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What is the best way to clean speakers


Futurist

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I just scored some KG 2.5's for $35 dollars they sound good!... They didn't come with grills so they have a lot of dust caked on the speakers. Just using my hand or a dry paper towel doesn't get it off.. 

Does anyone know the best way.. I think a damp paper towel could damage them.

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Not sure about the KG's but I use a damp cloth on forte grills and wood, the wood is Oak Oil and occasionally get a little linseed oil. I do this for the normal dust they catch. 

 

Most grill cloth is pretty tough, just don't put enough pressure to stretch out of shape or tear. I don't know what kind of fame is on the KG's but I have heard of people soaking them, I would guess these are the plastic frames not wood or something else being soaked?

 

JUST PERSONAL OPINION, I AM NO CLEANING EXPERT, others may comment

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19 hours ago, Futurist said:

I think a damp paper towel could damage them.

 

 

I would start out using a soft brush. That should remove most or all of the loose dust.

For anything the brush doesn't remove, I would use a small, damp sponge and carefully go over the rest of the woofers. You don't want to go over the same area too many times or you'll damage the woofer material.

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I've used the brush attachment on a canister vacuum cleaner. It provides enough mechanical action to loosen the dust on woofers, etc.

 

Swiffer dusters (not the wet mop of course) are a modern day feather duster with added static electricity stickiness.  They work for me too.

 

WMcD

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You can also use a soft-bristled paint brush (pretty inexpensive fix) to gently brush, working from the center of the driver outwards.  Take care on the voice coil dust cover...especially on the glue seam at its perimeter...as you work outwards brushing the dust off.  Soft paint brushes are also good tor getting crap out of horn lenses, without forcing that crap down INTO the center of the horn lenses on the area of the diaphragm (which can happen using compressed air)...again always work from the center outwards, with the brushing action itself going diagonally outwards from the center.

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14 minutes ago, HDBRbuilder said:

You can also use a soft-bristled paint brush (pretty inexpensive fix) to gently brush, working from the center of the driver outwards.  Take care on the voice coil dust cover...especially on the glue seam at its perimeter...as you work outwards brushing the dust off.  Soft paint brushes are also good tor getting crap out of horn lenses, without forcing that crap down INTO the center of the horn lenses on the area of the diaphragm (which can happen using compressed air)...again always work from the center outwards, with the brushing action itself going diagonally outwards from the center.

 

I use this same technique though i go around in circles once i get to the surround and frame area to get everything, works every time.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
On January 23, 2017 at 5:19 PM, Futurist said:

 

Haha!.. I did try that and blew a tweeter!.. not because of loud volume so much.. My receiver made a crackly static sound.....

I know that feeling well. Vintage equipment sure sounds good or better than majority of amps rolling into stores these days but you have to stay on top of it. Keep it cleaned and maintained or it can surprise you with a costly repair. 

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After mechanical cleaning I use a mixture for the wooden weneer cabinets.

 

The recipee used by one of local builder of wooden instruments (if it is good for the violin it will be good for speaker :)):

- 250 ml of turpentine (obtainable in an art supply store)
- 250 ml olive oil
- 250 ml of white wine vinegar
- 10 ml of ethyl alcohol
- 2-3 drops of dishwashing detergent

 

Mix it and rub it into a cabinet every coople of months with a soft cloth.

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Once, when  I worked at Klipsch, I went into the demo room, and PWK was about to play an album for some potential customers...he fired everything up, cued up the one-arm for the Empire Troubadour 598, then wiped his forefinger "with the grain" across the stylus to remove any dust gathered onto it...and the listeners shuddered at the sound of that (at about 90 dB!) and looked back at him...he just looked at them and said, "Just dusting off the woofers in the Klipschorns...doesn't hurt a thing!"...with that wry grin of his.  His eyes always got bright when he was having fun!

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  • 10 months later...
On 1/11/2017 at 11:50 AM, babadono said:

I know nothing......but could compressed air remove a lot of it first?

NO! No! NO! Compressed air always has moisture associated with it , which could damage stuff. I've had it create bad solder joints in expensive SS gear.

 

Try a swifter first, then a soft dry sponge. Water, damp, not wet as a last resort.

 

Or put some fish oil on it and let a cats coarse, but surprisingly delicate, tongue do the rest.

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