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Cleaning a Thorens turntable mat

B

Bnoyes12

New Member
I was going to clean my thorens turntable may but for some reason got cold feet when I went to vinyl nirvana and saw Dave claim that there is a ‘special cleaner’ he used to clean the mats. I was thinking about using dish soap and warm water. Would this be the equivalent of Dave’s ‘special method’?
Thanks!
 
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If its heavily soiled then clean it with warm water (universal solvent). Otherwise, the aged patina gives it character.
 
8xlaxx said:
If its heavily soiled then clean it with warm water (universal solvent). Otherwise, the aged patina gives it character.
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Could be wrong since I just did a quick Google search but isnt aged patina meant for metal? How does that give it the natural black color?
Thanks!
 
Toss it in the sink. It will be fine. I keep worn out toothbrushes around for jobs just like this too.
 
When I got my Thorens the mat was disgusting. Warm water, dish soap, and a medium stiff brush made it look brand new.
 
What I meant was 'faded', some rubber will lighten or harden over time if exposed. Diluted Dawn dish soap might help, just hesitant to speed up the fading process from the chemicals or scrubbing action with a brush.
 
8xlaxx said:
What I meant was 'faded', some rubber will lighten or harden over time if exposed. Diluted Dawn dish soap might help, just hesitant to speed up the fading process from the chemicals or scrubbing action with a brush.
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Good point, that’s definitely something to keep in mind.
 
Is the original Thoren mat preferable to any of the cork mats that people often go to for there tables ? Just curious.
 
Here’s a before and after of mine.
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I second the armor all, just wipe all of it off that you can. It REALLY helps with static electricity. Been doing it for a couple years after somebody suggested it to me on AK.
 
Sink, warm water, dish soap, soft scrub brush. No special magic to it, just go around in circles to get the gunk out of the ridges. Throw it in the dish rack and let it air dry.

I use that method for every mat and lots of other things that I can fit in the sink. Soap and water is harmless to most things.
 
This will be debated by many here but Armor All is petroleum-based thus it will eventually dry out rubber parts you put it on. A water-based protectant is best.

@bharry did you spray anything on your mat after your cleaning to get that shine? Sprays like this may leave a greasy sheen on fingers, LPs, etc.
 
greymatter said:
Looks brand new , nice job :)
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Thanks!

8xlaxx said:
This will be debated by many here but Armor All is petroleum-based thus it will eventually dry out rubber parts you put it on. A water-based protectant is best.

@bharry did you spray anything on your mat after your cleaning to get that shine? Sprays like this may leave a greasy sheen on fingers, LPs, etc.
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No I didn't.. It looked good enough to me after I cleaned it so I didn't bother researching what, if anything, should be used.
 
I would have argued against using armor all until I read it on here, more importantly who wrote it. You end up wiping it all off and it absolutely does not leave anything on the records. There is such a tiny amount used I would also question it drying anything out without proof.
 
My technique, refined over many years doing a few hundred.

Many passes with a dry clean microfiber to remove loose dirt. Wash in mild soap and water, air dry out of direct sunlight. Apply light coat of Meguiars Gold Class Trim Detailer with clean cotton cloth. Then, spread evenly into the grooves/crannies of the mat with several passes of a clean microfiber. Let rubber "revitalize" for a few hours. Finish with several passes of a new microfiber to get as much residue off as possible. Leave in dust free spot for 24 hours. I then bag it.

Years ago I used to use armor all in a similar process. After a few days/weeks in the plastic bag, there would be residue (and crinkles) on the bag interior. The Meguiars doesn't do that. (Both labels state they have petroleum distillates, but maybe the Mequiars is formulated differently so it is more readily removed???)

Last time I looked, the Trim Detailer was only available in the EU.

D
 
bharry said:
No I didn't.. It looked good enough to me after I cleaned it so I didn't bother researching what, if anything, should be used.
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Under those conditions, don't put anything more onto the mat. Armor-all residue and vinyl records? Not too sure about that.

FWIW, and on a different application, I've been using Griot Rubber and Vinyl prep. I think it's better than Armor-All and leaves no sticky residue on tires and interior vinyl. But, I wouldn't use it on turntable mats. :)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IUE5S0K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
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