So, as the title suggests, I’m looking for the best way of cleaning my records.
There seem to be many ways and many opinions of the best way to achieve the best results without causing any damage to the vinyl.
I spent most of last night reading, looking at YouTube videos, more reading and differing opinions, and eventually came away no wiser to finding the best solution for me, but I will say that I’m not really prepared to scrub my records with 2 in 1 hair shampoo .
To be fair, after spending a few days listening to albums that haven’t seen the light of day for probably 35 years or more, around 95% are in great shape, and also sound great, with just a minimal amount of crackles on silent tracks and quiet passages of music, and then there a few which have a pop which lasts for just a few revolutions of the record, and the worst, which actually causes the stylus to jump or stick, and seems to be caused by what looks like a small grain of the inner cardboard sleeve stuck onto the surface, Also the Very Worst is one I treated with Permostat, It became unplayable, sounded terrible and gunked up the stylus with residue after just a few tracks.
I like the idea of ultrasonic cleaning opposed to washing the surface with a cleaning solution, and don’t mind spending a couple of hundred ££’s to buy a cleaning tank and building a rig to spin the vinyl, but would like to hear other members opinions, pros and cons, and what methods to absolutely avoid, as during all of the reading there are some that say that their records became noisier after cleaning, so there’s probably a fine line in between doing it right and doing it wrong.
So in summing up, I know that ultrasonic should shake out all the debris in the grooves, but is it likely to also remove small particles that are stuck to the surface, better still, if there’s Isopropyl in the cleaning solution, is it likely to dissolve the permostat that’s ruined one album?
Whichever road I end up going down, I intend to replace the cardboard sleeves with new anti-static ones, I hear that the Mo-Fi ones are supposed to be good, but in the process of trying to keep things original, I still want to keep the old inner sleeves, so will probably buy the half rounded type which should fit in the original inner sleeve.
TIA
There seem to be many ways and many opinions of the best way to achieve the best results without causing any damage to the vinyl.
I spent most of last night reading, looking at YouTube videos, more reading and differing opinions, and eventually came away no wiser to finding the best solution for me, but I will say that I’m not really prepared to scrub my records with 2 in 1 hair shampoo .
To be fair, after spending a few days listening to albums that haven’t seen the light of day for probably 35 years or more, around 95% are in great shape, and also sound great, with just a minimal amount of crackles on silent tracks and quiet passages of music, and then there a few which have a pop which lasts for just a few revolutions of the record, and the worst, which actually causes the stylus to jump or stick, and seems to be caused by what looks like a small grain of the inner cardboard sleeve stuck onto the surface, Also the Very Worst is one I treated with Permostat, It became unplayable, sounded terrible and gunked up the stylus with residue after just a few tracks.
I like the idea of ultrasonic cleaning opposed to washing the surface with a cleaning solution, and don’t mind spending a couple of hundred ££’s to buy a cleaning tank and building a rig to spin the vinyl, but would like to hear other members opinions, pros and cons, and what methods to absolutely avoid, as during all of the reading there are some that say that their records became noisier after cleaning, so there’s probably a fine line in between doing it right and doing it wrong.
So in summing up, I know that ultrasonic should shake out all the debris in the grooves, but is it likely to also remove small particles that are stuck to the surface, better still, if there’s Isopropyl in the cleaning solution, is it likely to dissolve the permostat that’s ruined one album?
Whichever road I end up going down, I intend to replace the cardboard sleeves with new anti-static ones, I hear that the Mo-Fi ones are supposed to be good, but in the process of trying to keep things original, I still want to keep the old inner sleeves, so will probably buy the half rounded type which should fit in the original inner sleeve.
TIA
Interesting, I too have been having similar thoughts. And I agree with you that most records that have been handled and stored properly just play and sound fine, even 40-50 years after having been pressed!..
I have a bunch of records in my collection which I "inherited" from my parents. I remember very vividly, when I grew up in the 80's, how my father used to spray the surface of the record to be played with a cleaning solution before wiping off the dust. Those small spray bottles where quite popular in the 80's, and contained probably mostly alcohool and some sufractants.
Today, those records are the most unplayable in my collection. They are completely gunked up in the grooves. They sound distorded and the stylus gets gunked up pretty quickly (after a few minutes playing).
I think the best one can do is just dust off the records with a microfibre brush before playing, and store them properly. I do share you thoughts about the ultrasonic cleaning probably beeing a good idea for really dirty records (like my parent's). And I also think any cleaning involving some kind of detergent and scrubing is just wrong.
