figure the vacuum can't hurt. And it's probably better for the little brush in the Nitty Gritty to only feed it records that have already had the worst of the crud washed away.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I try to shake/drip as much of the fluid back into the bin when I'm done, but the records really do get and stay pretty wet.

I can't really clearly quantify how many drying cloths you'll need. I just keep a bunch in the box along with re-usable diapers (never had kids, but saw a suggestion somewhere that they work really well for this) and just swap one out for another when it gets soggy. The cloths that were included when I bought my SpinClean years ago weren't microfiber, but cheap microfiber cloths work well, too. After a cleaning session, I just wash whatever I used along with my towels.

Even after drying with a cloth they can be a bit damp, so I usually just put them in a plastic dish rack I don't use for anything else for a few minutes. If I'm doing a big enough batch at once, the records I started with will probably be dry by the time I'm done washing the last one.

I have had to replace my cleaning brushes, but it was my fault x 2. Not only did I clean some really thick 78s, I also forgot to take the brushes out once and left them submerged in the fluid and pressing against each other for days. Might have been my imagination, but they just didn't feel right after that.

One look at the water after you've cleaned a bunch of used records shows that it really does get dirt out, but I'm going to say something blasphemous: While I know it's necessary to clean records to keep the junk from getting ground in or piling up on your stylus, I've never, ever, not even once had the experience where a record that sounded bad was dramatically better after cleaning. It may be because I'm an idiot or because I pretty much never play vinyl unless I'm digitizing it, in which case I wind up paying VERY close attention through headphones, but it's been my experience that a noisy record remains a noisy record. I know that may others have had better luck and I've seen YouTube demonstrations of it, but it's never been my experience.

I've had a Nitty Gritty for even longer and my usual process is to SpinClean, put in new sleeeves, then Nitty Gritty right before playing/digitizing. I don't know if there's much left for the Nitty Gritty to do at that point, but I figure the vacuum can't hurt. And it's probably better for the little brush in the Nitty Gritty to only feed it records that have already had the worst of the crud washed away.

Slowly, after the rise of CD & All Things Digital, I actually discarded some turntables that were taking up space & mentally relegated my substantial LP collection to Things of the Past. Then about 8 years ago I purchase a good (not great ) TT/Cart combo that none the less represents the best LP playback I've ever had. Unlike the 70's analog vinyl is not my primary form of musical source. So I have been rather cavalier in cleaning & playback. I use a carbon fiber brush & can 'o air & that's it.

Elsewhere there was a lengthy post on QQ about record cleaning that was so far ranging in products & methods it left my head spinning at 45 RPM. What I really want I can't afford, but the Spin Clean system seems to be effective at a reasonable price. I have two copies of the legendary Quadrafile records that are, um, well played. To clean them up as good as possible would make the Spin Clean product worth the price just for that.

So more specifically what can you mention about your personal use & learning curve on the device? How many drying clothes do you need to say, do a dozen records at a time? Are the discs really dry after cleaning or need some air time? Are the cloths similar to micro-fiber clothes? Have you needed to replace the cleaning brushes yet?

Thanks in advance for user tips & techniques!

I looked for that other thread to post my OP there, but didn't find it

The only things I will add to atrocity's post is that when filling the tank with the brushes in, you need to make sure to fill both sides of the tank. It will take awhile to level out and once I got careless and filled on one side only to the top and a couple LPs in realized my level was way down -LOL

I usually can only stand to do about 15-20 LPs at a time, and the two drying clothes I got with the unit is enough for me by letting the fluid drip back into the tank as much as possible. Instead of a dish rack, I'm using an old (repurposed) desktop metal vertical CD rack turned on its back and a light cotton cloth like an old T-shirt into the slots. I believe most of the LPs in my original collection are pretty clean, but when you're buying used, who knows what's stuck in those grooves. Like I said in the OP, that LP that stuck was a sealed copy, and whatever was in there got brushed clear. I take out the cleaning brushes when done and gently squeeze them into a drying cloth to get as much of the moisture out as possible and leave them separated to dry. I've probably only done about 100 LPs so far, but it looks like the brushes will last a long time.

