Recorded Cleaning Machnies

Supposedly, some of the ultrasonic cleaners I see advertise no rinsing is necessary.  I suppose with a flow agent, the cleaning solution should sheet right off.  Maybe a chemist here can explain the no rinse ads I see.

@spatialking,

Theoretically, if all cleaner drains off the record, then there is nothing to dry, and nothing (non-volatile residue) will be left behind, or if the cleaner concentration is so low that no objectionable residue will remain.  I am not sure what some of these vendors are marketing as a no-rinse cleaner.  The exception is Osage Audio Products, LLC  Audio Intelligent Vinyl Solutions Enzymatic Ultrasonic Record Cleaning Machine Concentrate which someone else tested by allowing a few drops to evaporate from a glass surface and no visible evidence of residue was noted.

Here is an example of what I have recommended as a no-rinse cleaning solution - it’s going to get technical: a cleaning solution of distilled/demineralized water + 0.005% Tergitol 15-S-9 + 2.5% of 91% isopropyl alcohol, and here is the rationale.

• Tergitol 15-S-9 is very water soluble and mixes with water very quickly and at 0.005% (same as 50-ppm) will by itself provide full wetting.

• IPA at 2.5% should (by the science) add a subtle difference to the diluted Tergitol 15-S-9. It should lower what is known as the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of Tergitol 15-S-9 just enough for the Tergitol 15-S-9 to now add some detergency. The CMC is the concentration where the surfactant has lowered the surface tension of the water as much as it can and then beyond that it provides detergency specific to the type of surfactant which in this case is nonionic which is good for oil-in-water emulsion. Additionally, the small amount of IPA helps with something called soil-roll-up. It helps to swell organic soils (i.e. fingerprints) making it easier for the Tergitol 15-S-9 to lift the soil from the surface. FYI - the CMC of surfactants varies widely; it’s a unique property.

• Additionally, just 2.5% of IPA can lower the boiling point of water from 212F (100C) to 190F (88C) which should assist with faster evaporation. FYI- adding more than 2.5% IPA does not get you much. The boiling point decreases much slower, and there is no benefit to the Tergitol, and any cleaning benefit does not show up until the concentration is now flammable which is a risk with UT machines that can 100’s and 1000’s of ml; any material compatibility issues with the machine notwithstanding.

• So, the 2.5% IPA and 0.005% Tergitol 15-S-9 are complimentary to one another.

• Pharmaceutical IPA has a maximum non-volatile residue (NVR) concentration of 50-mg/L (to do better you need to buy ACS Reagent-Grade) which when diluted to 2.5% yields (0.025)x (50-mg/L) = 1.25-mg/L. The diluted Tergitol 15-S-9 at 0.005% = about 50-mg/L NVR, and we can assume another 5-mg/L from the distilled water. So, combined, the cleaning solution is about 56.25-mg/L of NVR. If you leave worst case 2-mL (this is quite a bit) per record side, what is left after the water dries/evaporates is (2-ml) x (56.25-mg/1000-ml) = 0.11-mg of NVR on the record surface. If a simple assumption is made that the 0.11-mg of (mostly soft) residue is spread evenly across the record, the resulting film thickness is less than 0.002 microns. This film thickness is below the lowest reported surface roughness of a freshly pressed record (reports are 0.01 to 0005-microns) and at least 10X below the small modulation (0.1-micron) the stylus can reproduce.

• So, in the final analysis, even taking into account a non-uniform distribution (simple Normal (Gaussian) Distribution), with median @ 5X and peak @ 10X, the NVR left on the surface is pretty much in the record surface roughness and below what the stylus can reproduce (as sound) and is (for most) inconsequential. Additionally, in most real UT use with the record vertical, the amount that dries on the record should be 1-ml or less.

So, there is some science to this, and in no-rinse solutions, it’s a balancing act between cleaning and residue (NVR). And the experience by many along with absence of junk on the stylus supports the science. However, like all things, there are exceptions to the rules, and I have had experience with at least 1-person, who felt that that they could ’detect’ an audible difference (listening with very high-resolution headphones). They felt that there was a subtle smearing of some high frequency information. If you have ’exceptionally’ sensitive hearing and listen under the most intense conditions, add a rinse step.

spatialking

... some of the ultrasonic cleaners I see advertise no rinsing is necessary.  I suppose with a flow agent, the cleaning solution should sheet right off.  Maybe a chemist here can explain ...

I've always rinsed an LP after using a cleaner, and then dried it on the OG Nitty Gritty machine I bought decades ago. But that's only for records bought used that require that degree of attention - which is uncommon for me.

The issue I have with LPs is just common dust. That requires no cleaning agent at all, ime. I use just distilled water in a Klaudio ultrasonic machine, insert the disc, push one button, and the machine washes and dries the LP automagically. It's so-oooo simple.

@antinn 

Thanks for the Recipe!  Do you recommend this for ultrasonic machines, too?

@cleeds Yes, dust is a big problem for me, too.