Just my humble opinion! 🙂
I have a bunch of records in my collection which I "inherited" from my parents. I remember very vividly, when I grew up in the 80's, how my father used to spray the surface of the record to be played with a cleaning solution before wiping off the dust. Those small spray bottles where quite popular in the 80's, and contained probably mostly alcohool and some sufractants.
Today, those records are the most unplayable in my collection. They are completely gunked up in the grooves. They sound distorded and the stylus gets gunked up pretty quickly (after a few minutes playing).
I think the best one can do is just dust off the records with a microfibre brush before playing, and store them properly. I do share you thoughts about the ultrasonic cleaning probably beeing a good idea for really dirty records (like my parent's). And I also think any cleaning involving some kind of detergent and scrubing is just wrong.
Just my humble opinion! 🙂
Hi, Thanks for the reply.
The Permostat treated unplayable record is Kate Bush - The Kick Inside.
It's strange, I treated probably a couple of dozen, I know which ones because the kit contained a small roll of stickers with a "P" on, to show the record had been treated, after discovering the problem with the KB album, I tossed the permostat in the bin, But.... this was the only one that seems to have suffered, maybe I used too much as the others still play just fine.
Another strange thing, I have started to notice is that today I found two more albums which cause the stylus to stick, One was Dire Staits - Brothers in Arms, and Sade - Promise.
I was gutted when I found the problem with the Sade album as it's in pristine condition, The Dire Straits album cleared whatever was causing it to stick before I could get to the TT to lift the arm, and carried on playing without any more problems.
The problem I now face is what to do with the ones that stick, I need to do something, and really have nothing to lose whatever cleaning method I try.
Since the original post I have been looking at the Project VC-S MKI and MKII Record cleaning systems, seems to have good reviews, but is pretty expensive, and does involve surface contact with the vinyl with a cleaner, Brush and Vacuum, but really back to square one, which would be better Ultrasonic or wash?
I'm beginning to think that whatever method one takes, you take a chance and hope for the best 😕
The Permostat treated unplayable record is Kate Bush - The Kick Inside.
It's strange, I treated probably a couple of dozen, I know which ones because the kit contained a small roll of stickers with a "P" on, to show the record had been treated, after discovering the problem with the KB album, I tossed the permostat in the bin, But.... this was the only one that seems to have suffered, maybe I used too much as the others still play just fine.
Another strange thing, I have started to notice is that today I found two more albums which cause the stylus to stick, One was Dire Staits - Brothers in Arms, and Sade - Promise.
I was gutted when I found the problem with the Sade album as it's in pristine condition, The Dire Straits album cleared whatever was causing it to stick before I could get to the TT to lift the arm, and carried on playing without any more problems.
The problem I now face is what to do with the ones that stick, I need to do something, and really have nothing to lose whatever cleaning method I try.
Since the original post I have been looking at the Project VC-S MKI and MKII Record cleaning systems, seems to have good reviews, but is pretty expensive, and does involve surface contact with the vinyl with a cleaner, Brush and Vacuum, but really back to square one, which would be better Ultrasonic or wash?
I'm beginning to think that whatever method one takes, you take a chance and hope for the best 😕
I am also in the group that only cleans records if they actually need it. I ended up buying a vacuum cleaner (original record doctor) having tried to make my own with limited success. Now days there is this Vinyl Vac - Vinyl Record Vacuum Wand - Vinyl Vac - Vinyl Record Vacuum Wand as possibly the cheapest option if you own a shopvac (as a numatic owner since 1991 I'd never be without one). The vac stage may not be necessary, but it's nice to know that you have got a clean AND dry record. The cleaning is done with an orbitrac which I've had for ages.
Squeaky Clean Vinyl Record Care also looks interesting.
I find the cleaning cathartic and have no space for a ultrasonic bath at the moment, which has prevented me trying one. Comparing cleaning methods is almost impossible!
P.S. If you can get a record to sunny Berkshire I am happy to clean and vac it then send back to see what you think.
Squeaky Clean Vinyl Record Care also looks interesting.
I find the cleaning cathartic and have no space for a ultrasonic bath at the moment, which has prevented me trying one. Comparing cleaning methods is almost impossible!
P.S. If you can get a record to sunny Berkshire I am happy to clean and vac it then send back to see what you think.
Interesting Items.
Thanks, I might take you up on that 😀
I have to say that this sudden urge to start cleaning my records came from YouTube, Watching videos of turntables playing vinyl with absolute clarity, no pops and crackles, just a nice pure sound.
In the comments people asked how the uploader was able to keep their records in such pristine condition, the answer .. I clean them, so one thing led to another, some were using ultrasonic, others a wash / Dry method and so on, But then came the people saying that their vinyl sounded worse after cleaning, Various scientific reasons why you shouldn't use and alcohol based fluids, Ultrasonic causes Micro Fractures and so on and so forth, and so doubt starts setting in.
