Suggestion for record cleaning Bath

Aha vinyl cleaning. I just love it.:D Well Manoj as Steven suggested you can use that scrub and I used it to good effect but I think if you can try and order a vpi record cleaning brush I can assure you it is best the possible way to do a proper wet cleaning. VPI HW-16 & 16.5 RECORD BRUSH - elusivedisc

I use it in my record cleaning machine and I think for hand wash it will be equally useful.One note of caution though be careful of ordering stuff during puja season in Calcutta. Custom guys are hungry for money and my recent order of vinyls are held up for three weeks now.
Thanks.
 
sachu888 said:
Hi,

I recently cleaned my records from AMWAY Car Wash.The result is excellent.Lp's are sounding like new.Amway car wash is very mild and doesn't harm LP's.
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dear all, was wondering whether one can use CLEANEX which is used for cleaning Computers, for cleaning of Vinyls! Has anybody tried it out yet.Also sholdnt the Vinyls be dusted first to get rid of the dust particles before proceeding to Wet cleaning. otherwise wont the particles scratch the vinyls. Like what they do the glasses of a car. Clarifictios pl.rgds.visu.
 
Yes Visu,

You should dry brush the loose dust off with a carbon fibre brush before wet cleaning.

Re the cleanex, do your reading on tried and tested solutions and then decide if you want to experiment with something new.

regards
 
HI,

I use Amway car wash and pinch of surf excel in warm water and sponge for vinyl cleaning.I rinse them with tab water.Results are very good.

Regards,

Sachin


visvan1970 said:
dear all, was wondering whether one can use CLEANEX which is used for cleaning Computers, for cleaning of Vinyls! Has anybody tried it out yet.Also sholdnt the Vinyls be dusted first to get rid of the dust particles before proceeding to Wet cleaning. otherwise wont the particles scratch the vinyls. Like what they do the glasses of a car. Clarifictios pl.rgds.visu.
Click to expand...
 
Here is a formula for record cleaning fluid for both hand and vacuum cleaning, which is mentioned by Laura Dearbon in her book `Good Sound'. (I havent read the book but saw it on the net) -
25% soln. of isopropyl alcohol in distilled water. Use lab-grade or technical isopropyl alcohol. Add a drop of surfacant or wetting agent which is good for cleaning high frequency grooves in the range of 15kHz. For surfacant one choice is Triton X-114.

On inquiry my chemist friends told me Triton X-114 is a mild ionic detergent which they routinely use and is easily available in the market. I have borrowed a small quantity from them and plan to try out this week-end.
 
How do you clean your vinyls?

I use a carbon fibre brush before playing when there is visible dust on the surface. Sometimes I lightly pick it up with a microfibre cloth (like the ones from 3M). I usually try to avoid cleaning if the surface is not visibly dirty.

I saw a friend of mine using a cloth based brush made by RCA. This set me wondering about what people here do to clean their vinyls before playing them.

There are already a number of threads that discuss vinyl cleaning in detail. I see no value in creating a new thread. I am merging your thread with an old one. Please continue your discussions here. Venkatcr
 
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Re: How do you clean your vinyls?

entsurgeon said:
What city u from? Where u get these stuff from n at wat cost?
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I am from Kanpur. I got the carbon fibre brush from Ukraine (Kiev) airport from a duty free shop. 3M microfibre cloth was bought on internet.

My friend had got his RCA cloth brush from US.

Sad to say but these products are hardly available in India.
 
I thought so too but im using the spin clean so i wanted to share. Whatever is said and written bout it is spot on.

Regards.
 
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Hi All,

I thought I chime in with my personal record cleaning methods and equipment, first off I have the VPI 16.5 slightly modified, and a hand steamer with a nozzle end. I make my own record cleaning solution and use distilled water to ensure no impurities get back on the record. The solution is made up of 1 part isopropyl alcohol (purest possible i.e. 99%) 5 parts distilled water and 2 to 3 drops of dish detergent soap (i use Dawn in canada not sure what you have available, key is least fragrant possible). I mix that in a bottle with a top with a closable spout. I have a bottle of pure distilled water for rinsing. I have my have steamer filled with distilled water as well. My procedure is as follows once the record to be cleaned has been examined under a bright direct light to check for marks on the surface. I put it on the vpi and apply a ring of cleaning solution, I use a vpi cleaning brush to distribute the solution over the record, then I scrub the record with the brush from the centre to the outside edge as the record rotates (try not to get the label to wet). I position the cleaning tube and turn the vacuum on, as the record rotates removing the the soapy solution I use the steamer to apply steam to the record moving the steamer nozzle in and out from the centre in a line about 2cm above surface as the vacuum sucks and record turns for approximately 15 seconds of steam. I do that cleaning method 3 times, then I do 2 rinse cycles with distilled water and a felt brush (nitty gritty) and the steam. Once done I use a micro fibre cloth to wipe excess water off the edge of the record, flip the record and repeat 5 cycles again. This method cleans the records very well and will produce nice deep black glossy records. The playback will improve from pre clean but obviously if there are scuffs scratches or deep imbedded debris you will still get some pops and ticks. By the way I have used the KAB RCM mentioned in this thread and it works reasonably well but you will have to change the method slightly, it is a lot cheaper and works well until you can get a better RCM. Once clean it's a good idea to get a couple of other accessories, a Carbon fibre brush and a Anti-stat gun (milty or nagaoka Kil-A-Volt). Avoid cleaning with to much iso will leech vinyl and use the purest water available (bottled water if distilled isn't available). Oh yeah anyone with a VPI 16.5 you might try using black RTV silicone to seal all the seams inside the cleaning area especially if you use a steamer, particle board doesn't like moisture. Hope you find this long post helpful.

