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After Wet Cleaning stylus collects fuzz from record. Are records really clean?

No matter how clean my records are, and in many cases they are very clean as in right out of US vac wash cycle, I get a bit of dust on my Shure V15 III MR. Not as much with other stylus. Seems that little bugger really digs in. On second and third play I get less every time.
 
I get dust on my stylus on new records that have been vacuumed before they are played for the first time. It’s actually quite a bit. Just clean the stylus after each side for now. Nothing seems to stop it.
 
I haven't cleaned a record in many years. Even ones I buy used. I don't think it makes much of a difference as far as noise goes. I just hit them with a carbon fiber brush before playing to get the dust off. They're always quiet and I don't get any build up on the stylus. The noisiest records I own are ones I cleaned in the sink with distilled water. It's a vinyl disc, no need to overcomplicate it IMO.
 
jeffpaletz said:
After reading here how about how important it is to clean your records I ordered a Vinyl Styl Deep Groove Record Washer system from Sound Stage Direct on Cyber Monday. It cost $59.99 which was $20 off the regular price. I compared it on line to Spin Clean and decided to try the Vinyl Styl version because it has clamps that cover the label. When you turn the record to clean it, the record hangs in the tank by the plastic fingers that protrude from the label cover clamps. It's very easy to spin the record and it's very stable in the tank hanging from the label clamps. See link below.

http://www.vinylstyl.com/accessories/vnst10060261-vinyl-styl-deep-groove-record-washer-system/

After cleaning a few records and letting them sit in the included drying rack to thoroughly dry, I started playing them. The records looked clean and shiny and sound great with few or no clicks and pops. However, when the third record started it sounded bad and I could tell the stylus was dirty. A sizable dust bunny had built up around the stylus which I easily removed. The record sounded great again. I started checking the stylus after every couple of records and found gunk/dirt or something had accumulated on the stylus. This rarely happened before. If the records are in fact getting clean, should this be happening? The cartridge I'm using is a Shure V15Vmr with OEM stylus. Beside the stylus collecting dirt, the brush also had some dust on it, though not much. Note that the stylus on these cartridges are very tiny and ride deep in the groove.

Prior to getting this device, I used a Disc Washer brush without using the cleaning fluid to clean the record and used an In The Groove Roller to pick up the dirt that the Disc Washer brush left behind, in a line.

I'd appreciate reading some of your thoughts here about this.

Thanks.
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After researching this issue, it is the fact that Spin Clean has you wipe dry the records where Vinyl Styl does not. I am getting the Vinyl Styl system and I am going to dry the records first. We shall see.....
 
I picked one up the other day and I find the brushes to be plenty stiff and dense and I believe they are capable of getting pretty deep in the groove. Cleaned some of the oldest records I have and which have never been anything but dry brushed. Came out great. Maybe a little dust on the tip but nothing out of the ordinary as far as I can tell...but then, I am used to there being dust on the tip. Maybe I'll pay more attention to it and see if there is a difference to be seen...still have plenty of records to clean to test with.

I absolutely hate the solution they include. It's slimy and if you just let it air drive it leaves spots like you washed a black car in the sun to air dry. Not a hell of a lot better when I wiped them down after to finish air dry. Haven't had a chance to mix up my homebrew yet...been slammed busy for the past week or so and I haven't had a minute to get supplied. Once I get past all the crap on my plate I will and I expect it will be a much better experience.

Still though, they were getting at lease little cleaning...one of these was like listening to AM station a 1000 miles away it had so much crap and static. First spin was like it was brand new. Just feel like the included stuff is too thick and slimy to be digging down deep.
 
I have the Vinyl Styl system, and I rinse before and after with warm water and then gently wipe dry with a micro fiber cloth and then let sit dry in the rack. I also give 8 full rotations in both driections. I am not too fond of their cleaner and I use my own as well. As to the recipe of the cleaner, I looked up the patent for the original Discwasher system and it is pretty much what everyone uses although not exactly what the patent mentions, but I think close enough The BIG thing the patent focuses on is the use of distilled water...
 
I wonder what's in the Vinyl Styl solution. While traveling recently, we stopped in a well-regarded record shop to dig. When I arrived, an employee was hand cleaning several records with the VS solution. The odor was quite strong. Clue 1. Of the 5 records I bought, 4 had been cleaned by the store as this same odor was coming off the records when we got home with them. The 4 that had been cleaned with VS had an incredible amount of surface noise for such clean, near-mint looking records. The record that hadn't been cleaned had no surface noise. The noise was exactly the same on all 4 records. Clue 2. Then it occurred to me that every record I heard over the in-store system that afternoon had exactly the same kind of surface noise. I didn't think anything of it at the time. Clue 3.

I always "clean" clean records before each play with the GrooveWasher brush/fluid. I use it using the old Discwasher instructions, not the current GrooveWasher instructions. Works well for me. After playing a side or 2 and noticing the same noise, and then trying a sample from all 4 records, I noticed a build up on my stylus. It's been very difficult to remove. I finally took the 4 records to my local and had them cleaned on his VPI. Surface noise issue solved. The records no longer look completely near-mint, a few inner sleeve scuffs have shown up, but at least they are now playable (and in new, clean poly inners)

So, I'm very suspicious of the Vinyl Styl system now. I don't think the shop was trying to do anything sneaky or shady; they have a good reputation locally and on Yelp.

