sanlanman
Well-Known Member
My experience was the same with Sleevetown. Highly recommended.
Record Cleaning - Soap and Water - test results
- Thread starter Snade
- Start date
My experience was the same with Sleevetown. Highly recommended.
spridle
Member
I stopped at Advance Auto Parts and saved eight dollars on dent pullers by going down the street to AutoZone. With tax, two pullers were 10.75. I told my wife I wanted some microfiber dish towels and she said she needed some anyway, so I got the solid colors and she took the stripes. That was three bucks for my half. I found a three inch China Bristle Brush at Wal Mart for 1.34. Dish soap we already have. I figured it's worth a try for fifteen bucks to see how clean I can get a dirty record. I even bought a kind of roached copy of Neil Young's Decade for fifty cents specifically for this test. It was just too noisy to listen to, and I knew there was no way I could ever play it all the way through in the condition it was in.
I cleaned off the dent pullers, because they seemed a little greasy from manufacturing, and man, they stick really well. I did it pretty much like the OP, and had all kinds of foamy bubbles going. I dried them gently with my microfiber towels and let them air dry a little while. They sound great and they look great, too. It's amazing how many smudges look like a scratch, but they're gone now and the records have gone from a less than good grade to Very Good. You should see how a Very Good record comes out!
I've paid to clean a few records at a few shops here on occasion, and for the cost of cleaning two or three these days, I did a better job myself, without the amazing static buildup of the glue method (not to mention a lot less mess). I always kind of wanted an RCM, but I don't see that happening. I'll spend that money on more records.
Thanks for the awesome tip!
I cleaned off the dent pullers, because they seemed a little greasy from manufacturing, and man, they stick really well. I did it pretty much like the OP, and had all kinds of foamy bubbles going. I dried them gently with my microfiber towels and let them air dry a little while. They sound great and they look great, too. It's amazing how many smudges look like a scratch, but they're gone now and the records have gone from a less than good grade to Very Good. You should see how a Very Good record comes out!
I've paid to clean a few records at a few shops here on occasion, and for the cost of cleaning two or three these days, I did a better job myself, without the amazing static buildup of the glue method (not to mention a lot less mess). I always kind of wanted an RCM, but I don't see that happening. I'll spend that money on more records.
Thanks for the awesome tip!
ricohman
Adventure Rider
I ordered 100. I am sure this will help getting rid of 30 year old dust. Why was I putting a clean record back in a dirty sleeve anyway.
TheDr
Active Member
I know someone said something about hydrogen peroxide but I didn't see any replies, any ideas? Also I have heard good things about using original formula Oxi-Clean, which I'm thinking is similar to the peroxide. It has to be the original formula though and not the new Versatile formula which has some detergents that are hard to rinse.
JonL
Lunatic Member
I don't know much about hydrogen peroxide, other than that it gets mildly effervescent when it contacts some things... what things, I don't know. Seems like it could be a good addition to the record cleaning arsenal. I highly doubt it will hurt the vinyl, especially not the really weak stuff sold as an antiseptic. I don't know how bleaching peroxide would work.
scottyh777
Super Member
Been using this method for several months now and it is the best method I have ever used.And the real kicker is it's basically free.
Water w/ Dawn as a surfactant, mechanical agitation from the brush is more than good enough. Hydrogen peroxide is not going to make it better. In fact most of the folks adding alcohol have too dilute of a solution and aren't getting anything the Dawn doesn't do.
After all this time, people are still making this harder than it needs to be. A hundred people have said that the soap, water, brush, microfiber regimen works very well. Why not go with it?
After all this time, people are still making this harder than it needs to be. A hundred people have said that the soap, water, brush, microfiber regimen works very well. Why not go with it?
sanlanman
Well-Known Member
Fastbike, we are on the same page. No need to keep adding ingrediants that are unknown variables. All any of us want is a really clean record that is undamaged and unpolluted by the cleaning process.
