The Manav Malvai Zero Paisa Vinyl Cleaning Method

malvai

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Hi guys, there seems to be a lot of mysticism about the vinyl cleaning method.... There seem to a lot of 'magic potions' machines etc.... most of them work, albeit at a great amount of expense...

Having experimented with quite a few, and having been disappointed by the result (as per to the expense borne...), I am now sharing with you a method that has worked for me without fail... and it the best part about it is that it costs as little as NOTHING!

So here goes 'The Manav Malvai Zero Paisa Vinyl Cleaning Method':

1. Grab a mug from the bathroom
2. Warm up about half a mug ful of RO water or even aquaguard water (ensure it is lukewarm and no more...)
3. take an old T-shirt or vest cut it into 2 halves
4. Fold up the two halves in such a way that when rolled up they will span the width of the grooves of the LP
5. Place LP on a soft surface (an old bedsheet folded up and kept on the work desk or on the bed is good enuff)
6. Dip one of the rags in warm water and squeeze out excess water
7. Then, gently wipe in a circular motion along the grooves (be sure to not wipe against the groove). see pic 1.
8. next wipe out the grooves with the dry cloth, (again, the cloth should span the entire width of the grooves, and one has to follow the clockwise circular motion, gently). See pic 2.
9. Do rinse the wet cloth between sides.... you'll be surprised to see the amount of muck that comes out from even clean looking LP's!
10. Next one leave them to dry for about 2-3 hours, one can use a typical plate stack used in most kitchens or simply leave them on a bed... See pic 3.
11. Play and enjoy the music!

Hope this helps!

This to me, is the best way to clean LP's until one can buy a VPI or Clearaudio Vinyl cleaner....

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Just found a lot of my dad's vinyl's.... stashed away in a loft, must have been lying for a good 20 + yrs there! Sure would need cleaning & your method seems perfect, save for the time & effort required, which is a given for vinyls in general!

But then have recently discovered that the pleasure one gets to listen to music on vinyls/records is second to none, followed by audio cassettes! Long may the records live!
 
Just found a lot of my dad's vinyl's.... stashed away in a loft, must have been lying for a good 20 + yrs there! Sure would need cleaning & your method seems perfect, save for the time & effort required, which is a given for vinyls in general!

But then have recently discovered that the pleasure one gets to listen to music on vinyls/records is second to none, followed by audio cassettes! Long may the records live!

:clapping::clapping::clapping::clapping::clapping::clapping::clapping::clapping:
Nothing comes close brother.... nothing comes close to vinyl!
 
GRIN nice title Malvai!

Yup I had cleaned a couple of LPs with just water long back, not lukewarm though and it seemed to do a good job. Bonus with your method would be that since there's no friction as with an RCM's cleaning wand, you don't have to use the anti-stat gun after cleaning.
 
GRIN nice title Malvai!

Yup I had cleaned a couple of LPs with just water long back, not lukewarm though and it seemed to do a good job. Bonus with your method would be that since there's no friction as with an RCM's cleaning wand, you don't have to use the anti-stat gun after cleaning.

Bingo... that one thing that put me off with the RCM...
 
One more thing guys, the water that you use should definitely be either RO or the Bisleri/Aquafina kinda bottled water. The results are even better then!
 
>>>
malvai,

What is RO water?

Regards
issigonis

RO water = Reverse Osmosis filtered water.

Its a machine much like aquaguard, though, it completely drains the watere of ALL minereals and bacteria.

Most bottled water (that we call mineral water) is nothing but RO filtered water - devoid of any minerals at all! Hence they now write "Bottled Water" in very small print!
 
In my experience, 3 small tweaks can make an additional difference - again strictly out of my experience.

  1. Add a few drops of isopropyl alcohol (70%) to the mug of warm RO water
  2. Use a mild nylon brush along the groove lines to work the water through - I'm referring to the kind that one would use to remove dust off SLR lenses if you've seen one.
  3. Use a lint free microfiber cloth say from 3M to wipe off the fluid and let it dry

Regards,
Navin
 
In my experience, 3 small tweaks can make an additional difference - again strictly out of my experience.

  1. Add a few drops of isopropyl alcohol (70%) to the mug of warm RO water
  2. Use a mild nylon brush along the groove lines to work the water through - I'm referring to the kind that one would use to remove dust off SLR lenses if you've seen one.
  3. Use a lint free microfiber cloth say from 3M to wipe off the fluid and let it dry

Regards,
Navin

will try this out. where does one get isopropyl alcohol?
 
will try this out. where does one get isopropyl alcohol?

Hi Malvai,

I used to use iso in water mix with a few drops of liquid detergent per litre. Used to get it at a chemical supplies store that supplies chemicals to labs and stuff. You should find a supplier online. I remember one being there in Vashi or thereabouts when I was looking online long long back...

regards
 
Tks
I have been cleaning records for the last 40yrs, warm water with some soap solution is reqd to take out the grime, also care should be taken to clean the stylus after each play use a soft camera lens cleaning brush, store the vinyls away from heat (sunlight) as they tend to warp
good listening
 
I completely agree on the stylus part. Use a 10X magnifying glass to view a stylus under direct sunlight and you'll quickly be able to see the black grime its picked up after repeated vinyl playing.
Again, the intention is to remove the grime without messing with the compound that glues the stylus to the lever so I've found cleaning with a nylon brush with slightly stiffer bristles dipped in your magic potion of warm water with drops of isopropyl alcohol should do the job. Just be careful to ensure that your brush stroke is from the rear to forward, mimicing the vinyl movement against the stylus.
Regards,
Navin
 
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