And you can always take a break in the middle of the process and have a cup of Joe or a snack (no alcohol or Ganja please- ya need to stay sharp on the job!)

 

[Sonik Wiz]

Thanks for the come back, Atrocity & J Pup. That was helpful. I think I will go with the upgrade pack with premium (?) cleaning brushes, extra fluid & wipes.

In ancient days record cleaning was not as advanced as Discwasher & others like that were the best you could do. But I used that religiously and also LAST Record Preservative. When I dig the old LP's out the ones that are always in better shape were the ones treated with LAST.

Side note: I was also in the habit of swapping out scratchy paper liners for soft paper/plastic ones. A copule of years after marriage & moving to my new house our basement took on water pretty good. All my albums were lined up next to the outside wall, on the floor. The apparent water damage was terrible. I took them all upstairs to dry out. I sort of gave up for them as I visualized mold & fungus growing in the grooves. Then maybe 7 years ago I pulled Pretzel Logic out of the album and SHAZAM! Totally protected by the water proof plastic liner. And the same for the rest of them. Terrible covers, records as good as they were 40 years ago!!

 

[gene_stl]

I used to get used records from friends. (I had a lot of friends who were "splittin for the coast man!")
Often they were not audiophiles. If I suspected a record of being dirty I would wash it in the kitchen under very warm water and pour dilute transparent (no particulate additives as in some opaque detergents) liquid detergent. To this day Dawn is still popular for this and other similar purposes.
First rinse and wet the record. Then spritz the detergent on and use a clean hand to press the detergent containing water into the grooves. A few ccs of Everclear or other "reagent grade" alcohol increases the effectiveness of detergent and wettability of water. But not too much because it could leach plasticizers. (I like 3%) Then a warm water rinse to get the detergent water off.

Finally a rinse in distilled or deionized water. Maybe two or three rinses. The idea being to dissolve and flush away mineral salts present in tap water. Some people prefer the whole process to be done in purified water but for most people that is wasteful and likely uncesscessary.

Then dry it on a lint free cloth. Microfiber is one of the great inventions of eastern (Japan) civilization. But a multiply washed t shirt is very good too after the loose lint has been washed out of it. Cotton only please.

Drying and draining can be accelerated by drafting a wet and dry schop vac to draw the water off.

I always used a Discwasher. They were great. The new versions not as much.

 

[steelydave]

I think it's worth playing a record through 2 or 3 times after cleaning - sometimes simply the act of dragging the record needle through the grooves can dislodge any stubborn dirt, or in the case of sealed LPs, detritus from the manufacturing process. This is especially true if you're planning to commit the results to digital eventually, because if you can remove the junk that causes ticks and pops before playback, the results will always be better than dealing with the results digitally after the fact with click repair.

There's also the wood glue method for particularly stubborn dirt, though I don't have enough first-hand experience with it to reccomend it unqualified.

 

[gene_stl]

There is a method for cleaning optics that is similar to the wood glue method.
I would only do either method on records or lenses that were otherwise beyond use.
(The optical method does not use wood glue , but a very difficult to obtain liquid containing collodion and exotic dangerous solvents [Tetrahydrofuran])
I would worry that glue broke off down in the groove and could end up accumulating on my stylus tip.

Before I would try the wood glue method (which I admit I would LOVE to try on a disposable LP) I would put it into an ultrasonicator for a while. That really cleans stuff too.

 

[Gimme 4]

What? Nobody uses the Elmer's Glue method? Oops I do see reference to the wood glue. Done it to quite a few used records I've bought. It's amazing how that can really deep clean a record.

 

[MidiMagic]

I have been using a Discwasher and an Audio-Cleanica to clean records. I have a spray bottle filled with 50% distilled water and 50% isopropanol s a cleaning fluid.

