What is the best way to clean Vinyl?

@lewm- in fairness, the very first response in this thread was the suggestion to read Neil Antin's work, which is available for free. Yes, it is voluminous but explains the chemistry and steps, the fairly minimal equipment needed and why the steps Neil outlines work. The total cost is far below the OP's budget. 

I prefer to use a vacuum type rcm as part of my process-- I used a VPI 16.5 (which started life as a 16) back in the early '80s-- it was still operating fine when I gave it to a friend in 2017. I don't have experience with other wand type vacuums that may be available (or the clones of the Nitty Gritty that either don't have a motor or allow you to use a small household vacuum cleaner). Some here have suggested other equally inexpensive alternatives.

@clearthinker - I don't regard this as a fetish but a practical reality given that I buy mostly older copies. Often, the contamination comes from previous, "bad" cleanings-- some spray that might have been applied. Once I have effectively cleaned a record, I have found little need to re-clean. There are easy quick ways to do a "touch up" for any dust, lint, etc. that attaches to the once cleaned LP surface in handling and playing. Since many of the records I've bought are hard to find, expensive or both, they often need to be cleaned properly to play quietly. 

There are countless ways to approach this--but I'd say there are good practices that are generally observed by archivists, which is a good starting point. Beyond that, some of the cost involved in the cleaning hardware is aimed at convenience and minimal effort. There's a happy medium that each person can choose based on budget, time, effort and results. 

@whart   Thanks for your reply.  I've got a lot of respect for your postings on vinyl replay.  They are a well-balanced view of the issues.

I can't argue with cleaning discs that need to be cleaned.  I am questioning the need to clean those that have already been cleaned or do not require cleaning.  As you rightly say, a happy medium is best - for the listener and the LPs - pun intended.

Yes, I bought some discs that had been cleaned with unsuitable materials and I had to clean them.  Pre the ultrasonics, this was not always successful and I would be interested to know if ultrasonic cleaners can clear all the gunk some people have put on.   I used to think they had eaten dinner off some of them.

Having been around a long time, in the shop I soon learned to avoid the sticky messes and examined surfaces carefully with my short sight or even a magnifying glass before buying.  Yes, with ultra rare discs at bargain prices there is of course a temptation, but by 1989 I had pretty well bought all the used titles I wanted from the 1950s 60s golden age and then I could pick and choose as everyone was outing vinyl, including of course stocks of unsold unopened records.  Glory days they truly were; nothing cost more than £1 a disc and everything was on offer. WOW. I was buying nearly hundreds a month that are the backbone of my collection of 4000+.  For the last 30 years I have mainly bought special pressings, very few now and only from the one or two manufacturers that make consistently reliable discs.

@clearthinker - thanks for the kind words. It’s been a learning experience for me. I bought some of the harder to find Vertigo Swirls that didn’t clean up in the then relatively novel Audio Desk ultrasonic, and that took me back to manual cleaning and vacuum. I had to work on some of these albums. They were obviously not owned by audiophiles, but by "heads"-- deep prog rock from the period. I found that the combination of manual cleaning/vacuum/ultrasonic/pure water rinse

resuscitated these-- what sounded like "groove chew" (damaged record grooves from kludgey old turntable/arm/cartridge) turned out to be contamination. Some records were simply damaged and no amount of cleaning would bring them back.

I then took a trip to the Packard Campus of the Library of Congress- and spent the day with their preservation specialists. Had a blast. Got to hear Les Paul lacquers cut on a homemade lathe that LP used to make overdubs- this was before he got his hands on a tape machine. The sounds were visceral, especially the early, foundational tracks. I then started to learn a little more from archivists and spent some time researching.

Lots of people have contributed to this knowledge base, from Rush Paul’s article on DIY ultrasonic made easy, to Tima’s efforts to up the game on DIY, to Neil Antin’s engineering/cross disciplinary approach.

I still buy old records because I’m constantly discovering "new to me" music on records that were made back in the day, most of which have not been reissued or reissued well. I too have bought old stock. I run into warps--I did invest in the Furutech version of the Orb DF-2, which has been a lifesaver for me.

