Cleaning Vinyl Records. - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Author

Message

Topic Search

Topic Options

oliverstoned View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: March 26 2004
Location: France
Status: Offline
Points: 6308

Topic: Cleaning Vinyl Records.
Posted: February 23 2011 at 01:42

Yes, a proper cleaning machine is what's needed.

Blue Effect View Drop Down

Forum Groupie

Banned

Joined: February 12 2011
Location: Brooklyn
Status: Offline
Points: 78

Posted: February 21 2011 at 07:40

I have a pile of square cloths cut from old sweatpants which have a nice soft texture that "gets into the grooves" so to speak. I use the outside as opposed to the inside which usually has a rougher, uneven texture. I spray some distilled water onto the cloth and wipe down the surface of the record. Once it's clean I wipe it with a dry cloth. For really dirty records I use a small amount of dishwashing liquid mixed with the water first. If clean labels are important then put something between your fingertips and the label while doing this because some labels are very sensitive to fingerprints. I usually put an old t-shirt on the table then put a new plastic album cover bag on top of that and then I place the LP on top of the bag.

One of these days I will invest in a proper record cleaning machine, everyone I know who has one swears by them. But my method works for me, anyway.

Rottenhat

Forum Senior Member

Joined: February 14 2006
Location: Finland
Status: Offline
Points: 436

Posted: February 17 2011 at 16:44

Slartibartfast wrote:

Funny you should ask that. A significant portion of my collection went underwater in a house flood. My boss at the time expressed interest in salvaging them. I do believe he did the soapy water method.

Yep, the same happened to me. The cellar in my house was flooded because the drains were clogged or something like that. My vinyls got a nice musky smell of mold after that. The solution to this dilemma was that I gave away all my vinyls at the local pub.

That worked. :)

Language is a virus from outer space.

-William S. Burroughs

Slartibartfast View Drop Down

Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam

Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29630

Posted: February 07 2011 at 15:51

cannon wrote:

http://www.turntablebasics.com/cleaners.html

The anti-static brush I've been using for 35 years. Essential IMO as is cleaning your stylus.

That brought back memories of this Dual turntable I used to have that had a dust brush on the cartridge head.

Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...

Paravion

Forum Senior Member

Joined: May 01 2010
Location: Denmark
Status: Offline
Points: 470

Posted: February 07 2011 at 15:47

Vompatti wrote:

I use a record brush for dust and a moist t-shirt for stains.

(By the way, the wood glue method is either very tricky or doesn't work.)

For severe cases - I use something like that. It's not wood-glue, but something gluey made specifically for vinyl cleaning purposes by some local inventor-type - the result is great! I'll try wood-glue some day..

Paravion

Forum Senior Member

Joined: May 01 2010
Location: Denmark
Status: Offline
Points: 470

Posted: February 07 2011 at 15:41

I use isopropyl alcohol (it's cheap) and those round cotton thingies girls use to wash away make-up from their face. It works fine..

clarkpegasus4001 View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: January 13 2011
Location: Nottingham
Status: Offline
Points: 635

Posted: February 07 2011 at 09:37

My mate used to use a mild washing up liquid in warm water, never done this myself but he swore by it.

Tony C.

cannon

Forum Senior Member

Joined: July 03 2010
Location: Coho Country
Status: Offline
Points: 1302

Posted: February 07 2011 at 07:57

http://www.turntablebasics.com/cleaners.html

The anti-static brush I've been using for 35 years. Essential IMO as is cleaning your stylus.

Blacksword View Drop Down

Prog Reviewer

Joined: June 22 2004
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 16130

Posted: February 07 2011 at 07:37

Snow Dog wrote:

Easy Livin wrote:

I've actually found that for some of my badly soiled LPs

, warm (not hot) soapy water makes a huge difference.

This was my method. Must dry in as dust free enviroment as possible. I was once told meths does the trick but you can only play the albumj once because the meths destroys the vinyl.

Does anyone remembr those things you could buy. It was an arm that stuck to your turnatable and cleaned it as ypu played.

They were called 'Dustbugs' in our local Dixons. I used to have one many many years ago.

I remember reading some article in a hifi magazine in the 80's, saying that you shouldn't clean your vinyl with clothes, brushes etc, but you should let the stylus pick up the crud, and then wipe the stylus.

Edited by Blacksword - February 07 2011 at 11:41

Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy!

Vompatti

Forum Senior Member

VIP Member

Joined: October 22 2005
Location: elsewhere
Status: Offline
Points: 67407

Posted: February 07 2011 at 07:21

I use a record brush for dust and a moist t-shirt for stains.

(By the way, the wood glue method is either very tricky or doesn't work.)

Slartibartfast View Drop Down

Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam

Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29630

Posted: February 07 2011 at 07:13

Funny you should ask that. A significant portion of my collection went underwater in a house flood. My boss at the time expressed interest in salvaging them. I do believe he did the soapy water method.

Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...

Snow Dog

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: March 23 2005
Location: Caerdydd
Status: Offline
Points: 32995

Posted: February 07 2011 at 06:47

Easy Livin wrote:

I've actually found that for some of my badly soiled LPs

, warm (not hot) soapy water makes a huge difference.

This was my method. Must dry in as dust free enviroment as possible. I was once told meths does the trick but you can only play the albumj once because the meths destroys the vinyl.

Does anyone remembr those things you could buy. It was an arm that stuck to your turnatable and cleaned it as ypu played.

Edited by Snow Dog - February 07 2011 at 06:49

AtomicCrimsonRush View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: July 02 2008
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 14258

Posted: February 07 2011 at 06:31

I was given a spray some years back when vinyl was still in - it smelt like flyspray but was superb for getting off the gunk. These days - warm water and wipe around with the groove, not against it, with a soft cloth. Never failed me yet. Scratches only appear when you wipe against the groove. The stylus can be cleaned with a soft brush and a blow. Seriously, it works!

Catcher10

Forum Senior Member

VIP Member

Joined: December 23 2009
Location: Emerald City
Status: Offline
Points: 17846

Posted: February 06 2011 at 15:20

That's exactly what I have done to vinyl I have bought at yard sales, antique stores and such......what I do not do is actually wipe the record with a cloth of any sort. I let the soappy solution sit for about a minute to work into the grooves and loosen up the crud...then just rinse it off with water and allow it to air dry.

Easy Livin View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

Joined: February 21 2004
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 15585

Posted: February 06 2011 at 14:12

I've actually found that for some of my badly soiled LPs

, warm (not hot) soapy water makes a huge difference.

CloseToTheMoon View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: September 28 2010
Location: Michigan
Status: Offline
Points: 223

Posted: February 06 2011 at 14:09

I couldn't find a topic on this, but I've seen various youtube videos and there seems to be a few schools of thought on the proper ways. I'm going to start ripping some of my vinyl into iTunes and I want them to sound as clean as I can get them (most are dollar bin/flea market finds).

Any suggestions? Obviously, I'll test them out on worthless hand-me-down junk.

It's funny how the colors of the real world only seem really real when you viddy them on the screen.