Cleaning a record brush?

[Arkay]

Something has been rolling around my head for a while...

I use a record brush when cleaning LPs with my VPI RCM... but like many people, sometimes I will give a dry record a brush, too, to remove any surface lint/dust just before playing. I try not to ever touch the brush with fingers, or let it touch anything but the record surface, but...

If a record brush helps remove dust from a record, where does the dust go? Obviously, some of it falls off the edge of the record, some flies off into the air... and SOME is bound to stick to the record brush, even if it isn't particularly adhesive nor carrying a static charge.

Over time, there is bound to be some dust ON the record brush. That dust might even potentially cause micro-scratches on the next record that is "cleaned" with the brush, mightn't it?

I recently got a turntable that came with the previous owner's record brush. I found myself wondering... is it clean? Do I dare let this brush with an unknown history touch my precious vinyl? How do I know/make sure that the brush is clean, and won't transfer some gunk or dust to the record surface? Yet it seems a waste to throw out a brush that at least looks fine, though, since it may be perfectly fine and usable.

I haven't hauled out a microscope to inspect the brush, the way I inspect styli... which might show if it is clean or dirty. Has anyone here done so?

I guess the key question is: HOW DO YOU CLEAN A RECORD BRUSH (or keep it clean)? Run it under water? [I've tried it...don't know if it helped.] If so, tap water or distilled? Use detergent or record-cleaning fluid, followed by distilled water, as one might with a record?

What do you do to keep your record brush clean? Is there an accepted/expert method for this? I don't recall reading of any. Any wisdom shared will be appreciated.

 

[Doug G.]

I swipe my Discwasher brush with the back of my fingers (to keep finger oil off) and then blow on it after sweeping the dust off a record.

Once in a while, I take it to the sink and wash it with Dawn and rinse well.

Doug

 

[HypnoToad]

"HOW DO YOU CLEAN A RECORD BRUSH?"

Use another brush?

 

[musichal]

I have the new Discwasher brush (mom has the old original one where the fluid bottle fits inside the handle like the good Lord intended), and just use the stiff brush that came with it to brush the record brush - the opposite direction from the way it's used on the record...........well, that's about as clear as mud.

 

[TJLitt]

for carbon fiber brushes, they usually have a flip-up cover that should be used with a back and forth motion to loosen and free dust from the fibers.
Needless to say, don't do this near table or records.....Eventually, I figure that the brush has to pick up a level of dust, so I buy a new one every year or two.

 

[speedracer]

How about vacuming it ?

 

[Divotdog]

I keep an old toothbrush next to my Discwasher brush, after I brush the record just brush the dust off of the Discwasher brush.

 

[Andyman]

I just rub my carbon fiber anti static brush lightly against my shirt sleeve to knock off the loose stuff.
The brush on my RCM goes through both rinse cycles so it should be pretty clean after that.

 

[Mark W.]

The vacuum pickup arm on my RCM will pivot up straight up and down so I just use it to vacuum the wet brush which cleans it as well as the record. Granted the design of the VPI and Nitty Gritty don't allow this. BUT mine does!

 

[jazzwolf]

If you mean the VPI record brush that comes with the machine then I just clean it under running warm tap water and then let it dry. That brush is pretty sturdy and will have cleaning fluid and junk on it after scrubbing so a rinse is a must! You also have to clean the velvet strips on the pickup tube and that I recommend cleaning with distilled water and a light scrubbing with the brush (after it's been cleaned of course).

If you mean the carbon fiber brush then it usually self cleans with the flip over cover but eventually I'll also give it a rinse with distilled water because dust will eventually accumulate on the cover.

 

[thefragger]

I wipe mine on my pant leg.

 

[Brett a]

I wondered about cleaning my carbon fiber record brush for a long time. Then one day as I was using my chunk of Magic Eraser to do my stylus, I light bulb appeared over my head:

"Brett", it said, "why don't you just rub that little hunk of ME back-and forth along the bristles of the carbon brush?"

"Damn!" I thought, "Brilliant idea. Why did it take six months to put that together?"

Magic Eraser is the perfect tool for the job; It hooks and pulls contaminants from hard surfaces. Just what we need done here.

:thmbsp:

 

[ke4jhj]

I use both carbon fiber brushes and Mobile Fidelity Brushes to clean records.

The CFBs usually clean up well but the using the flip handle to knock the dust off the fibers.

On the MFBs, which I greatly prefer over the old Discwasher brushes, they recommend using a toothbrush. However, I found that the toothbrush usually just moves the dust around. I have tried cans of compressed air and that works well in cleaning the Mobile Fidelity Brush. But that can become expensive.

In experimenting on using a vacuum cleaner with a modified crevice tool, I have discovered that similar to Mark W., I have used a regular non-modified crevice tool and that work well in cleaning the brushes. But I haven't tried that on a carbon fiber brush. I don't think that would work well.

 

[Brett a]

The CFBs usually clean up well but the using the flip handle to knock the dust off the fibers.

You think so? I think it takes care of some of the easy stuff, but what about more tenacious organic particles?

From a web article on household dust:
"Dust is made up of a variety of things from blowing dirt, bacteria, pollen, pollutants, molds, animal dander, hair, decomposing insects, fibers, dryer lint, insulation, dust mites and their excrement, and mostly, skin flakes that humans shed."

I'm not convinced that slapping it a couple times with a plastic bar is going take care of all those things. And in reference to an earlier post, I'd think rubbing the brush on my pant leg or T shirt would only make it dirtier, because then we could to the list above add food particles, snot, salty dust from brushing up against my car, cotton lint, fabric softener, etc. etc.

 

[ke4jhj]

You think so? I think it takes care of some of the easy stuff, but what about more tenacious organic particles?

From a web article on household dust:
"Dust is made up of a variety of things from blowing dirt, bacteria, pollen, pollutants, molds, animal dander, hair, decomposing insects, fibers, dryer lint, insulation, dust mites and their excrement, and mostly, skin flakes that humans shed."

I'm not convinced that slapping it a couple times with a plastic bar is going take care of all those things. And in reference to an earlier post, I'd think rubbing the brush on my pant leg or T shirt would only make it dirtier, because then we could to the list above add food particles, snot, salty dust from brushing up against my car, cotton lint, fabric softener, etc. etc.

For the most part, yes.

I agree that using the pants leg to clean the brush is not the way to go.

I do think your suggestion for using Magic Eraser has merit and is worth exploring.

But then, at a certain point, I guess it becomes necessary to replace the brush.

 

[Maicobmw]

I wipe the brush on a clean cloth in the opposite direction from when using it on a record. Just like cleaning off a lint brush.

 

[Tedrick]

After a record cleaning session, I swing the pick-up tube on my VPI 16.5 toward the front, lift it up enough to clear a Mo-Fi brush without breaking the suction, and use the vacuum to draw out dirt, dust, and excess cleaning fluids. Works like a charm, and my brushes dry faster and stay cleaner.

 

[RickB]

The Disc Doctor recommends that you wash the CF bristles in his Miracle Record Cleaning solution and then rinse it out well in distilled water....instructions are probably still on his site....

Yep, from his site:
[2] CARBON FIBER BRUSH CLEANING: A previously used CFB can be cleaned by soaking 1/4-3/8” of the tips overnight in full strength cleaner followed by 3 brief soak & rinse cycles in distilled water. Don’t touch fibers with your fingers. Periodic treatment with a ZeroStat® type device will keep the brush in full vigor.


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