Vinyl cleaning

bacardi8

bacardi8

New Member
Hi everyone,

I've just purchased some stuff for cleaning vinyls, but i'm not shure what to do with them.

I got this anti static cloth :
ak1.JPG


On side seems to be softer than the other, I tried it on one of my vinyls but it seemed to make it even more static, and also left some fluff... Am I doing it wrong ?

I also got this red brush:
ak2.JPG


This works quite well, I brushed it following the lines, only problem, I'm left with this at the end:
ak6.JPG


What should I use to get the last bit off ?

I have this brush too:
ak4.JPG

From what i've gathered it's just to get the dust off right ?

I also got some record cleaner:

ak5.JPG


What should I use so apply it on the record ? cotton ? the red brush ? nothing ?

If you have any other tips, or "do's and don'ts" concerning these products, please let me know. :D
 
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There have been many posts about cleaning vinyl.

The way I do it is and I got this from others.

Mix a solution of a drop of Dawn dish washing liquid with a cap full of alcohol in a bowl of distilled water.

Have a spray bottle of distilled water as well and some microfiber towels from the auto section at Walmart.

Get a new fine haired paint brush 3" - 4" is fine, not 3-4 feet like I previously had.:D

Rinse your vinyl under room temperature running water.

Give it a quick once over with the paint brush dipped in the solution avoiding the label.

Rinse it again under the running water.

Then place it on a clean down and give it a good going over in a circular motion both ways with the paint brush dipped in the solution.

Rinse of and do the other side, rinse again.

Spray with distilled water.

Place on another clean towel and dry with the microfiber towels, flipping over for the other side.

Then put them in a clean dish rack or similar to dry.

Voila your records will be like new.

Then before each play you can use your antistatic towel and brushes to remove any settled dust.

Anyway that's what I do and have no complaints.
 
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Considering how much dust you've got there...I'd wipe it off, across the grooves lightly, with a microfiber towel and try the brush instructions again. As for thorough cleaning...this won't be it, but it's better than leaving them dusty. Of course, you really need something that will pick up the dust, obviously. The velour pads that come with Gruv Glide seem to do that reasonably well.
 
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Bacardi,
There are LOTs of threads here and on Steve Hoffman's forums on how to clean vinyl records. Just do a search. Hypno's approach works pretty well, and was the same approach I used until I got a record cleaning machine (RCM) about a month ago. I thought my manual washing method was pretty good until I used the RCM; I am now firmly convinced that using an RCM is markedly better than the manual method due to vacuuming the crap out of the grooves as soon as it is released by cleaning fluid. IMHO, vacuuming is key to achieving maximal cleaning. It is amazing how much better records sound with a REALLY thorough cleaning. Most of the ticks and pops you hear are due to dirt, dust, and other contaminants, once you get these out, the LP is often dead quiet. Because the noise floor is lower, the quality of sound improvement is significant.

Getting an RCM has made one of the biggest improvements in the quality of sound of my LPs, as significant as a major component upgrade.
 
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HypnoToad said:
Get a new fine haired paint brush 3' - 4' is fine.
Click to expand...

wow with a 3 to 4 foot brush you could clean 3 or 4 records at once!

:-)

aren't ' feet and " inches? that's what I always thought, maybe I've got it backwards LoL

great post though, I'm gonna try your instructions
 
dkelley said:
wow with a 3 to 4 foot brush you could clean 3 or 4 records at once!

:-)

aren't ' feet and " inches? that's what I always thought, maybe I've got it backwards LoL

great post though, I'm gonna try your instructions
Click to expand...

You are right, as Homer would say - Doh!
 
Cleaning records before and after play is a necessary habit to get into in order to preserve your vinyl. As well as using a rcm or some sort of cleaning that involves vacuuming the dust/dirt off. There's so many methods but the main thing is to get the dust off even brand new vinyl can have debris that will cause pops and contaminate your stylus. I like using a microfiber cloth with ammonia free glass cleaner each time I pull a record out of its sleeve and cleaning the stylus as well!!
 
Puma Cat said:
Bacardi,
There are LOTs of threads here and on Steve Hoffman's forums on how to clean vinyl records. Just do a search. Hypno's approach works pretty well, and was the same approach I used until I got a record cleaning machine (RCM) about a month ago. I thought my manual washing method was pretty good until I used the RCM; I am now firmly convinced that using an RCM is markedly better than the manual method due to vacuuming the crap out of the grooves as soon as it is released by cleaning fluid. IMHO, vacuuming is key to achieving maximal cleaning. It is amazing how much better records sound with a REALLY thorough cleaning. Most of the ticks and pops you hear are due to dirt, dust, and other contaminants, once you get these out, the LP is often dead quiet. Because the noise floor is lower, the quality of sound improvement is significant.

Getting an RCM has made one of the biggest improvements in the quality of sound of my LPs, as significant as a major component upgrade.
Click to expand...
Puma Cat said:
Bacardi,
There are LOTs of threads here and on Steve Hoffman's forums on how to clean vinyl records. Just do a search. Hypno's approach works pretty well, and was the same approach I used until I got a record cleaning machine (RCM) about a month ago. I thought my manual washing method was pretty good until I used the RCM; I am now firmly convinced that using an RCM is markedly better than the manual method due to vacuuming the crap out of the grooves as soon as it is released by cleaning fluid. IMHO, vacuuming is key to achieving maximal cleaning. It is amazing how much better records sound with a REALLY thorough cleaning. Most of the ticks and pops you hear are due to dirt, dust, and other contaminants, once you get these out, the LP is often dead quiet. Because the noise floor is lower, the quality of sound improvement is significant.