In reality I would prefer to never clean any of my vinyl, I have always looked after my collection with the greatest care, at least, so I thought, For one, I never realised how much garbage came off of the inner sleeves, and now just getting my vinyl system up and running again after a long time sitting idle, I have the sticking stylus problem, and have noticed fine particles stuck to the vinyl, These are really the only ones that need some attention, a few little crackles in the background I can live with, and a good example of this, which quite surprised me was my 1973 copy of Dark Side Of The Moon, which was way quieter on the crackle side of things than I ever expected.
So I think I only really need to concentrate on the ones that stick, and possibly the ones that have a "Pop" for several revolutions, I do find that quite annoying🙂
Thanks, I might take you up on that 😀
I have to say that this sudden urge to start cleaning my records came from YouTube, Watching videos of turntables playing vinyl with absolute clarity, no pops and crackles, just a nice pure sound.
In the comments people asked how the uploader was able to keep their records in such pristine condition, the answer .. I clean them, so one thing led to another, some were using ultrasonic, others a wash / Dry method and so on, But then came the people saying that their vinyl sounded worse after cleaning, Various scientific reasons why you shouldn't use and alcohol based fluids, Ultrasonic causes Micro Fractures and so on and so forth, and so doubt starts setting in.
In reality I would prefer to never clean any of my vinyl, I have always looked after my collection with the greatest care, at least, so I thought, For one, I never realised how much garbage came off of the inner sleeves, and now just getting my vinyl system up and running again after a long time sitting idle, I have the sticking stylus problem, and have noticed fine particles stuck to the vinyl, These are really the only ones that need some attention, a few little crackles in the background I can live with, and a good example of this, which quite surprised me was my 1973 copy of Dark Side Of The Moon, which was way quieter on the crackle side of things than I ever expected.
So I think I only really need to concentrate on the ones that stick, and possibly the ones that have a "Pop" for several revolutions, I do find that quite annoying🙂
There was a paper published in around 1973 that did show surface noise going up after washing with some vinyl formulations. Unfortunately the paper left a lot of unanswered questions, not least which labels used the different formulations he tried. No one has ever tried repeating this, which is a shame as it's not hard, just fiddly and it would be nice to know. I often find records with one dirt spot. They can often be cleaned with just a damp cloth as its usually surface goop.
I also do not recommend cleaning brand new records (or old but never played). The stories about mold release agent are wrong, it's not used, and any fibres from the sleeve will just wipe off with a carbon fibre brush.
I also do not recommend cleaning brand new records (or old but never played). The stories about mold release agent are wrong, it's not used, and any fibres from the sleeve will just wipe off with a carbon fibre brush.
Have you found any increased background noise levels with your cleaning method?
I haven't tried my Carbon Fibre brush yet on any of the sticking records as of yet, In fact the first time I tried the brush, I stopped immediately because of the horrible scratchy noise it makes, I went back to using a velvet brush.
I haven't tried my Carbon Fibre brush yet on any of the sticking records as of yet, In fact the first time I tried the brush, I stopped immediately because of the horrible scratchy noise it makes, I went back to using a velvet brush.
I haven't made any worse, but I only clean records that need it. I have had some where no improvement was made, but they were generally 50+ years old.
I think that as a rule of thumb that is a wise choice, I think I would only wash a record that looks like it's been dug out of the trash, as for my own it was just a thought (and a project 😀 ) for those annoying pops.
As for the Carbon Fibre Brush, is it usual for them to make such a horrible noise on the record surface? My brush looks exactly the same as the hunt EDA, just has a different name (Super Exstatic)
The other problem I have is my Turntable is the Rega Planar 3, which has a plastic spindle, so impossible ground the brush, I suppose I could always use an anti static Wrist Strap 🙂
As for the Carbon Fibre Brush, is it usual for them to make such a horrible noise on the record surface? My brush looks exactly the same as the hunt EDA, just has a different name (Super Exstatic)
The other problem I have is my Turntable is the Rega Planar 3, which has a plastic spindle, so impossible ground the brush, I suppose I could always use an anti static Wrist Strap 🙂
Hi, Usually I won't send someone to a different site...but the vinylengine.com one is the place to go with this question. Look at the section at the top where is lists the music etc. There is a huge section on cleaning and care of records.