Flammaster
DrumCorpsZappaFreak
It just seems to me that using soap is defeating the purpose. wouldn't it stay in the grooves? (I'm not talking about doing it in the sink but rather home brew solutions)
sanlanman
Well-Known Member
Yes, it could leave residue in the grooves; that is why you do a 2nd step of rinsing the album, preferably with pure distilled, deionized water.
Styx_II
The Grand Illusion
I second that........simple and effective. :thmbsp:
Tucker99
Super Member
I am a convert to the double dent-puller, paint pad, detergent first wash, rinse, water-alcohol-tile cleaner- Photoflo second wash, rinse, vacuum (I use my shop vac with a micro-fiber cover on a flat nozzle).
Once so washed I have replaced the album cover inner paper liners with clean plastic liners from a local record shop ($10 per 100 liners!)
I do believe that the vacuuming step is helpful. In fairness, the test was a few records that I washed and dried with the microfiber towels. Some were quite noisy after the first wash and that noise was much reduced after the second wash, which was the vacuum wash. What I don't really know is the extent to which is was the second wash or the actual vacuuming but I am convinced that second wash-vacuum made a distinct noise reduction difference.
Once so washed I have replaced the album cover inner paper liners with clean plastic liners from a local record shop ($10 per 100 liners!)
I do believe that the vacuuming step is helpful. In fairness, the test was a few records that I washed and dried with the microfiber towels. Some were quite noisy after the first wash and that noise was much reduced after the second wash, which was the vacuum wash. What I don't really know is the extent to which is was the second wash or the actual vacuuming but I am convinced that second wash-vacuum made a distinct noise reduction difference.
Doug G.
Lunatic Member
Let's make a distinction here between soap and detergent. We are NOT talking about using soap. We are talking about using detergent.
Soap is what you use that comes in bars (not THAT kind of bar
) and you use it to take a bath. It doesn't really rinse completely away since it is fat (oil) based.Detergent is what you wash dishes or laundry with. I forgot what base it is but it does rinse away cleanly for the most part. That is why we can use it to wash records. :thmbsp:
You would NOT want to wash a record with a bar of bath soap. :nono:
Doug
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bob smog
Creebling at the Turntables
Count me as a convert. When this thread surfaced about a week ago, I decided to build a hardware store version of the groov master. Including the Dawn and the brush I spent $11.
I've be cleaning some of my worst records, and the results are almost too good to be true. Some of these records had mold resulting from a flooded basement. The mold is gone and the records look like new.
I'm not doing anything fancy, just dawn applied with a paint brush, rinse with tap water, and wipe dry with a micro-fiber cloth.
So far, I've cleaned about 15 records without any ill effects.
I've be cleaning some of my worst records, and the results are almost too good to be true. Some of these records had mold resulting from a flooded basement. The mold is gone and the records look like new.
I'm not doing anything fancy, just dawn applied with a paint brush, rinse with tap water, and wipe dry with a micro-fiber cloth.
So far, I've cleaned about 15 records without any ill effects.
Snade
humble AK member
specialidiot
Break Glass, Smoke Lucky
Read back a few pages, they do work that much better. If they didn't I know I could get back what I paid within a day of listing it on Audiogon.
But no thanks, I'll keep it.
Probably sell my Groovmaster though.....
rushfan
Super Member
This method is much better than doing nothing. It can be a little time consuming but it's safe to say that those of us who care about quality vinyl playback are willing to put some time and effort into it. :yes:
I, for one, would buy a RCM if I could. The convenience factor alone would be worth it. Until that time I clean records in the sink and vaccum them with a velvet wrapped crevice tool. I have been vaccuming records by hand lately but I am going to try lying them flat on an old turntable to see if that works better. I'm sure that it will.
I, for one, would buy a RCM if I could. The convenience factor alone would be worth it. Until that time I clean records in the sink and vaccum them with a velvet wrapped crevice tool. I have been vaccuming records by hand lately but I am going to try lying them flat on an old turntable to see if that works better. I'm sure that it will.
