For another group, I was asked to put together a series of comments on record cleaning. I thought I'd share excerpts from it with this forum, fully knowing that it will be controversial with some who swear by their methods. Keep in mind, they are my opinions as a former Biochemist and as a lifelong audiophile. However, I'm coming from a good place, with the objective of encouraging record lovers to treat their vinyl records well so they can fully enjoy their unique quality and preserve them for future generations. Heck, I might even come across one of your records in a used bin someday.
Part 1: "Forget the fancy commercial cleaners..I use a drop of Dawn in water"
You're doing it wrong!
The active ingredient in most dishwashing liquids is Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate, or SDS (also referred to as “Sodium Laurel Sulfate”, or generally “alchohol sulfates”). This is a detergent with a charged, anionic headgroup (the sulfate). It is typically present in dish soap at 10%-20% concentration, the rest being perfumes, various alcohols and amines, colorants, occasionally antibacterials (e.g. triclosan) and, of course, water. Many people will use a drop of this detergent with distilled water as their cleaning solution. While it does an effective job, the introduction of a negatively charged compound promotes issues with static charge on the cleaned record. This can be heard as pops and clicks when playing and also causes the surface to attract dust and particles, exasperating the condition. Furthermore, the non-detergent additives in the mix (e.g. alcohols and amine oxides) are not desirable and do not completely rinse off the surface (If you doubt this, smell the record after cleaning with a perfumed detergent – your nose can detect the molecules left behind, even after pure water rinsing). Unfortunately the residual detergent and charge left behind have no odor. As an example, SDS is the primary ingredient in cheap shampoo and you can feel the frizz after washing with it as the charge is introduced, even after extensive rinsing. This is countered in the subsequently applied “conditioner” they sell you, which always contains cationic detergent alcohols to neutralize the charge and leave the hair feeling “soft”. Since people rarely follow record cleaning with a cationic or quat wash, they end up with a charged surface.
"Then how do I do it right?"
Simply use a non-charged (neutral) detergent. There are many to choose from but the most readily available are Triton X-100, Nonidet NP-40 and Tergitols. You buy them in 100% solution and must mix with water slowly to get them to dilute. Make a 10% stock in distilled water and store in a soap bottle. Use at a final concentration of 0.1 to 0.5%. Hence, a 100 ml bottle of 100% will last a long time.
Don’t just take my word for it: This is the only type of detergent recommended by the Library of Congress and preservation specialists for vinyl records, and now you know some of the reasons why.
Part 1: "Forget the fancy commercial cleaners..I use a drop of Dawn in water"
You're doing it wrong!
The active ingredient in most dishwashing liquids is Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate, or SDS (also referred to as “Sodium Laurel Sulfate”, or generally “alchohol sulfates”). This is a detergent with a charged, anionic headgroup (the sulfate). It is typically present in dish soap at 10%-20% concentration, the rest being perfumes, various alcohols and amines, colorants, occasionally antibacterials (e.g. triclosan) and, of course, water. Many people will use a drop of this detergent with distilled water as their cleaning solution. While it does an effective job, the introduction of a negatively charged compound promotes issues with static charge on the cleaned record. This can be heard as pops and clicks when playing and also causes the surface to attract dust and particles, exasperating the condition. Furthermore, the non-detergent additives in the mix (e.g. alcohols and amine oxides) are not desirable and do not completely rinse off the surface (If you doubt this, smell the record after cleaning with a perfumed detergent – your nose can detect the molecules left behind, even after pure water rinsing). Unfortunately the residual detergent and charge left behind have no odor. As an example, SDS is the primary ingredient in cheap shampoo and you can feel the frizz after washing with it as the charge is introduced, even after extensive rinsing. This is countered in the subsequently applied “conditioner” they sell you, which always contains cationic detergent alcohols to neutralize the charge and leave the hair feeling “soft”. Since people rarely follow record cleaning with a cationic or quat wash, they end up with a charged surface.
"Then how do I do it right?"
Simply use a non-charged (neutral) detergent. There are many to choose from but the most readily available are Triton X-100, Nonidet NP-40 and Tergitols. You buy them in 100% solution and must mix with water slowly to get them to dilute. Make a 10% stock in distilled water and store in a soap bottle. Use at a final concentration of 0.1 to 0.5%. Hence, a 100 ml bottle of 100% will last a long time.
Don’t just take my word for it: This is the only type of detergent recommended by the Library of Congress and preservation specialists for vinyl records, and now you know some of the reasons why.