specialidiot
Break Glass, Smoke Lucky
I've now done a few dozen records without protecting the label. Not one shows any worse for wear. Unless I have some uber-rare LP, I'm not gonna worry about it.
Record Cleaning - Soap and Water - test results
- Thread starter Snade
- Start date
Got a Groovmaster in the mail the other day.
I agree that it is not essential (I wet-washed records without it, and without damaging the labels at all) but is quite nice to have, if mostly just to give you something to hold on to, but it also allows you to work quickly & casually with a spray hose or wet sponge. My first time out I was able to wash two records in the time it previously took to do one.
Anyway, what else would you want to spend $61 on...records?
I agree that it is not essential (I wet-washed records without it, and without damaging the labels at all) but is quite nice to have, if mostly just to give you something to hold on to, but it also allows you to work quickly & casually with a spray hose or wet sponge. My first time out I was able to wash two records in the time it previously took to do one.
Anyway, what else would you want to spend $61 on...records?
Those look to me like end caps for 4" PVC pipe. Have fun!Puma Cat said:
ashok
Active Member
They are end caps for 4" PVC pipes as clarke68 said, although the ones I used were threaded, and intended for use as clean-out plugs (if I understand the terminology correctly). Here is a link: Clean Out Plug
datsunmike
Active Member
I've been doing the same since the 70s although w/o the label protector. I use a mushroom brush and an old TT record mat to scrub them on. Let the records remain wet for a while to loosen up the crud. Use a plastic dish drain board and get then off the floor as they tend to collect dust there.
It can make a dramatic difference.
It can make a dramatic difference.
I pulled out King Curtis Live at the Fillmore West last night. I've had it for years...but had never listened to it. After pulling it from the jacket I could see why...covered with fingerprints, some mildew muck...a real dirty one. Into the sink with it. I run about 3" of body-temp water and add a quick quirt of Dawn, then use an old Discwasher brush for the scrubber. Rinse with clean, same temp water, then hold the disc by the edges and give it the old "wobba-wobba" a few times over the sink to get most of the water off. Old, super-soft t-shirt to dry. (I've GOT to hit Target for some of those microfiber towels!) Other than the expected noise from ordinary wear, it sounded mighty good. I've thought about distilled water for the rinse, but, since they don't air-dry, I don't see any need. Evaporation drying would leave minerals behind, am I right? And...I've never given label protection a second thought...and haven't had any @#%&* moments yet.
Snade
humble AK member
Right, you can do it without the Groovmaster label cover, but it's much faster using it. Once you have done a few batches of records, you can really do a lot of records quickly, in particular if you use a dish rack next to where you are cleaning to stack the records after drying with the microfiber towel.
Great feedback about using the Groovmaster or using the soap and water method without using it and just careful with the label.
Cheers, Snade
I made my own Groovemaster to try out based on this thread. I bought two Bell Outdoor round blank covers, 4" in diameter which came with foam rubber seals; also bought a set of clamping knobs, and drilled a hole in the center of each blank cover.
I then used some Gorilla Glue to glue the "weatherstrip" circles onto the round covers, and let dry for 1.5 hours.
Voila! A DIY Groovemaster!
In the tradition of bestowing German names on clever inventions, like der gabelschwanzteufel for a P-38, or steinschlagschutzhülle for a car-nose bra, I call mine Der Aufkleberschutz ("The Label Protector")
The round blank cover with drilled hole and glued weatherstrip circle.
The clamped record:
Washin' up the record:
I used Dawn, a soft paint brush, and microfiber cloths in exactly the same way as the OP.
I then used some Gorilla Glue to glue the "weatherstrip" circles onto the round covers, and let dry for 1.5 hours.
Voila! A DIY Groovemaster!
In the tradition of bestowing German names on clever inventions, like der gabelschwanzteufel for a P-38, or steinschlagschutzhülle for a car-nose bra, I call mine Der Aufkleberschutz ("The Label Protector")
The round blank cover with drilled hole and glued weatherstrip circle.
The clamped record:
Washin' up the record:
I used Dawn, a soft paint brush, and microfiber cloths in exactly the same way as the OP.
