LP records/vinyl cleaning question

[unfun75]

What do you guys use to clean your vinyl records? Links and pics would be helpful. Thanks.

[JohnnyB]

What do you guys use to clean your vinyl records? Links and pics would be helpful. Thanks.

I started a thread on this very subject in Nov. 2011 here.

I still clean with dish detergent, microfiber terry cloths, and a handheld steamer. It's not the fastest method, but is very effective, and has brought some filthy thrift shop and other chronically noisy records back to listenability. And if you can't chase down a handheld steamer, the dish detergent and microfiber towels work pretty well on their own. But the steamer helps blast away the residue loosened by the detergent in lieu of extensive rinsing.

I pointedly prefer detergent over isopropyl alcohol because detergent is a surfactant whereas alcohol is a solvent. A surfactant causes dirt and dried-on whatever to separate from what it's clinging to. A solvent tries to melt it away. It stands to reason that you'll clean dirtier things faster if you get the dirt to release from the vinyl than if you keep applying and rubbing alcohol on the grunge until it is dissolved. Detergent is faster and more thorough. It's also why the handheld steamer is so helpful and why rinsing is important.

[unfun75]

What do you guys use to clean your vinyl records? Links and pics would be helpful. Thanks.

I started a thread on this very subject in Nov. 2011 here.

I still clean with dish detergent, microfiber terry cloths, and a handheld steamer. It's not the fastest method, but is very effective, and has brought some filthy thrift shop and other chronically noisy records back to listenability. And if you can't chase down a handheld steamer, the dish detergent and microfiber towels work pretty well on their own. But the steamer helps blast away the residue loosened by the detergent in lieu of extensive rinsing.

I pointedly prefer detergent over isopropyl alcohol because detergent is a surfactant whereas alcohol is a solvent. A surfactant causes dirt and dried-on whatever to separate from what it's clinging to. A solvent tries to melt it away. It stands to reason that you'll clean dirtier things faster if you get the dirt to release from the vinyl than if you keep applying and rubbing alcohol on the grunge until it is dissolved. Detergent is faster and more thorough. It's also why the handheld steamer is so helpful and why rinsing is important.

Thanks for the link! What do you use between water/detergent cleanings? Any particular brush or cloth?

[JohnnyB]

Thanks for the link! What do you use between water/detergent cleanings? Any particular brush or cloth?

I use either the Hunt EDA brush, which is a combination of velvet and fine carbon fiber bristles or one of those terry microfiber towels, folded in half and rolled up into an 8" long cylinder. One's about as good as the other. Usually I just spin the record on the turntable and dry-brush it. If it's dusty I lightly spray the brush or cloth with alcohol-based record-cleaning fluid and then wet-dust it followed by the dry side of the cloth roll.

Some places charge $3.50 per towel, but I get a bundle of 25 at Sam's or Costco for about $10.

[hamerican gigolo]

What do you guys use to clean your vinyl records? Links and pics would be helpful. Thanks.

I started a thread on this very subject in Nov. 2011 here.

I still clean with dish detergent, microfiber terry cloths, and a handheld steamer. It's not the fastest method, but is very effective, and has brought some filthy thrift shop and other chronically noisy records back to listenability. And if you can't chase down a handheld steamer, the dish detergent and microfiber towels work pretty well on their own. But the steamer helps blast away the residue loosened by the detergent in lieu of extensive rinsing.

I pointedly prefer detergent over isopropyl alcohol because detergent is a surfactant whereas alcohol is a solvent. A surfactant causes dirt and dried-on whatever to separate from what it's clinging to. A solvent tries to melt it away. It stands to reason that you'll clean dirtier things faster if you get the dirt to release from the vinyl than if you keep applying and rubbing alcohol on the grunge until it is dissolved. Detergent is faster and more thorough. It's also why the handheld steamer is so helpful and why rinsing is important.

Thanks to JohnnyB,i have tried this method with a great deal of success.

[belgian]

This works too !

http://i.imgur.com/ndeBS.jpg