Disc cleaning solution question

B

blind bruce

Member
This question may not have an answer but I feel the need to ask.
While checking various you tube videos on cleaning fluids for LPs, I found many formulas. All are basically the same except one. That one calls for several drops of dish detergent AND several drops of dishwasher Jet Dry.
Don't they both do the same thing? Why use both?
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All you really need for a basic solution is a mix of about 85% distilled water and 15% (max) of IPA (90+% pure). Neither dish soap nor Jet Dry will do anything that the IPA does not already do.

If you want to get into dozens of pages on the really serious technical stuff then in this forum you will find "Record Cleaning - you're doing it all wrong".
 
I am not a chemist, but my understanding is that the jet dry acts to break up the surface tension of the water, allowing it to flow across the record better.

Detergent is the cleaner, jet dry spreads the water.
 
True, it does, but alcohol in the solution does the same job and doesn't contain all the added chemicals and perfumes.
 
Yes they do -

what you need in a cleaning solution are:
a) distilled water - this is to wash everything and not leave any drying residue on the records, like regular water will do.
b) Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) - this dissolves dirt and oilish substances from the record surface (and the grooves), and acts as the cleaning agent - anything from 10% to 35% works equally good. Personally I tend to use 20-25% solutions.
c) detergent - VERY few drops, which act not as a cleaning agent, but as a water surface tension break, and help the water clear the record surface (instead of drying on top).

Two more remarks -
a) If one can have the solution warm (at about 30°) it will be much more effective.
b) residue is your enemy here. One can use ridicules clean, hard to get and expansive ingredients to avoid any residues, or immediately wash the record a second time, with just distilled water, and wash any residue away.

Cheers!
:beerchug:
 
Do you just want to "knock" the dirt off, or do what's best for your records?
 
blind bruce said:
I just want a substitute dor my D3 discwasher pad to remove dust particles before I play the record!
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In that case, distilled water will work or you could add a little alcohol. I think about ten percent alcohol by volume is what I use.

The disc washer only needs a few drops of solution on the pad and fluid is wiped off the record in cleaning. I wouldn't add detergent because there's no rinse step with a Discwasher.
 
Well, I was (perhaps by mistake) sent a Hazmat statement from a known record fluid maker. The formula is 50% alcohol, 50 percent water, in case you wanted to know.

I personally have been making my own fluid for many, many years and its formula is 3 parts distilled (or filtered water) and 1 part 99% Isopropyl alcohol. I have this in a spray mist bottle that I dampen a Discwasher brush with for pre-play cleaning of the record on a spinning table. Works great, records are clean and quiet and the damp DIscwasher brush removes most of the static.
 
A vacuum wand would be more effective than a simple brush, but neither by itself does much for static that is inherent with records. A good cleaning regiment using a non-ionic cleaner helps immensely towards long term care of your records.

There is quite a lot of good information in the thread, "Record cleaning - you're doing it wrong". From personal experience I can vouch for how effective that formulation is both with cleaning and with static. But one advantage I employ is the ultrasonic cleaning method.

If you haven't already looked into incorporating anti-static poly sleeves for storing your records, you should give them consideration.

Good clean records will provide you much more enjoyment and far less maintenance, and welcome to the AK forums.
 
My most effective home brew formulas always used a surfactant. In my case Kodak Photo Flo & eventuality Nonionic Surfactant NP-6 High Purity ... Tergitol.

My goal was to get the record cleaning solution to spread uniformly (no beading) like commercial solutions you buy.
 
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WaynerN said:
Well, I was (perhaps by mistake) sent a Hazmat statement from a known record fluid maker. The formula is 50% alcohol, 50 percent water, in case you wanted to know.

I personally have been making my own fluid for many, many years and its formula is 3 parts distilled (or filtered water) and 1 part 99% Isopropyl alcohol. I have this in a spray mist bottle that I dampen a Discwasher brush with for pre-play cleaning of the record on a spinning table. Works great, records are clean and quiet and the damp DIscwasher brush removes most of the static.
Click to expand...


Great info. Thanks very much!
 
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