A History of Ultrasonic Record Cleaning


Given all of the attention to ultrasonic cleaning of LPs, made more accessible by DIY, there’s been surprisingly little written about the history of ultrasonic record cleaning. Mike Bodell changes that with a piece I just published entitled “The Curious Case Of Record Cleaning In The Quest For Sonic Perfection," which you can find here:
https://thevinylpress.com/the-curious-case-of-record-cleaning-in-the-quest-for-sonic-perfection/
Mike found an old patent that directly addresses the subject, and puts the development of various cleaning approaches into historical context. I think you’ll find it a worthwhile addition to the literature and an enjoyable read.
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For me the elephant in the room is the potential for damage to the LP. The article is reassuring but lacks any supporting data except to say that users of US cleaners have not reported hearing a problem That alone does not convince me. Testimonials are not data. Someone needs to do a study with controls using microscopy as a tool. Also, I thought 80 kHz was preferred by some manufacturers yet that frequency isn’t mentioned. And finally, pure water or what should be the medium? I think using a mild non ionic detergent cannot hurt. Good article for an historical perspective. Thx.
@lewm --I don't think there have been any serious scientific studies of damage. I don't think the article was intended to convince otherwise and agree that anecdotal reports are not a complete answer. Mike did mention to Degritter (@120kHz) but not others. 
Could you elaborate on what you mean by "And finally, pure water or what should be the medium?"
My understanding is that ultrasonic cleaning is enhanced by a surfactant. 

My own experience is that I can detect no aural damage, but I only use ultrasonic for limited amount of time (e.g. 5 minute cycle) as part of a larger cleaning regime that includes pre-cleaning and post cleaning rinse using reagent water and vacuum (Monks). 
Fair question though and not one that I think the author intended to resolve. 
No argument here. I didn’t mean to imply criticism of the article per se. Interesting to know you use a surfactant. So far as I know there is a school of thought favoring pure water. I would be on your side if I ever adopt US.

i think a post cleaning rinse in pure water is very important.
@lewm - right now i am not using any surfactant in the US machine since I still am using the KL. But I've had a number of discussions with a manufacturer of ultrasonic equipment for factory lines who, at least in a metal parts (non-LP) context, convinced me of the value of using a surfactant. The biggest issue, of course, is removing it from the record surface. Thus, the pure water rinse. 
My plan when the KL goes is probably to buy the big Elma, given the feature set, plus external filtering and recycling.