Just my observation.
 
davidkeith89 said:
I wonder what's in the Vinyl Styl solution. While traveling recently, we stopped in a well-regarded record shop to dig. When I arrived, an employee was hand cleaning several records with the VS solution. The odor was quite strong. Clue 1. Of the 5 records I bought, 4 had been cleaned by the store as this same odor was coming off the records when we got home with them. The 4 that had been cleaned with VS had an incredible amount of surface noise for such clean, near-mint looking records. The record that hadn't been cleaned had no surface noise. The noise was exactly the same on all 4 records. Clue 2. Then it occurred to me that every record I heard over the in-store system that afternoon had exactly the same kind of surface noise. I didn't think anything of it at the time. Clue 3.

I always "clean" clean records before each play with the GrooveWasher brush/fluid. I use it using the old Discwasher instructions, not the current GrooveWasher instructions. Works well for me. After playing a side or 2 and noticing the same noise, and then trying a sample from all 4 records, I noticed a build up on my stylus. It's been very difficult to remove. I finally took the 4 records to my local and had them cleaned on his VPI. Surface noise issue solved. The records no longer look completely near-mint, a few inner sleeve scuffs have shown up, but at least they are now playable (and in new, clean poly inners)

So, I'm very suspicious of the Vinyl Styl system now. I don't think the shop was trying to do anything sneaky or shady; they have a good reputation locally and on Yelp.

Just my observation.
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My opinion only. I feel that some surfactant solutions that ppl apply and let dry on their LPs attracts dust and such. Sort of leaves a "sticky" surface. I like cleaning those albums with Dawn. Rinse thoroughly in the sink. Then, ultrasonic clean in distilled water with very little amount of isopropyl alcohol. Those records seem to leave the least amount of residue on the needle, after multiple playing.

I do not apply any commercial stylus solutions to the stylus.
 
Re-reading this old thread, I spotted something else. Used properly, a real, old-style Discwasher brush (with the black, directional bristles) should not leave a line of dust on the record. "Properly" means starting with the leading edge of the brush, pointed to by the arrow on the bottom, and slowly rolling the brush while spinning the record for two or three revolutions, then finally lifting the brush off as you reach the trailing edge. The line of dust should be captured on the brush, not left on the record. Wipe the brush backwards on your clothing to clean the line of dust off the brush.
jeffpaletz said:
Prior to getting this device, I used a Disc Washer brush without using the cleaning fluid to clean the record and used an In The Groove Roller to pick up the dirt that the Disc Washer brush left behind, in a line.
Click to expand...
 
sqlsavior said:
Re-reading this old thread, I spotted something else. Used properly, a real, old-style Discwasher brush (with the black, directional bristles) should not leave a line of dust on the record. "Properly" means starting with the leading edge of the brush, pointed to by the arrow on the bottom, and slowly rolling the brush while spinning the record for two or three revolutions, then finally lifting the brush off as you reach the trailing edge. The line of dust should be captured on the brush, not left on the record. Wipe the brush backwards on your clothing to clean the line of dust off the brush.
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Still have my Disc Washer purchased sometime in the late '70s early '80s and use it as described with a solution from local record store they call "Stuff" it works great, I always clean new records with it and clean my stylus with the stylus brush. I do have a Spin Clean that I use on used records and dry with the towels that came with it or lint free cloths such as baby diapers they look real good after that but I do not immediately play them until they have some time to completely dry. Also use a carbon fiber anti-static brush, and also recently purchased a Record Doctor vacuum cleaning machine that I plan on using after going thru the Spin Clean to help dry the records.
 
However which way one chooses to wash ones records, it is absolutely essential to ensure that ALL the washing fluid is removed BEFORE it dries on the record surface. Even if it's a rinse, or a rinse after a rinse, if you let liquid dry on your record surface it WILL leave some kind of residue. So drying properly after washing is essential if you want to get the most effective results.

And, even after that, the very act of taking the record out of it's sleeve and putting it on the turntable is likely to attract some dust, so a quick whizz round with a microfibre cloth (some people use carbon fibre or goat hair brushes) once it's on the platter will help reduce this. But if you don't have a lid then it's almost inevitable that some dust will settle on the record whilst it's playing anyway (unless of course you live in a hermetically sealed box). So dust is an enemy that can never be 100% vanquished.
 
sqlsavior said:
Re-reading this old thread, I spotted something else. Used properly, a real, old-style Discwasher brush (with the black, directional bristles) should not leave a line of dust on the record. "Properly" means starting with the leading edge of the brush, pointed to by the arrow on the bottom, and slowly rolling the brush while spinning the record for two or three revolutions, then finally lifting the brush off as you reach the trailing edge. The line of dust should be captured on the brush, not left on the record. Wipe the brush backwards on your clothing to clean the line of dust off the brush.
Click to expand...

Yes-this is the standard procedure I learned when using a Discwasher back in the 70's (still have it too). What the OP stated was he used it dry-so dust will naturally be left in a line once the brush is lifted. Same thing will happen when using a carbon fiber brush, as I do now. (dirty records get a trip to my VPI self built clone). I needed to learn the proper technique for the brush-to sweep the brush from perpendicular to the grooves to parallel in an arc toward the 'bottom'/lead out groove. Sometimes repeating the process a couple of times.

If the OP used a DW dry for an extended period-and is now using a wet cleaning process, it's not surprising that he has had a lot of accumulated dirt that has been loosened, and the stylus is becoming dirty after playing. Whether it's cleaner residue or just lots of accumulated dust-I don't know, but likely a combination of both.
 
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