Andrew
 
Thanks Andrew for that post. The challenge I face is with the dishwash detergent. Most of them available in the market have some perfume or the other as well as some oils added.
 
gopib said:
Thanks Andrew for that post. The challenge I face is with the dishwash detergent. Most of them available in the market have some perfume or the other as well as some oils added.
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Hey Gopib,

Do you have a dish detergent with lemon scent called Ouro, we have a product here called sunlight and I have used it. It has a fresh lemon scent and is mild on hands. Keep in mind you just need a few drops to act as a surfactant (water tension breaker). Those few drops add just enough suds to help lift the greases left by accidental finger touches. Are you using a RCM or are you trying a hand wash? One other thing i forgot to mention if you can get a dish drying rack to stand the records so they can air dry to ensure on moisture. Interestingly I was reading a post about water for record cleaning and they said Aquafina brand of bottled water by coca cola has only 10 PPM of particulates in it so it is a very good substitute for distilled water. I have one other thing I can share with you is a URL to a product that can be used instead of dish detergent called Tergitol 15-S-3 and Tergitol 15-S-9. I was on a forum and one post linked to the library of congress in the US talking about preservation of both shellac and Vinyl the recipe was easy .5 parts Tergitol 15-S-3 and .5 parts Tergitol 15-S-9 to 100 parts distilled water and no isopropyl. I have not tried it but I will once I can get some of these products. Talas - Tergitol 15-S-3, 15-S-9

Let me know if this helps.

Andrew
 
Hi Gopib,

I used to use drops of Pril before I switched to Disc Doctor. Works just fine. For the time it is on your record you should have no worries.

Andrew,

I tried steam cleaning a la Crem of Audiogon fame, but heard just no difference. Will prob get it out to try again...

Omishra,

Shop your world delivers the spin clean, everything included for some 6.9k. Just go to their website, request a quote and fill in the form, giving them the URL link (I took Amazon link) where the Spin Clean is listed for sale and they'll get back to you promptly with a quote break up including shipping, customs etc... The liquid in the Spin Clean is the key.


Regards
 
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stevieboy said:
Hi Gopib,

I used to use drops of Pril before I switched to Disc Doctor. Works just fine. For the time it is on your record you should have no worries.

Andrew,

I tried steam cleaning a la Crem of Audiogon fame, but heard just no difference. Will prob get it out to try again...

Omishra,

Shop your world delivers the spin clean, everything included for some 6.9k. Just go to their website, request a quote and fill in the form, giving them the URL link (I took Amazon link) where the Spin Clean is listed for sale and they'll get back to you promptly with a quote break up including shipping, customs etc... The liquid in the Spin Clean is the key.


Regards
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Hey Stevieboy,

The steam cleaner seemed to help me with really dirty records that had a lot of ground in dust but this really only works well if you have a RCM that sucks the steamed water off the record very soon after the area is steamed. I steam each side 4-6 times and normally wait til I have depleted the steam charge in the steamer. As I'm steaming the vacuum on the VPI sucks it of in about 1 1/2 seconds after it has been steamed. You definitely notice the vinyl is warm and extremely clean. But I have records at home that are as clean as I can get them and yet there is still surface noise. Cartridge choice and a hard turntable mat with a clamp and outer periphery ring will help a bit but not if the vinyl is damaged (scuffs, scratches or stubborn debris). I was wondering how many of you clean your new records to help remove the mold release compounds that leech from the vinyl. I read a post by an engineer at a record pressing plant that recommended steaming and cleaning all new vinyl. Curious of what you all thought for me I haven't decided, obviously it can't harm.

Andrew
 
gopib said:
Thanks Andrew for that post. The challenge I face is with the dishwash detergent. Most of them available in the market have some perfume or the other as well as some oils added.
Click to expand...

Hi Gopib,

I would use any dish detergent that says soft on hands I believe there is a product called 0uro dish washing liquid (lemon scent). I have used a similar product in the past with no ill effects and for the solution you only add 2-3 drops. Are you using a RCM or are you cleaning by hand? You really need a record cleaning machine to get the deep dirt out. I use a steamer to help loosen the dirt up but the record needs to be turning and you shouldn't hold it in one spot to long or the record will warp and be damaged. For those using a RCM like the VPI and making your own solution you might look at two products Tergitol 15-S-3 and Tergitol 15-S-9. I was on the Library Of Congress website a while back and they had a huge article on record cleaning and preservation. The article included a recipe as follows 0.5 parts Tergisol 15-S-3, 0.5 parts Tergisol 15-S-9 and 100 parts Distilled water. I haven't tried it myself yet but I plan on trying it. I'll add the Url for the website that has the tergisol but you will probably want to source it out locally. Talas - Tergitol 15-S-3, 15-S-9

Hope this is helpful

Andrew
 
Rajiv said:
Hi,

I received a mail from Jochen Semler(The Listening Room -Bangalore ),saying that he will be stocking/selling the 'Knosti' Record Cleaning Machine from Germany.

It is not as expensive as the Spin Clean washer.

Regards
Rajiv
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Hi Rajiv,

Are you aware whether the Knosti Record Cleaning Machine has arrived in India and if so how much does it cost? How can Jochen Semler be contacted?

Regards.
 
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