Tried the paintbrush method last night. Pulled out a garage sale copy of George Benson's "Weekend in L.A." It looked decent...a few fingerprints, etc. I used a 3" nylon brush from a dollar store 3-pack. I did it slightly differently...getting the brush wet then applying a couple drops of Dawn. Got nice foam while thoroughly brushing both sides...tap water rinse and old t-shirt dry. I was amazed! Either that record was a LOT cleaner than it looked, or the brush method was tops. Either way...both discs were almost dead quiet. Great trick!
Paratima
E'Wavin'
I can possibly help put anyone's mind to rest about water hardness, having done some fairly extensive research on it a few years ago. Amateur chemist, but still thorough.
All soaps and detergents are water softeners, also called surfactants or wetting agents. Their purpose is to reduce surface tension at a microscopic level, so that the water can penetrate better. Cleaning is accomplished by water and friction, and the water needs to penetrate. The harder your water or the dirtier the records, the more detergent needed. Dawn is a good one for this application, as it has very little else in it, just a bit of perfume and coloring that gets rinsed away easily.
Note that detergent by itself is a no-no. You must have water in your solution or it won't work! Of course, if you have soft water to begin with, you'll need very little detergent, like a drop or two. Using distilled water is OK if you're really enthusiastic, but likely overkill. Dawn is pretty good stuff!
The problem with hard water appears in your rinse cycle. You absolutely must hand-dry your disks quickly or the minerals in hard water will leave deposits, usually calcium and/or iron, depending on your geography (geology?). Just get the drops off with a lint-free towel and leave them to air dry - some very good ideas on that in this thread (which I'm going to follow up on! ).
I've been cleaning my vinyl this way all my life. I use an old shaving brush, purchased new just for this job about 40 years ago. (WOW! Am I THAT old?) Always had to work around the labels, though. Gotta get one of Snade's label protectors. Great thread! Thanks to everyone. :thmbsp:
All soaps and detergents are water softeners, also called surfactants or wetting agents. Their purpose is to reduce surface tension at a microscopic level, so that the water can penetrate better. Cleaning is accomplished by water and friction, and the water needs to penetrate. The harder your water or the dirtier the records, the more detergent needed. Dawn is a good one for this application, as it has very little else in it, just a bit of perfume and coloring that gets rinsed away easily.
Note that detergent by itself is a no-no. You must have water in your solution or it won't work! Of course, if you have soft water to begin with, you'll need very little detergent, like a drop or two. Using distilled water is OK if you're really enthusiastic, but likely overkill. Dawn is pretty good stuff!
The problem with hard water appears in your rinse cycle. You absolutely must hand-dry your disks quickly or the minerals in hard water will leave deposits, usually calcium and/or iron, depending on your geography (geology?). Just get the drops off with a lint-free towel and leave them to air dry - some very good ideas on that in this thread (which I'm going to follow up on!
).I've been cleaning my vinyl this way all my life. I use an old shaving brush, purchased new just for this job about 40 years ago. (WOW! Am I THAT old?) Always had to work around the labels, though. Gotta get one of Snade's label protectors. Great thread! Thanks to everyone. :thmbsp:
musicgioni
New Member
But why bother with all this complication and possible damage to your music? It has been proven time and time again that the best way to clean an LP is via a Record Cleaning Machine. The water in the method discussed in this forum will carry away most dirt from the grooves but never in a complete way. In addition to this, salts and other impurities in the water will still stay in the grooves and contaminate the record. If the drying is not done correctly there will be spots on the LP like the ones that are left on a car after washing but not properly drying. In addition to this a sink is NOT a very good place to have your treasured LPs. One small slip while you are handling an LP while cleaning it and it can be damaged. I have tried this method a long time ago and I know...
There are several Vaccum Claning machines out there that can be had for not too much money and if I remember well there is even one that does not even come with a vaccum system but requires you to use your own vaccum cleaner, that can be bought for less than 200 bucks. Also, there are several DIY projects I have seen in the internet that would work pretty well.
I am not a rich person by any means but I have over 1200 LPs that I value like treasure. When I was younger I also tried a bunch of cleaning remedies but I always knew that the only way to do a perfect job was by using a RCM and I have been using one for the last 12 years :thmbsp:
It really surprises and amuses me to see the extreme ideas that people come up with just to clean a record! I have read about using Wood Glue, Giving them baths like if they were pets and a bunch of other ingenuous and entertaining ideas...
