Record cleaning
After reading The Audiophile Man feature on vinyl cleaning wondering what Audiogoners think of his DIY cleaning solution (distilled water and alcohol solution with 7% alcohol). This is used as the cleaning solution in a Disco-Antistat record cleaner. Before placing the album in the disco-antistat,he brushes on a solution of a surfactant and glycol. After running album through the disco-antistat he then vacuums the residue with a RCM.
I was wondering if I could apply a solution of surfactant and glycol to an album with a stiff goat hair brush, then run it through just the US cycle of my HumminGuru US cleaner. Then rinse with distilled water by applying it on the album while on the Record Dr. using a second stiff brush to clean into the grooves, then vacuuming the residue up through the Record Dr?
“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.” 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.
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