Vinyl cleaning - Ultrasonic vs. Walker products

Thanks so much to everyone for your input. I have been reading a lot over the last week. So much info out there, reading is way faster than trying everything you guys have learned. I'm going to keep all of the records and use them for my enjoyment, at least the ones that are actually listenable. In addition to what I just got, I have a small collection of about 300 that I've bought since 1975. Even though I use my Discwasher, many need a good cleaning too. I moved to the CD media, but have gotten back into analog again. Some have mentioned carbon fiber brushes. Is an Audioquest record brush better than say Discwasher and are they really soft enough not to damage the record grooves? It sounds like I should replace my daily cleaning brushes do to the wicking of the fibers. Going to do more research, but think I need several new cleaning supplies. US, Walker and more. Of course a bunch of anti-static sleeves to replace the ones that still have paper.

I use a Vinyl Stack single cleaner with a drying stand. I wipe off using old undershirts, very soft cotton, or the Vinyl Stack comes with a microfiber. I use a goat hair brush, I believe it was from Sleeve City. In a spray bottle, I have a solution of  water and Triton X-100 (water initially hot for mixing, then kept at room temp). Run faucet. I am adding a carbon water filter underneath my faucet. Water takes care of most static.

After, I do use an Aerostat, and a Mapleshade grounded stainless steel brush (silky soft).

For the stylus, I use the Onzow, etc., but usually a watercolor brush ordered from Zem brushes w/distilled water in mini bottle. The poor man's Onzow is Blu Tack or similar, and that works well. These stylus tricks are adapted from Peter Lederman's Soundsmith website. Lately, I have been experimenting with Last stylus protector. 

I think there are almost as many ways to clean records as there are audiophiles. If you are considering ultrasonic, n.b. that Vinyl Stax offers a spinner which can be used with any ultrasonic bath of a certain size. 

Lastly, after you clean, I've found it best, in most cases, not to reuse the old sleeve. I purchase new archival sleeves, 3 mil. If a record was dirty and staticky coming out of an old sleeve, why would you put it back into the potentially dirty and staticky sleeve? 

I use out sleeves for records that have especially nice, or damaged, covers. 

Once the record is on the table and static has been removed, I use this record dust brush: https://www.amazon.com/Record-Stylus-Cleaner-Anti-Static-Cleaning/dp/B07C1J9QPJ/ref=sr_1_17?dchild=1. Sometimes, I follow that with a camera lens blower: https://www.amazon.com/Giottos-AA1900-Rocket-Blaster-Large/dp/B00017LSPI/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&key. Lastly, I use an LED light or high-powered LED flashlight to inspect the record. Sometimes, a record looks mint under regular lamplight, and you will hear artifacts or skipping even after cleaning. Often, when one inspects under LED, one sees otherwise invisible scratches or marring that explain the noise heard and rule out insufficient cleaning. 

"For a few hundred bucks more, even less on the used market, get a vacuum machine system but something that does NOT have the record(s) bottom sides on a flat surface while you’re cleaning the top side. The last thing you want to do is clean one side and then flip it over and put it on a contaminated flat surface while you clean the other. What’s the sense in that?"

I purchased an inexpensive rubber TT mat for my Okki Nokki to use when flipping the clean side down.
Eric

Thing about cheap US units is, well, they’re cheap. They may not be very powerful, they may not distribute the energy very well, they may not even meet spec. Just sayin’.

I suggest that you rent or borrow a VPI 16.5 and clean the lot. Then select what you want to keep and pay someone to do a good US clean of only those. You’ll come out ahead unless you want to keep most of them.

NEVER use tap water unless you know FOR SURE that it's near distilled spec. Otherwise you may get mineral deposits which can only be removed by US cleaning. Ask me how I know.

A cheap record doctor works well for me. When I'm a bit lazy,  a UK product called "vinyl revival" works well. I mostly buy old nos sealed records any how...I deep clean my thrift store finds.