THE vinyl cleaning solution!

[Stacker45]

Bleach will kill fungi/ mold; not certain how it would affect vinyl.

Some products will melt metal and yet, they come in plastic bottles, go figure

I've been using Monster Cable's TV cleaning solution and microfiber cloth to clean my LP's for a few years with pretty good results.

 

[Wigwam Jones]

Some products will melt metal and yet, they come in plastic bottles, go figure

I have used bleach-based bathroom cleaners on vinyl records that had a lot of mold or mildew on them and it does not seem to have done them any harm. Certainly they are better than they were before I cleaned them.

 

[arcorob]

Agree

Windex contains ammonia. Ammonia is toxic and corrosive to vinyl. Keep using Windex and it will destroy your albums. This is no secret.

The accepted cleaning formula (in various doses but still the same formula) used by most any reputable company is 75% distilled water, 25% denatured alcohal, and just a drop of DAWN detergent (or similar agent like Kodax film developer - name escapes me). Why alcohal? It removes residue on and in the grooves. Why distilled water? It evaporates quickly while being the transport for the DAWN. Why DAWN? It is the agent that allows the alcohal and water to penetrate deep into the grooves, as opposed to just bubbleing on the surface. Don't EVER use ammonia or anything corrosive on record vinyl. Record vinyl can easily burn and/or transform and morph under heat. Ammonia = heat. Heat = bad for records.

shame.. :nono:

Your formula is my formula..LOL...That's all one needs. I have a RCM I built myself. I mount the lp, spray with a spray bottle, clean with a brush , move my VPI wand over and hit the ON button...after x number of revolutions I lift off the VPI wand and as it is spinning, I dry thoroughly with a lint free cloth...They are shiny, clean and DEEP groove cleaned ...

Ammonia ? ACKKK :nono:

 

[majick47]

By all appearances there is a good number of AK members that are unemployed/underemployed, how about we set up an "audio pantry" with donations of commercial cleaning/rinsing fluids, inner/outer sleeves and RCMs for those less fortunate.

 

[Bob_in_OKC]

Worrying about the chemical reaction of some heavily diluted cleaner like Windex on vinyl sounds like much ado about nothing. How many times does one clean records? I clean mine only once.

 

[Snerp]

Since we're nit picking and going in depth, could you use water wetter to lower the viscosity and really get in there? It seems like that is the main factor in the cleaning formula. When I was water cooling PCs, Water Wetter was used to increase system flow.

 

[Pio1980]

For a mild cleaner used frequently on cleaner-than-filthy records, someone I trust suggested a tiny bit of dishwasher wetting agent (Jet-Dri liquid or sim) in distilled water as a sub for Discwasher fluid. Dip a toothpick about a 1/4 way into the fluid and then into a pint or so of distilled water, more or less until wetting effect is achieved.

 

[Stacker45]

Worrying about the chemical reaction of some heavily diluted cleaner like Windex on vinyl sounds like much ado about nothing. How many times does one clean records? I clean mine only once.

I clean mine only once too, i'm simply not willing to start cleaning my records, or stylus, before or after each use, swapping cartridges, reajust everything, if i'd spend more time fiddling with my sound system than i'd do listening to music, it wouldn't be as enjoyable.

That being said, i can understand that many people like the fiddling part nearly, if not, as much as listening to music, it's just not my case.

 

[VinylSoul]

Hey Jimmy Neutron and everyone else that thinks ammonia is certain death to PVC, I'm sure you and everyone else has spent more time/money on R&D than the Library of Congress has! It's so amusing reading all the misinformation regarding chemistry of cleaning and another of my favorites, lubricants, i have a degree in tribology. A never ending stream of BS!

 

[a.wayne]

http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/fluids.html

 

[Doug G.]

Hey Jimmy Neutron and everyone else that thinks ammonia is certain death to PVC, I'm sure you and everyone else has spent more time/money on R&D than the Library of Congress has! It's so amusing reading all the misinformation regarding chemistry of cleaning and another of my favorites, lubricants, i have a degree in tribology. A never ending stream of BS!

Yes, it is hilarious all the misinformation that has been spread about WD-40 over the years. Even to the extent that it disolves metal!



Doug

 

[a.wayne]

Hey Jimmy Neutron and everyone else that thinks ammonia is certain death to PVC, I'm sure you and everyone else has spent more time/money on R&D than the Library of Congress has! It's so amusing reading all the misinformation regarding chemistry of cleaning and another of my favorites, lubricants, i have a degree in tribology. A never ending stream of BS!

It's congress, ammonia has no effect on that kind of BS..................................

 

[BrocLuno]

OK, hang on there. It was a used record from 1959. God knows what sorts of cigarette smoke, cigar smoke, kitchen/cooking films have been laid down on that surface?

I use Windex on the new to me used LP's and it will cut through all sorts of old nasty crap. Cut down paint brush and round and round until it foams, off with the clean side of a white terry cloth. Look at cloth - usually brown tinged gunk. Straight Windex is blue'ish.

I then test play the LP. If it has any merit, I'll reclean with H2O/OH/Dawn solution into the RCM. Then we have something to actually play.

Been using Windex on old dusty dirty LPs for something like 40 years. Never had one turn white, or even light gray, whatever.

Sometimes it's all that is at your friends house. I don't want them to put a dirty LP on their table either - whether I'm there to listen or not. If it's all you have, so be it - it's better than dirt by a huge margin :thmbsp: