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Does Vacuuming really help

geode

geode

F4 Phantom Seat Jockey
Subscriber
I answered this for myself. I've always cleaned records by hand with a homebrew solution. Yesterday, I received my Spin-Clean. I must say it works very good and really cleans the records. What I noticed is that even though the record was visually clean and quiet, after playing one side of the record the stylus had a nice little blob of goo on it. I had to remove and clean the stylus after every side. SO, I incorporated my little homemade vacuum into the process. It's a small shopvac with a crevice tool wrapped with velvet. So the new process was to prewash under the sink, then clean in the Spin-Clean, then back under the sink for a post-rinse, then it got the vacuum, and finally wiped with the towel. I've played several records and no more goo on the stylus. Me thinks the vacuum really sucks the sludge out of the groove.
 
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I sink-cleaned records for years, balking at the prices asked for vacuum RCMs, until I finally got one. Then I wondered why I hadn't got one much earlier. Yes, the vacuum really does make a difference in the level of "clean"! :yes:
 
I stop at the vacuum step. I don't think I'd go from the vacuum to another wipe with towels of any kind.
 
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geode your another believer in the value of vacuming and ending up with both a clean record and stylus. I agree with analog fan in not useing a towel after vacuming, just might be depositing lint from the towel. If your not doing it already use a carbon fiber brush to wipe off any dust prior to playing the record when it's on the platter. Also you might want to consider useing destilled water instead of from the tap to rinse the records. Tap water can be another source of deposits being put back on the record.
 
After you vacuum, is the record still wet? I'm wondering why you wiped with a towel after vacuuming. My record cleaning process is just to brush it with my homebrew cleaning solution and vacuum it up with a wrapped crevice nozzle. The record is dry after I vacuum it.
 
The vacuum stage takes the cleaning process from good to great.


I'm glad (but not surprised) you found success with it.
 
Also you might want to consider useing destilled water instead of from the tap to rinse the records. Tap water can be another source of deposits being put back on the record.[/QUOTE said:
I am using the drug store distilled water and it's cheap . Others say that the higher quality lab grade water is much better even. But I am too cheap and get great results as is , but maybe one day will have to try it . I also agree with ditching the final towel dry .
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Arkay said:
I sink-cleaned records for years, balking at the prices asked for vacuum RCMs, until I finally got one. Then I wondered why I hadn't got one much earlier. Yes, the vacuum really does make a difference in the level of "clean"! :yes:
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I can't wait until the day that I can afford one. Still a bit under my financial radar.
 
a VPI 16.5 will be my big purchase this year (summer, to be exact)! can't wait! My spinclean does a good job now, but the fuzz just breaks my heart. lol.
 
patchboston said:
a VPI 16.5 will be my big purchase this year...
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IMHO, don't waste your money (particularly if you consider a 16.5 a "big purchase"). For far less money, you can buy yourself an inexpensive wet / dry vacuum (for less than $30 new) and a used record player to spin the record while "scrubbing". Get a a set of disc doc brushes and some MoFi Enzyme Plus solution and your set for well under $100.

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The big advantages of the VPI are 1) it's a self-contained unit, and 2) it's "pretty". But bang-for-buck, I'll take my DIY solution any day of the week.

If you think a Spin Clean does a good job, wait until you vacuum after an enzyme soak / scrub.
 
I've cleaned almost 500 records with my SC and have had no residual blobs of goo left on my records. I just use distilled water and give the records an intial dry with microfber towels and then let air dry.
 
Worth mentioning the use of Steam again.

I use my $35 steamer for two reasons.

a) To assist in cleaning the grooves
b) To deliver a final clean rinse

Once steamed/scrubbed/vac'd I then go over once more with the steamer then vac as a final rinse.

In fact the only wetting agent (other than my selected cleaining fluids) is condensed steam.

A final hot steam rinse works very well for me and preferred over a cold distilled water application.
I suppose the ultimate would be to use distilled water in the steamer :scratch2:

Cheers
Dave
 
geode said:
It's a small shopvac with a crevice tool wrapped with velvet.
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By "wrapped in velvet", do you mean the vacuum has to pull fluid and debris through the cloth? If so, you really ought to consider a more open option like cutting a slot in the crevice tool and lining the sides of it with something soft. I use strips of paint pad b/c they are pretty much non-absorbent.
 
Brett a said:
By "wrapped in velvet", do you mean the vacuum has to pull fluid and debris through the cloth? If so, you really ought to consider a more open option like cutting a slot in the crevice tool and lining the sides of it with something soft. I use strips of paint pad b/c they are pretty much non-absorbent.
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The crevice tool has a slit cut into it its length so the crud can be sucked into the tool through the slit.
 
analog fan said:
I stop at the vacuum step. I don't think I'd go from the vacuum to another wipe with towels or any kind.
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After vacuuming the record looks perfectly dry. I find that the additional wipe with the towel brings out the shine.
 
majick47 said:
geode your another believer in the value of vacuming and ending up with both a clean record and stylus. I agree with analog fan in not useing a towel after vacuming, just might be depositing lint from the towel. If your not doing it already use a carbon fiber brush to wipe off any dust prior to playing the record when it's on the platter. Also you might want to consider useing destilled water instead of from the tap to rinse the records. Tap water can be another source of deposits being put back on the record.
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I always use the fiber carbon brush before I play a side. Lint..:scratch2:
 
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