SPIN-CLEAN troubles help please

kceateva

kceateva

Active Member
So i just bought the Spin clean to clean my records since I bought new sleeve's from sleeve city.
I read the directions and started cleaning well I'm starting to listen to my records and they seem to have more pops and crackles.

I'm thinking it must be how I am drying them I used the towels that came with the Spin clean I am thinking that's the main problem another must be there not dry when I put them in the new sleeve.
I need some tips on what to do how do you make a record dry fast? How long does it take to dry?
I'm hoping it's not the formula that this Spin clean thing came with I will be so mad! Thank you guys in advance.
 
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I use a couple of old t-shirts, and if I'm doing a lot of albums I'll get a couple extra, they tend to load up quick. Just be sure to spin it several times each way while really clamping down on the cloth, you want to get all the water and crap out of the grooves. Rotate your drying cloth frequently, remember you are cleaning possibly ground in dirt/dust/particles from many spins, get in there.

I've cleaned about 100 albums with mine, I love it, it works great for me. It's saved quite a few albums.
 
I rinse mine under the water filter tap I have next to my sink. I then let them dry in the dish drainer usually. Only rarely do I use a towel to speed up the drying.
 
I have a spin clean and when I use it I first rotate the album several time in each direction in the solution then dry with (costco yellow) micro cloth and then go over again with the spin clean cloth or vice-versa. Also I change the water and clean the pads several times during an extended wash periods. Cloudy water is a hint to change and clean the pads.
 
spin clean

I just follow the instructions . It seems to work for me. Some of my records are in bad shape so in that case I'm just polishing a turf I have found
 
After I use the Spin Clean I spray on a rinse and I vacuum dry the records on an old turntable with a shop vac. Any excess moisture is dried with a microfiber cloth. I have always had good results. I always put the cleaned record in a new Mobile Fidelity sleeve after cleaning.
 
You have to wash the towels that come with the spin clean first. I use one towel for the initial wipe down and the second to finish. Then I let them air dry for at least 10 minutes before putting them in sleeves.

On new records I use a mold agent and rinse before the spin clean. Also...new records tend to "pop" more and after a few plays will settle down [in my experience].
 
I've had mine a while, but if I recall correctly, you need to wash the cleaning pads really well before initial cleaning, and then after every session. It will eventually work well for the OP, I am quite sure.
 
First of all; throw out the SpinClean towels; they're junk. Go to Wally World or Sam's Club (Costcos) and buy a mega pack of microfiber towels. I lay out 4 towels on the table. Fill the SpinCLean with distilled water and pour in the appropriate SC liquid (dependent upon bottle size). Turn the record you're cleaning 3-10 rotations (dependent upon condition level) each direction. I take the record off, let the excess liquid drain into the SC, and place the record on the microfiber closest to me. I then wipe around the record; flip over; and repeat. I take the record and lay it out to dry fully on one of the other 3 microfibers. I do 3 more records, then sleeve the first and work my way back (usually 5-7 minutes).

I rinse brushes and change out water/cleaner after 30 records and start again. I still use a record brush prior to playback.
 
As others have said I also wipe them down with the provided cheesecloths and then leave them for 10-15 min to dry. I also wipe then with an audioquest brush before playing.
 
I used to use micro fiber towels to dry the records after they had dried awhile in a wooded dish rack. I found that the micro fiber towels I had seemed to generate static on the surface of the LP. I switched to cloth baby diapers. They are very soft and very absorbent. Wash them first and never add fabric softener. It got rid of my pops and cracks.
 
OP- this has been my frustration too and have not used mine for a while because of the work with little return. I do the things that everyone has advised you…

1. Tepid distilled water, a bit o' Simple Green, a bit o' Isopropyl, and SC sauce.
2. Spin 10x each direction.
3. Record onto towel, use chamois to wipe/dry, flip and repeat.
4. Air dry in dish rack for 1/2 hr., minimum.