Getting an RCM has made one of the biggest improvements in the quality of sound of my LPs, as significant as a major component upgrade.
Click to expand...
That is so true I used to just clean my records with a solution I mixed up and a micro fiber cloth still had crackling and popping on my original pressing lp's. Then I discovered the vacuum method and wow what a difference it made. All my older vinyl came to life and sounded way better then before.
 
There was (is) a combined thread on RCM. I can't find it but maybe someone else can and link it. There as many types of ideas and processes as there are types of TT and then some.

I just tried my first glue treatment today (waiting for it to dry). An LP that was too crackly to listen to so I figured it was trash anyway I can't make it worse. I am hoping for solid results. This LP had already undergone my full regimen.
 
dfunghi said:
There was (is) a combined thread on RCM. I can't find it but maybe someone else can and link it. There as many types of ideas and processes as there are types of TT and then some.

I just tried my first glue treatment today (waiting for it to dry). An LP that was too crackly to listen to so I figured it was trash anyway I can't make it worse. I am hoping for solid results. This LP had already undergone my full regimen.
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Supposedly the glue method works wonders on thrashed vinyl I would love to hear your results there's a lot you tube videos showing great results using wood glue.
 
Well I wonder what I did wrong? My glue is breaking into little pieces and certainly not "peeling". I will get it all off using a toothpick (plastic from dentist) and time. Maybe I need to use a heavier coating next time? The good news the vinyl looks shiny as it is made visible and the pieces of glue I get off (some are an inch or so long by 1/2 inch wide) clearly have stuff stuck to them from the grooves and the grooves can be clearly seen on the glue. I used Gorilla Brand Wood Glue but will use Titebond II next time. I wish I could ad an elasticize to this and be sure to peel it off. I will try discofilm too someday.
 
dfunghi said:
Well I wonder what I did wrong? My glue is breaking into little pieces and certainly not "peeling". I will get it all off using a toothpick (plastic from dentist) and time. Maybe I need to use a heavier coating next time? The good news the vinyl looks shiny as it is made visible and the pieces of glue I get off (some are an inch or so long by 1/2 inch wide) clearly have stuff stuck to them from the grooves and the grooves can be clearly seen on the glue. I used Gorilla Brand Wood Glue but will use Titebond II next time. I wish I could ad an elasticize to this and be sure to peel it off. I will try discofilm too someday.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you need a thicker coat of glue. It's ok to be generous with it, just not comical. It'll take longer to dry, but it will peel off like a thick layer of skin. It may also be that the gorilla glue is not quite the same formula as the Titebond and doesn't dry as flexible.

As for your stuck pieces, to prevent scratching, try masking tape instead of a toothpick. Just curl a piece around a finger or two with the sticky side out, press down on the dried glue spots, then firmly pull straight up - don't peel. As the tape fills with glue, rotate it around for fresh sticky side. That's how I managed to get the remaining dried glue off the first record I did. Subsequent records had more glue to prevent this.

I would recommend specifically using masking tape since it is designed to be removed without leaving a residue.

And remember to do a cleaning process after the glue method.

Squash-bug-eggs-removal-3.jpg
 
For the hell of it, and since I've been meaning to do do anyway, I've started the process on my Buffett's SYKBH.

589855B5-5213-4E64-85A6-95F6B9D71CDC_zpspkwuui0m.jpg


I might have gone a tad overboard on the glue, but I'd rather wait just a little longer and be able to pull off one whole thick sheet than to be dabbing at little spots all over it with tape. Looks like I got some bubbles in there, oops.

The wood glue I use for this process is made by Lanco (IDK if that's a brand they sell outside of the island but here they sell it at HD and just about everywhere else) Grip Bond 3. I have used this glue on every used record I've bought (Buffett now too), and it has worked perfectly, leaving the record super shiny and dead silent, and with a relatively easy pull once I got the whole technique down.

Productos-Pegamentos-Grip-Bond-3.png


Info and MSDS here:

http://www.lancopaints.com/puerto-rico/en/products/adhesives/woodworking-glue/grip-bond-3/
 
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I placed a halogen light about 8-10" above LP surface and slowly rotated it. It got warm, not hot, and glue began to come off in large pieces. I think it is all off now and I went once through cursory wash and will do a complete wash once I set up my RCM. Tons and tons of static is an understatement! This will be a great test for my antistat brush.
 
A lot of what everyone has said is good. I really like glue for that "deep cleaning". It's a tiresome process that takes some getting used to however.

Make this easier on yourself and buy a Spin Clean. You'll thank me later.
 
Sadly no improvement. Maybe 15% less noise at best. So this has now been scrubbed, glued, scrubbed again and still unplayable. A BT purchase surprisingly. Saddest part is the noise is at a crucially quiet beginning on an LP where the lead in makes the song what it is. The song is Echos by PF. LP Looks great! Non quiet passages have nice sonics but that crackly, I mean really crackly, opening ruins the LP. The seller made amends long ago so no hurt feelings but I am still without an LP I really want.

I suppose the next and last chance is US cleaning. I am going to try one more scrub first and really dig in there.
 
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