My choice is ultrasonic followed by vac drying. I clean only as necessary. To get some really difficult stuff off of some LPs I got at a thrift store (for pennies) that someone had used some sort of silicon (why?) on...I had to add to more steps. First using Simple Green on a soft microfiber cloth wipe each side a number of times....then to get the simple green off use a bath of non-scented non-concentrated Dawn dish washing liquid followed by a water rinse then to the ultra sonic (with a distilled water, alcohol, Dawn mix) and then a distilled water rinse (I use a Spinclean for that) and finally the Record Doctor vac. Totally unplayable LPs came out surprisingly well. The gunk that was jelled on them was all gone. Complicated process for sure, but for valuable LPs worth it.
My choice is ultrasonic followed by vac drying. I clean only as necessary. To get some really difficult stuff off of some LPs I got at a thrift store (for pennies) that someone had used some sort of silicon (why?) on...I had to add to more steps. First using Simple Green on a soft microfiber cloth wipe each side a number of times....then to get the simple green off use a bath of non-scented non-concentrated Dawn dish washing liquid followed by a water rinse then to the ultra sonic (with a distilled water, alcohol, Dawn mix) and then a distilled water rinse (I use a Spinclean for that) and finally the Record Doctor vac. Totally unplayable LPs came out surprisingly well. The gunk that was jelled on them was all gone. Complicated process for sure, but for valuable LPs worth it.
Hi Gazza,
The alleged "scientific reasons" for not cleaning that you are hearing on some of those forums are generally not backed by science at all. Some alcohols are indeed bad for vinyl, but isopropyl is definitely OK to use in any reasonable record cleaning formulation.
I would challenge anyone to produce evidence that ultrasonic cleaning in any reasonably well-made desktop machine operating at 40k or above causes micro fractures in PVC. There is no such scientific evidence, period. That is baseless conjecture.
The last point I'd mention is that cleaning will not cure all pops, clicks and what sometimes is referred to as surface noise. Much of that is surface damage to the record, and/or noise that is recorded into the master or intermediate sources.
Good luck in your quest,
B B
I tried building a number of diy record cleaners, vacuum and all. Stopped short of ultrasonic, even tho the thread is a great read. None worked nearly as well as I had hoped - for the dirt cheap and dirty LPs I often buy.
Finally gave up and bought a Spin-Clean. It's very simple, but does a great job on what I have. Some LP that I thought were totally trashed cleaned up to pleasantly playable.
Finally gave up and bought a Spin-Clean. It's very simple, but does a great job on what I have. Some LP that I thought were totally trashed cleaned up to pleasantly playable.
You have reminded me. I was going to hook up an antistat clip on my turntable. The ritual is all with vinyl 🙂
The CF brush shouldn't make a scratching sound, that is odd. Just a gentle whoosh.
@gofar99. On VE you have to be careful to be able to sort the wheat from the chaff. For example I would never use shampoo to clean records!
I moved to ultra sonic cleaning about a year ago the results have been impressive most of my lps now play with minimal pops or crackles and many are so quiet you would think your listening to digital.
My diy cleaner cost about £100 to build and most of that was the 6L ultrasonic bath off of ebay.
My diy cleaner cost about £100 to build and most of that was the 6L ultrasonic bath off of ebay.
Thanks for all of the above replies.
As the majority of my albums are in great shape with just minimal noise, I think I will leave well alone, and just use a velvet or CF Brush, and just a side note to that, I noticed that while being quite noisy, is seems to leave what I can only describe a micro abrasions on the surface of the album, it did however clean up one album that was skipping, and the marks it left are not audible, the album that I mentioned further up the thread that has what I thought was a tiny particle of paper stuck to the surface, isn't .... I don't know what it is. Under a USB microscope it looks like a tiny speck of white paint !! , but I can't shift it with any brush so will have to try some different methods.
The Sade album that sticks, using the USB Scope again, I can see nothing wrong whatsoever, so I might try upping the tracking weight just a fraction to see if that helps.
In the meantime I'll have a look at some of the different washing systems that have been mentioned.
As the majority of my albums are in great shape with just minimal noise, I think I will leave well alone, and just use a velvet or CF Brush, and just a side note to that, I noticed that while being quite noisy, is seems to leave what I can only describe a micro abrasions on the surface of the album, it did however clean up one album that was skipping, and the marks it left are not audible, the album that I mentioned further up the thread that has what I thought was a tiny particle of paper stuck to the surface, isn't .... I don't know what it is. Under a USB microscope it looks like a tiny speck of white paint !! , but I can't shift it with any brush so will have to try some different methods.
The Sade album that sticks, using the USB Scope again, I can see nothing wrong whatsoever, so I might try upping the tracking weight just a fraction to see if that helps.
In the meantime I'll have a look at some of the different washing systems that have been mentioned.
Sorted the stubborn spot problem, A little distilled water on the end of a cotton bud, and it lifted straight off, Playing the track through you would never know it had been there 
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