I dunno :dunno:

:lurk:
 
I have been using my SC with very good results. I will add that I rinse mine in distilled water after I wash them. I only air dry in a drying rack. If it is cold and dry IE. winter and you are wiping records with anything you are likely generating static.
 
I used a SC for years with great success but last year finally bought a RCM. I used microfiber towels and air dry. I wouldn't monkey around with the original SC solution because it has a flocculating agent in it that causes solids to clump together and settle to the bottom of the SC tank.
 
Just throw the supplied cloths out. They do leave lint in the groves even after washing the cloths. There was always a white dustball on my stylus after playing a spin cleaned album with the supplied cloths.

Now, I just use a couple of large microfiber autobody drying clothes that are truly lint free. No more stylus dustballs.
 
I can't use tap water in my SC - too many dissolved minerals in my water - and my first attempt with the SC (and tap water) made the records sound much worse. Cleaning the #$% that I put on the records took about 3 cleanings...using grocery store distilled water.
 
kceateva said:
So i just bought the Spin clean to clean my records since I bought new sleeve's from sleeve city.
I read the directions and started cleaning well I'm starting to listen to my records and they seem to have more pops and crackles.

I'm thinking it must be how I am drying them I used the towels that came with the Spin clean I am thinking that's the main problem another must be there not dry when I put them in the new sleeve.
I need some tips on what to do how do you make a record dry fast? How long does it take to dry?
I'm hoping it's not the formula that this Spin clean thing came with I will be so mad! Thank you guys in advance.
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i had the same problem before and traced it down to using too much of the cleaning solution. you need to be careful and measure the amount of cleaning solution used. even a little too much will cause a problem. i noticed more surface noise after cleaning a few LP's and i panicked. however, one complete play-through and the noise was gone....HOWEVER, make sure to check your stylus after playing because there will be build-up on the stylus. after that, i very carefully measured the amount of cleaning solution and no longer have a problem. also important to make sure records are completely dry before playing. also, DO NOT use tap water in the reservoir.....only use distilled water.
 
Basically following the directions should bring sucess. Use only distilled water, and after drying with the cloths, air dry in dish racks for up to 30 minutes. I usually do a batch of up to 30 at a time. Once you do it a few times, you will get a routine down and it becomes robotic.The air drying after the cloths is key.
 
Whatever your cleaning solution, finish with a thorough rinse with warm (not hot) running water. Warm will carry away residual dissolved remnants better than cool or cold. Dry with clean microfiber cloths which, with a minimum of lint, do a great job removing residual water and whatever was still dissolved in it.

There are those who will criticize, saying this is not enough. To them I say that cleaning is important, to a point. When I sweep the floor of my garage it looks improved, but sometimes when I look at the relatively small mass of floor contaminants I have collected I marvel at how much time and money are invested moving an inconsequential mass of matter from one side of a wall to the other. The floor still looks better, but I reach a point where what I have done is enough. I could still scrub the floor again with soap, water, and a couple of Q-Tips and get better cleaning, but I HAVE done enough. I'm satisfied.

My standard story to illustrate obsession in hobbies features a Dad with a new fully optioned camera who takes his family to an amusement park for a day, and the family spends so much time posing in front of the park's highlights and features they have no time left for the rides.

It's the same with cleaning records. Yes, clean them. They do play better without fingerprint oils and groove boulders present. If you are motivated to clean them to a NASA satellite clean room standard, then go for it. But if for any reason you are limited as to what you can put into this process, do your best. Even the most demanding of cleaning routines can't help some pre-owned records. Be sure to leave some time to get into the music.
 
I still use my spin clean to clean trift store or large lots of LPs. I've had the problem with pops and clicks after cleaning, too. It did not go away after a play for two. The first time I used wood glue, the second time I used my Okki Nokki.

I'm guessing the problem is pouring the solution on to the brushes and not getting the brushes cleaned well enough after using??? It's just frustrating to find that after washing 20 LPs they have more noise than before cleaning.
 
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