"Protocols" of record cleaning


I have recently "re-discovered" vinyl due to the purchase of another TT and was wondering what the "suggested protocol" was for cleaning vinyl ? While i own a VPI 16.5, it is quite honestly still in the box. I have been using the "old standby" Discwasher system in the meantime and it seems to work fine. I am curious as to how often a record should be "majorly" cleaned via the VPI, what the recommended proceduce was, what to use as the cleaning solution, do you "tidy up" with the discwasher in-between "scrubbings", etc... ??? I ( and many others i'm sure ) would greatly appreciate a small "novel" on the subject from some of the vinyl addicts that i know frequent this site. If there is another source for this info such as a vinyl website, please direct me there so as to save us all from coming down with Carpal-Tunnel syndrome : ) Sean >
sean

Showing 1 response by sedond

i have a keith monks record-sweeper (recently replaced my venerable watts dust-bug) - this device is a little brush on the end of an arm that tracks the grooves of a record as the record is playing - it does a great yob of keeping particulate matter off the needle, from the opposite side of the platter, as the record plays. the k-m wersion is an improvement over the dust-bug, as it's all metal, has tiny carbon-fibre hairs mixed in w/the horse-hair bristles, & the base is actually equipped w/a ground-wire, so you can drain the static charge from a record as it is playing. using a zero-stat prior to play also helps this, as does having installed a propor humidification system into your hvac unit! :>)

using the dust-bug & now the record-sweeper, has enabled me to keep my records in generally great condition over the years, w/o using a vacuum record-cleaning machine. when i buy new/use records, i yust wash 'em over the kitchen sink w/mild dish-soap, luke-warm water & a sponge, then dry w/a soft lint-free towel... i think that the discwasher brush does more harm than good, actually grinding stuff into the record grooves...