I’m at a point now where I’m just chasing special, obscure records-- I’m pretty much over the "audiophile" stuff- largely because I already have all those warhorses. I have been recommending Bobby Hamilton’s Dream Queen- unobtanium as an OG, but recently recut from the tape by Bernie G.

I got rid of over 12,000 records before I left NY. That left me with around 5,000 when I got to Texas, and since then, I’ve accumulated maybe another 1,000? I’m a big fan of some of the Tone Poets and think Chad’s Verve/uMe line is a good deal for folks who don’t already own some of those jazz classics.

I tend to go for early heavy psych/blues/rock (now called proto-metal). Lots of great obscure bands from the UK and elsewhere. These are not records I’ll find at my local stores. So, I’m buying from dealers or private sellers all over the world. It’s fun.

On the contamination, who knows what some of this stuff is. I cleaned one of those early Vertigo’s and orange gunk came out of the grooves, fouling my stylus. That record went back to the seller.

I don’t obsess about this, because I have a bunch of other things to obsess about too. Keeps me off the streets.

Best,

Bill

@jjbeason14

With a $500 budget you have three options: The best one is the one that is best for you. How much convenience do you want, how quiet do you want the process, how long do you want it last, what are you cleaning - only new records, or are you going to be buying used flea-market. But let me emphasis one item, any of these can achieve a clean record BUT, BUT, BUT the devil is in the details.

1. For about $250 with all materials and cleaning agents, manual clean using a record label protector such as the process specified in Chapter 5 of Precision Aqueous Cleaning of Vinyl Records-3rd Edition - The Vinyl Press. This process can clean any record of any condition. But it is fully manual, and the success is based on your technique but it's a short learning curve and there is very little to wear out.

2. For $500 you can purchase a vacuum-RCM. There are a number of variations available, you want one with the suction tube/wand on top of the record - they are the easiest to use. Vacuum-RCM at this price point will be very noisy and they are still manual clean - the chemistry you use and brush you use and how you use the brush will determine how well the record will be cleaned. The benefit of the vacuum-RCM is speed - faster to dry. However, if you dry too-much you will develop static - it’s that devil is in the details (but short learning curve). The durability at this price point can be 3-5 years but choosing one with good OEM support will allow long term use. The suction wands and the Velcro heads need to be periodically replaced. Vacuum-RCM can be used to clean used records with the right chemistry; pre-clean, rinse, final clean, rinse such as specified Chapter XIII - Precision Aqueous Cleaning of Vinyl Records-3rd Edition - The Vinyl Press.

3. For $500 you can purchase the HumminGuru all-in-one ultrasonic vinyl record cleaner. This is not a bad unit when used correctly (remember, the devil is in the details) with this being the best procedure to date: HumminGuru - an inexpensive desktop RCM | What’s Best Audio and Video Forum. The Best High End Audio Forum on the planet! (whatsbestforum.com) - see post #62.

The durability of the HG is unknown, it’s still relatively new but with light use, 2-3 years should be appropriate. The OEM is in China, but support appears so far to be decent. There is an active thread over at Interesting All-in-One Ultrasonic Cleaner - HumminGuru | Steve Hoffman Music Forums. The HG is not great for used records. You will need some form of pre-clean step and people often use a Spin-Clean. However, the HG is very convenient, and is relatively quiet and very compact.

4. For $500 you can put together a DIY ultrasonic tank cleaning system starting with the cheap 40kHz UT now available - Amazon.com: VEVOR Ultrasonic Vinyl Record Cleaner 6L 40kHz Vinyl Ultrasonic Cleaning Machine Knob Control Record Ultrasonic Cleaner 4 Records Vinyl Sonic Cleaner Stainless Steel Tank w/Mechanical Heater & Timer : Industrial & Scientific. To make these work, there is a lot of details, and they will not work very well unless you nail the details. The PACVR Book Chapter XIV has some 40 pages discussing all the details.

Beyond what is addressed above, and what is written in the PACVR Book, there is no lack of information on the web with some 50 different cleaning products all saying theirs cleans the best. There are those that swear-by PVA-wood glue method, and some even use steam cleaners.

It’s a carnival of options, but I will end this as I started it, the one that is best is the one that is best for you, but most any of them can be made to work effectively but make no mistake, the devil is in details.

Good Luck!