I use the Audio-Cleanica primarily with old records I have acquired. I start it at the rim of the record (turning at its playing speed) and spray the record. It gets the dirt out of the grooves. When it reaches the runout area, I lift the cleaning arm and wipe the dirt off the pad with a cloth.

 

[atrocity]

There's also the wood glue method for particularly stubborn dirt, though I don't have enough first-hand experience with it to reccomend it unqualified.

I've done it a few times. It's weirdly fun and satisfying to peel that glue off, but I never noticed a sonic difference. I suspect that the records I tried had issues going beyond mere dirt.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I've done it a few times. It's weirdly fun and satisfying to peel that glue off, but I never noticed a sonic difference. I suspect that the records I tried had issues going beyond mere dirt.

Nah, not gonna try that, just can’t. Still believe Ultrasonic is the ultimate way to go.

I did find another thread on this subject tho; what threw me I guess was “Record” in the title, which I don’t typically use,

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/threads/suggestions-for-record-cleaning.3680/#post-535361

 

[Wathen1955]

I also use the Spin Clean machine. After cleaning, I shake off most of the water then dry them with a cloth that came with the Spin Clean machine. I then place them on a Bamboo dish drying rack. I leave them on the rack for ~15 minutes, then they go into a new Rice Paper anti static LP sleeve if it was paper. Most of the pops you hear is static electricity.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DJHDBQA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XYQB36P/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002UKSZUU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I also use the Spin Clean machine. After cleaning, I shake off most of the water then dry them with a cloth that came with the Spin Clean machine. I then place them on a Bamboo dish drying rack. I leave them on the rack for ~15 minutes, then they go into a new Rice Paper anti static LP sleeve if it was paper. Most of the pops you hear is static electricity.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DJHDBQA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XYQB36P/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002UKSZUU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks- but your link on the sleeves came back "not available"; maybe these would work...
https://www.amazon.com/Sleeves-Viny...ction+-+Invest+In+Vinyl&qid=1622687449&sr=8-2

 

[Mark Anderson]

I have used these for years
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001LQSFKY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Gimme 4]

I've done it a few times. It's weirdly fun and satisfying to peel that glue off, but I never noticed a sonic difference. I suspect that the records I tried had issues going beyond mere dirt.

Yep it won't fix damaged records but it sure will clean the surface. I've gotten excellent results.

I wash the record first using a Mobile Fidelity brush and dish detergent (used to use Dawn Free but they quit making it) get it dry then apply a layer of Elmer's School Glue last time I did this, tried glues in the past. I use a window film squeegee and a high torque direct drive turntable to smooth it onto the record, then let it dry 8 to 24 hours. Peel off, clean any left over debris, and play it!

(Excuse the wrinkles, it was wadded up in the trash.)

 

[Sonik Wiz]

Spin Clean offers two kit choices, one at $80 for the standard set up & one for $125 for the deluxe kit, with extra wipes & cleaning fluid. I had originally planned to buy the deluxe. But I've read elsewhere & agree with @Cyber 1 that any water with cleaning residue should be rinsed off. So what I think I'll do is buy two of the standard kits for a few $$ more. I'll get extra wipes & fluid that way. But mainly I can use the 2nd wash basin to rinse off in distilled H20!

Edit: Does anyone know if the Spin Cleans go on sale? Or have promotions of some sort?

 

[markshan]

I have used both and trust me when I tell you that this CRUSHES the Spin Clean for just a little bit more money. Use as much of whatever fluid you want then do a distilled water rinse. Thank me later.

Squeaky Clean Vinyl MK-III RCM 3D Printed Record Cleaner (Classic Black)

 

[kap'n krunch]

Distilled water and a few drops of alcohol in an 8 fl. oz. spraying bottle applied twice and cleaned off with Kimwipes has done the trick for me for years. Cheap and effective. My LP collection is spotless.