Record cleaning question

[colterphoto1]

Like by bud Picky, I still use the good simple old-fashioned Discwasher system.Wet one edge of the cleaning handle, use it to dampen the LP, roll to a dry edge and pick up the dirt, Zerostat's negative ion zap helps release particles clinging to the LP by static. There is a SC-1 stylus cleaning accessory also.

Michael

[mobile homeless]

I still use the good simple old-fashioned Discwasher system.Wet one edge of the cleaning handle, use it to dampen the LP, roll to a dry edge and pick up the dirt

The problem with the old classic Discwasher system is it can end up pushing dirt and refuse DEEPER into the grooves. I think some of the other brushes do a better job regarding this liability. I still have my old Discwasher from years ago but dont use it anymore.

Nothing beats a quality record vacuum and if you DO have a ton of vinyl and buy used often, it's worth the investment. I've had a VPI HW-16 for over 20 years and besides replacing the wand and dealing with the subsonic sound when engaged, it's been a great cost effective investment. Can be found on the used market but unfortunately, is not that much discounted over the new if you find a good deal online.

kh

[garymd]

Anyone tried to replace the felt strips on the wand (as opposed to buying a new $25 wand every year or two)?

[Allan Songer]

Our buddy Duane--"The Disc Doctor" himself sells replacement strips for both the Nitty Gritty and VPI machines--they're neon bright blue in color and last a good long while . . .

[lwhaples]

Allan, Thanks for the tip. Seems to work for me. First time around, my

wife got the heavy stuff you put in the washer. Hendrix never sounded

so

good!

Larry

[fini]

Yesterday I tried a variation of Allan's technique. Manually scrubbing records seemed pretty inefficient, slow, and most of all boring. Also, the wife has gotten me into "multi-tasking" (I'm mowing the lawn as I write this). So, I put on my thinkin' cap, coming up with this plan. I went to Safeway and bought some Woolite OxyDeep, and rented a commercial floor scrubber. It took a few trips to Home Depot to get the right nuts, washers, grommits, etc., but I replaced the scrubber brushes with my grimiest records. After thoroughly soaking the wall-to-wall carpeting in the rec room with OxyDeep, I set about cleaning the records....AND the CARPET! I haven't had time to listen to either record, but aside from not being able to read the labels, they look fantastic! VG++!!

[garymd]

Thanks Allan! I just checked his site and saw the 4 strips for $14. I'm sure I could make them myself if I could find a store that sold stick-on felt but at $7 a pop, it beats buying a new $25 arm. I'm about out of fluid and pads anyway so I can save on shipping. His fluid also seems to work better then anything else I've tried.

BTW - It's ALL about the sonics for me!

[thirdeye]

I still use

the good simple old-fashioned Discwasher system.Wet one edge of the

cleaning handle, use it to dampen the LP, roll to a dry edge and pick

up the dirt

The problem with the old classic Discwasher system

is it can end up pushing dirt and refuse DEEPER into the

grooves. I think some of the other brushes do a better job

regarding this liability. I still have my old Discwasher from

years ago but dont use it anymore.

Nothing beats a quality record vacuum and if you DO have a ton of vinyl and buy used

often, it's worth the investment. I've had a VPI HW-16 for over

20 years and besides replacing the wand and dealing with the subsonic

sound when engaged, it's been a great cost effective investment.

Can be found on the used market but unfortunately, is not that much

discounted over the new if you find a good deal online.

kh

100% nothing can do it better and make vinyl quieter if it is possible

in the first place to eliminate any excess surface noise on the

album, than a vacuume machine completly removing everything in

the grove... You could scrub all day and losen stuff on the vinly and

wipe dry or let the deposites dry on their own right back on the vinyl

and it will never do you any good without sucking the stuff off it.

Also this high power vacuume removal nearly eliminates excess Static

and handling the album, unless you over vacuume it of course. out of

convinence and safty of the vinyl its worth the cost of the machine, I

don't care how anybody wants to argue it, its sweet! And not only

that, but the MAJOR side benifit of the extreme vacuume removal and

leaving no deposites behind is what Most people do not think about this

is not only saving your vinyl and making it sound superior but your

Super pricey stylus is not running thru picking up little hairs, and

dust wearing it out even faster, for example almost everytime I used to

play vinyl before having the machine all kinds of little stuff would

collect at the tip of the stylus you could see with the naked eye no

less.. With the cleaned vinyl that is vacuumed this would only occur is

something falls out of the environement which does happen, while its

playing. Far less dirty equipment in the end.

Disc washer velvet type brush is the best, you can get the Clones from

Musicdirect.com in chicago and they are the exact same ones, might be

cheaper I think, I have a few of them and you can get the replacement

velvet pads for like 2 packs at 4.00 or something as well.

[D-MAN]

No thanks, I gave that up years ago. Haven't had the urge to clean one

since.

(Just funnin', you crazy, wacky, zany vinyl-cleanin' dudes!)

DM

[J.4knee]

I've been using the spin clean system for about a year now and for my money it does a better job than DD brushes (which I do have) and is a lot easier too.

http://www.garage-a-records.com/spin.html

I also use the Spin Clean and it does work quite well.

[AndyKubicki]

I've been using the spin clean system for about a year now and for my money it does a better job than DD brushes (which I do have) and is a lot easier too.

http://www.garage-a-records.com/spin.html

I gotta say Wayne is right! I tried brushes and nothing works like total immersion which Spin Clean offers. It really surprised me! AND, I use the lint free towels you turned me on to!

[J.4knee]

Hey Andy how ya been have not heard from ya in quite awhile. Yeah Wayne turned us onto a pretty good vinyl cleaning rig that day at your place.

[AndyKubicki]

I know, I check in once in a while. How are you doing, Jim? We will have another get together after the holidays. Ya'll gotta hear this room!

[Cal Blacksmith]

Andy!! Good to hear from you!

I hope the move went well. Somehow, we do all need to get together again, that was a great time.

For a low buck system, the spin clean with the micro fiber towels works great., Glad you guys thought so too!

[cjgeraci]

Are the preferred micro fiber, non-lint towels the ones listed on Garage-A-Records (under Spin Clean Washable Drying Cloths)?

Or are there better ones to use?

Do tell please...........

Carl.

[J.4knee]

You can get a pack of microfiber towels at Costco for about $8 - $10 that work just great. I assume Sams Club would have a similar product as well.

[fini]

I use the ones from Costco. I'm trying to get my wife to somehow identify the ones she's used for cleaning household stuff...&^(

[J.4knee]

OT Andy/Wayne I agree sometime after the Hollidays have passed we need to have another get together.....Tom...Nick......

[Parrot]

I went against JulieHeartKlipsch's advice and tried OxyBurst on an LP I

bought today at Volunteers of America for 98 cents. Although it looked

pretty good visually, when I got it home it was full of crackles and my

VPI cleaning machine couldn't help it much. Since we're talking about

the incomparable Horenstein's LSO Mahler 1, I didn't want to just throw

the record out. So I tried OxyBurst and it did indeed make the LP more

listenable. Unfortunately, even with the improvement, there remains

quite a lot of crackle. I imagine it's from having been played on a bad

record player over the years. Bottom line: OxyBurst is not a cure-all

but it does help.