Record cleaning

Thanks @audphile1 I agree.  My go to for most situations is 0.5% Tergitol 15-S-9 (0.5ml/L distilled water).  This works in my Nova and in my MW-1 for a lot of situations.  40 years ago I did use 80 proof vodka mixed 25% with distilled water and one drop of Dawn to the gallon in the mix for my HW-17.  I've learned a lot since then. ;-) 

Actually, I follow all of the suggestions in Neil's book depending on the situation.  The VPI gets used all the time, the Nova only on new or near new records.  Perhaps 5% of the total.  Lately, I have been cleaning and listening up to 5-10 records a day.  I will bin a record that I don't like before listening to the whole shebang, so it is not as much as it seems in print.  

Sorry @billstevenson my response was meant for @thegreenline 

lol

I fat fingered that one…didn’t mean to call you out

“I settled on this method.

A solution of about 80% distilled water 20% alcohol on my Record Dr. 

then into the HumminGuru using their recommend surfactant. I stop the process when the drying cycle starts.

then into the Spin Clean with just distilled water

then vacuum the album with the Record Dr.”

@thegreenline 

That’s not record cleaning…that’s a full spa retreat 😄

@thegreenline  I would exercise caution with that mixture. The ideal seems to be no more than 5% alcohol. Also add a few drops of a surfactant like TergiKleen (Tergitol) or Kodak Photo-Flo. I use Triton X100 but apparently, it's not very environmentally safe. 

@lalitk I agree it is like a spa treatment. But some albums need this. For instance I was reading either TAS or Sterophile and saw a review of an audiophile pressing of the Linda Rondstat album “Prisoner In Disguise”, I realized I had a copy from when I was in HS (I graduated in 1978). I pulled it out, it already been cleaned using the Record Dr. years ago, it still sounded pretty bad. I used my above mentioned cleaning method and I was shocked at how good it sounded, I cleaned it a second time and it sounded even better. I'm hoping since I vacuum the alcohol off right away this doesn’t harm the album and this is a one time cleaning (or maybe twice if the album is in really bad shape). For most of my records still needing cleaning I have switched my DIY solution for the “Audio Intelligent Vinyl Solutions” Premium One-Step Formula No 6. Not sure if the rinse is still needed, but I think I’ll keep using it for now (in for a penny in for a pound). I have a couple of old “New Riders Of The Purple Sage” albums. I think I’ll clean one using the AI Solutions formula and one using my DIY formula, which by the way uses a few drops of Kodak Photo-Flo as surfactant.