If you are serious about your music then it is not such a big deal to invest in a machine that will do the job right once and for all. For some of you in AK just sell a couple of the dozens of TTs you have or skip over the next couple of TTs that you find in ebay :nono: and buy a basic RCM to really clean your records. Once you try one you will never go back to any other cleaning method again!
There are several Vaccum Claning machines out there that can be had for not too much money and if I remember well there is even one that does not even come with a vaccum system but requires you to use your own vaccum cleaner, that can be bought for less than 200 bucks. Also, there are several DIY projects I have seen in the internet that would work pretty well.
I am not a rich person by any means but I have over 1200 LPs that I value like treasure. When I was younger I also tried a bunch of cleaning remedies but I always knew that the only way to do a perfect job was by using a RCM and I have been using one for the last 12 years :thmbsp:
It really surprises and amuses me to see the extreme ideas that people come up with just to clean a record! I have read about using Wood Glue, Giving them baths like if they were pets and a bunch of other ingenuous and entertaining ideas...
If you are serious about your music then it is not such a big deal to invest in a machine that will do the job right once and for all. For some of you in AK just sell a couple of the dozens of TTs you have or skip over the next couple of TTs that you find in ebay :nono: and buy a basic RCM to really clean your records. Once you try one you will never go back to any other cleaning method again!
Snade
humble AK member
Actually, I think the soap and water method is the most simple, least expensive and one of the fastest ways to clean a lot of records.
And some people have posted to this thread that they have used this method for over 20 years with no damage to their records.
I'm not saying soap and water is better than a RCM. I expect an RCM may be better.
But for fast, effective, low-cost and easy cleaning, the soap and water method works great.
Cheers, Snade
colinhester
Active Member
I was wondering the same thing. I've got about 3000-4000 that need to be cleaned. Anyone got a spare week? :lmao:
Orchard Supply Hardware. Just ask one of the guys for the clamping knobs.
terra1
Addicted Member
+1
There is no denying the soap and water method works. Period. End of story. A lot of fears are mostly imagined. [Disclaimer: Don't know about 78s though]
Also, I have been using it mostly on my thrift and eBay purchases which really need it. My personal collection usually just needs a Discwasher, Zerostat, or carbon fiber brush treatment. But even the few of my personal collection needing cleaning for archiving during needle drops, the result has always been cleaner and quieter.
I will probably get an RCM as my finances improve just to compare as I like to base my opinions on experience. The cost versus benefits factor doesn't seem to justify moving up at this point only because the current method works well.
There are some real or imagined concerns. None which seems to have any negative audible impact if cleaning and RINSE! is done well. The label saver idea does help with the fear of getting the label wet. Although they usually dry out without any wrinkling or damage: I did have one old import with a matte label with red dye that ran.
For gummy adhesive material, I have used Goo-Gone followed by a soap and water cleaning.
Another benefit of hand cleaning, as I spread the mixture, I can sometimes feel embedded boulders that can cause clicks and pops. The cleaning brush can help, but I have also had to scratch at them with my fingernail or a wooden toothpick. Gee, I can feel another collective wisdom cringe ...
southp
Active Member
I made my own Groovemaster to try out based on this thread. I bought two Bell Outdoor round blank covers, 4" in diameter which came with foam rubber seals; also bought a set of clamping knobs, and drilled a hole in the center of each blank cover.
I then used some Gorilla Glue to glue the "weatherstrip" circles onto the round covers, and let dry for 1.5 hours.
Voila! A DIY Groovemaster!
In the tradition of bestowing German names on clever inventions, like der gabelschwanzteufel for a P-38, or steinschlagschutzhülle for a car-nose bra, I call mine Der Aufkleberschutz ("The Label Protector")
The round blank cover with drilled hole and glued weatherstrip circle.
The clamped record:
Washin' up the record:
I used Dawn, a soft paint brush, and microfiber cloths in exactly the same way as the OP.
Nice. What are those Bell Outdoor cover things supposed to be for? I'd like to try this... just trying to figure out what I'll be asking/looking for at the store...before the kid working at Home Depot tries to run away and hide!!
