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Record Cleaning - Soap and Water - test results

BuckNaked said:
I wouldn't wet the record first. Make sure it is dust-free using whatever you use before playing.
Water before soap can cause certain soils to adhere to the record. Soils that might get broken down if hit with a detergent first.
It wouldn't hurt to have a gallon of distilled on hand just for a final rinse to displace the tap water before drying.
It might help to mention that the detergent (Dawn) is unscented and contains no bleaches or conditioners. It rinses very clean.
Mocrofibre towels come in two finishes. Stick with the traditional plush weave like a bath towel, as opposed to the flat weave found in a 'bar towel'. And just do a quick wipe to catch most of the water, microfibre is synthetic and has high static capacity. Dry too vigorously and you might get zapped. You might want to put that Discwasher D4 to work at this point.
I like the fact that air drying was mentioned. Give it about an hour, more in humid conditions.
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Very good points.

I got the Microfiber towels from Target (automotive section) and they were the bath towel type and not the flat weave.

Good points. Thanks.
 
hypertone said:
Wow, I gotta get one of those label savers. Where did you get it?

I tried some Rain-X washer fluid on one LP. It seemed to work damn good, the record was crackle-free. I haven't had a chance for more testing, but I think it might be really good stuff to use.
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go to that famous auction site and type "Groovemaster" in the search box.

That's where I got mine and there is one on there right now, but I can't post a link to it on this thread.
 
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BuckNaked said:
It wouldn't hurt to have a gallon of distilled on hand just for a final rinse to displace the tap water before drying.
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You can pick up a small plastic pump-up sprayer at most paint and hardware stores (<10$), or just use a simple cheap trigger bottle. That would be ideal for the final rinse.:thmbsp:
 
This is the method I've used for 35 years. I used to use an old tee-shirt to dry wick up the rinse water but I started using microfiber cloths several years ago. They used to be about $10 each when I started buying them! Good to see them so inexpensive now.

Remember when you launder the microfiber cloths to never use chlorine bleach and to not use fabric softener in the rinse or dryer. Don't dry them in the same load with anything that's going to shed fibers, such as a wool or cotton garment or a terry towel! You want those scratchy natural fibers to stay away from your clean microfiber cloths so they won't scratch your records or LCD screen or camera lens or eyeglasses.
 
:thmbsp: likewise... i usually wash them in the bath with 'fairy dishwashing liquid' and either a brush or non abrasive sponge...
its surprisingly effective on greasy records..and i've yet to hear a record sound 'worse' afterwards either :D..
 
Very nice write up Mark!

Did you do a before and after comparison?

Or were the records too dirty in fear of damaging the stylus to try?

Scott
 
Snade said:
Right, that would be a common question about this method. I'm using local tap water (warm) that is Lake Michigan water here in the Chicago area and I think it is pretty clean water, but not as mineral free as distilled water, I expect.

I have not noticed any residual sound from dried deposits from the tap water, but opinions will vary on this subject.

The records do sparkle and look very clean and sound very good to my ear.
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I agree. I use local tap water out of the faucet in a laundry basin with a spray attachment for power rinse. I use a cleaning mix of Joy, tap water, alcohol. And a soft brush.

I like the results with tap water just fine. If there was a noticeable problem I would have switched long ago. Can't imagine records getting that much quieter with distilled water or worth the extra cost.

I know distilled water is recommended in steam cleaners or irons because sediment and build up can occur in the machines themselves.

But by hand washing, the detergent contains wetting agents/surfactants that help lift and flush away any debris from the record.

Whatever, I believe the key is in the rinse and drying.

Authentic period correct wire record rack:
watermark.php
 
This method is very relevant to my interests.

1) Dawn should help get the moldy smell out of a lot my older records
2) this method leaves less towel residue than wiping with a wet rag.
3) method looks and sounds 78-safe.
 
Thanks for the post and great illustrations, Mark. :thmbsp:

I use a Nitty Gritty record cleaning machine primarily for cleaning. I have run across some very dirty / moldy records otherwise in good shape and worthy of rescue. I treated them with a manual scrub / pre-clean in the sink just using warm tap water and a sponge before the follow-up on the vacuum-based RCM. This thread gives me some ideas on how to best attack the pre-clean for those nasty records.
 
Ok, feeling pretty confident, I washed some of my best garage sale finds of the past year.

Revolver, Rubber Soul, Verve jazz records, Pet Sounds, the first Santana album, early Stones in mono, I washed them and per feedback, I did not rinse the records first, but hit the dry record with the soapy brush, and for the final rinse I rinsed them longer than my first batch.

Very happy with the results. Almost dead quiet between tracks, not a single click, but you can hear some old scratches as you would expect. The records seem to sound more clear.

Done about 25 records, have about 500 to go (ha).

Cheers, Snade
 
No worries when you run out, you can come visit all of us out here on the east coast.. we can give you lots more to clean...
 
Same here, but I don't worry about the label. Have a few that have been washed a few times, not problems with the label.

Rain-X? I wonder how many cleanings you will get before that record is dead. That some harsh stuff, and it's probably removing vinyl too.
 
hypertone said:
Wow, I gotta get one of those label savers. Where did you get it?

I tried some Rain-X washer fluid on one LP. It seemed to work damn good, the record was crackle-free. I haven't had a chance for more testing, but I think it might be really good stuff to use.
Click to expand...

My Dad has been trying to get me to use Rain-X on my vinyl. I'll have to give it a go.
 
Dawn works great. Joy does too, it rinses off just as "clean". I'm an optician and I also recommend either product for cleaning glasses all the time.
 
Interesting thread!

For many years, I used an almost identical method for cleaning LPs, just didn't have the label saver (still don't!).

Now that I have a VPI record cleaner ... I STILL sink-wash the dirtier ones, BEFORE cleaning them on the RCM. I don't want to waste the good cleaning fluids just taking off "bulk dirt", and I don't want to add more gunk than necessary to the little pads around the vacuum-arm slit of the RCM. I RCM them AFTER the initial sink-washing/rinse, just to get them really, really clean.

I think a trip to the hardware/DIY shops is in order, to see what kind of label protector I can cobble together; it should make a fun DIY project. I'm thinking rubber disks or possibly inset o-rings to keep the water out. Disks are probably the safer bet. In fact, two thick plastic/plexiglass disks with rubber (neoprene or the like) facings, and a threaded rod (bolt) through the middle should do it: Epoxy a big, easy-to-grip knob or handle (from pots or microwave oven controls, etc...) to the head of the bolt, and glue it to one of the big disks. Then add another similar handle to a nut on the other side, and add a rubber seal to the inside surface of the screw-on knob where it meets the plastic disk... cut the bolt to the appropriate length... should work great!

Now I'll have to think of what might look prettier than just a circle-cut plastic disk. Wonder if I can find some fancy old jar lids of the correct size... :D


Thanks for posting this. Another fun project!
 
Tromatic said:
Same here, but I don't worry about the label. Have a few that have been washed a few times, not problems with the label.

Rain-X? I wonder how many cleanings you will get before that record is dead. That some harsh stuff, and it's probably removing vinyl too.
Click to expand...
Vinyl's tough stuff. Pure sulfuric acid's housed in plastic jugs. Not that I'd use anything BUT mild cleaning agents.
 
Hi, I use a soft tooth brush, but basically the same as my method over the years. The label saver is brilliant!

Very cool.Records sound awesome after don't they?

John.:music:
 
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