Cleaning Vinyl

[Holy Zoo]

I'm just getting back into vinyl, and I'm finding that, while I generally took pretty good care of them (no big scratches, not many scuff marks), I'm still hearing lots of ticks and pops. I'm pressuming this is ground-in dirt.

I'm curious how well I can expect one of these spiffy wet vaccuum systems to work. Do they reallly do that job?

I mean, does it help "just a bit"? Or can I expect dead silence afterwards?

[Patrick M]

I'd get some Disc Doctor stuff (brushes and fluid) and a cheapo manual like the Record Doctor II. It will make a big difference, but there could always be damage that you can't detect with the eye. IOW, don't expect silence just because the record is clean and looks NM. My Holdsworth vinyl, for example, looks mint and has been cleaned with DD and a wet vacuum, but still plays with noise. I think it's a bad vinyl formulation in that case.

I bought a FFRR "out of our heads" for $1 once. It was the first time I had actually seen the cleaning fluid come off brown. I cleaned it a second time and the water came off clean. Plays decent now, especially for the price.:D

[PsychFan]

Patrick is absolutely right. The combination of the Disc Doctor brushes and fluid with a vacuum cleaning machine like the Record Doctor II (which I also use) in my opinion cannot be beat. Your records will look AND sound as clean as they can after proper treatment with these products.

I used the Record Doctor II alone for a long time, and thought I was pretty happy. When I added the Disc Doctor products to the mix, I couldn't believe the improvements.

[TommyTunes]

A record cleaning machine is absolutely one of the best purchases you can make. Assuming that the record does not have groove damage you can reduce surface noise by 80% or more, even on new records. I generally first clean an LP with Disc Doctor followed by two "baths" with distilled water, and a final cleaning with Tormat fluid. However the Disc Doctor solution I do not allow the machine to suck up, I simply wipe it off.

[PsychFan]

Originally posted by TommyTunes
I generally first clean an LP with Disc Doctor followed by two "baths" with distilled water, and a final cleaning with Tormat fluid. However the Disc Doctor solution I do not allow the machine to suck up, I simply wipe it off.


Sounds similar to my procedure ... I do the Disc Doctor cleaning with one of the supplied brushes (they come in pairs), and then wipe off the excess fluid with an Orbitrac 2 pad (a handy tip that Michael Fremer recommended). Then I do two rinses with distilled water (using a different Disc Doctor brush), after the second of which I vacuum the water off with the Record Doctor machine. After a quick wipe with a carbon-fiber brush, the record is ready to play.

The results are extraordinary. And yes, even brand-new records benefit greatly.

[Beagle]

Call me odd but my record cleaner is my mouth and hand. I have my records in the basement where it is a bit cool. I breathe on the dirty area, the condensation forms and I wipe with Discwasher brush. This is mainly for dust and fingerprints and light dirt. I figure the condensation from my breath is just enough dampness to loosen dirt/eliminate static and I don't put any chemicals on the vinyl. Or I might be just lazy and cheap...

[patricku]

I try THEM all-and the winner is :

100 % pure alchool, cleaning machine ( VPI ) and sqalan oil,one drop on the LAST stick,quite a few rotation,pressinso hard than you can hear the music..another last stick, without oil,just to dry it , with a good propagation on it.

WONDER of WONDER.

[RDK]

Hey Beagle,
Your method intrigues me, but have you tried it while adding some alcohol to the mix? Not 100% iso, mind you, but say a shot of vodka prior to breathing on the disc?

:)

[Beagle]

No, but breath mints help, the record tends not to warp when I breathe on it:D

[Holy Zoo]

Thanks, everyone, for the help!

I guess I'm now in the market for a vacuum cleaning machine! (Boy, my wife is gonna love this one... she already thinks I'm insane... how do I explain a vacuum cleaner for records?! :))

Ok... one more question: does anyone have experience with the VPI (http://www.audioadvisor.com/store/productdetail.asp?sku=VPI16%2E5&product_name=HW-16%2E5%20Record%20Cleaning%20Machine) cleaners?

The fully enclosed case appeals to me, for some reason.

[SVL]

Does anyone have experience of using electrostatic "guns" to clean vinyl? Milty Zerostat (?) was one of those things.

[PsychFan]

Originally posted by SVL
Does anyone have experience of using electrostatic "guns" to clean vinyl? Milty Zerostat (?) was one of those things.


The Zerostat does not clean vinyl; it's an anti-static device. I find that a good anti-static carbon-fiber brush (like the AudioQuest, $15) does a fine enough job of removing dust AND getting rid of static.

[Andy]

Anyone have an opinion on VPI vs. Nitty Gritty cleaning machines?

[Pinknik]

I own a VPI 16.5 and it's built like a tank and works wonderfully. It is loud, but I think they all are. At work, I've used a Nitty Gritty Record Master, it's one of their cheaper models. Works fairly well, but doesn't always get the last bit of fluid on the out and inner edges of a 12 inch record. Build quality is all plastic, but it hasn't had any problems. I personally prefer the VPI. Unless you have huge amounts of records to clean, I don't think the VPI 17 is necessary. It applies fluid automatically and scrubs in both directions before vacuuming, but I prefer using the Disc Doctor fluid and brushes. If your wife vetos the vacuum machine, GET the DISC DOCTOR stuff, it works extremely well all on its own, it just takes a lot longer to dry the records.

[Paul Chang]

I have owned a VPI 16.5 since 1990. In some aspects, I think it is better than its more expensive sibling, VPI 17, which I returned in exchange for a 16.5 when Audio Advisor shipped me a 220V version by mistake. The VPI 16.5 is well built and has served me well. My only complaints are occasional waste fluid overflows and spills (it catches fluid in an inaccessible reservoir) and a loose rubber foot (the screw hole was torn, probably rotten by the waste fluid).

IMO, the only real advantages VPI 17 has over 16.5 are the fluid disposal tube and the bi-directional turntable. The fluid pump is nice but you can't scrub with the fluid applicator/brush assembly. Sure you can purchase a separate VPI 16.5 brush but the luxury of VPI 17 more than doubles the cost.

VPI 17F is fitted with a bulit-in cooling fan, which enable you to clean records all day long. But when do you listen to them? When the vacuum of a VPI 16.5 (or VPI 17) is overheated, it is shut down and it may be a good time to relax and enjoy the music.

Be sure to pre-clean records, especially the dirty ones, with your favorite method. (Mine is Last Power Cleaner.) Keep the mat and the suction tube clean. Debris will accumulate on the valvet padding of the suction tube and I get them off with a toothbrush. I keep a spare suction tube with my 16.5 - one for new records and the other for old. Do NOT clean the brush or suction tubes with tap water! Use distilled water or record cleaning fluid.

I have no experience with any Nitty Gritty machine. Based on the pictures I have seen, they are not suitable for scrubbing at all.

[Chris Desjardin]

They seem to be a lower cost alternative which is what I need. Can anyone help me to an online source for this?

[PsychFan]

Originally posted by Chris Desjardin
They seem to be a lower cost alternative which is what I need. Can anyone help me to an online source for this?

Red Trumpet (www.redtrumpet.com) just recently started carrying the Disc Doctor products. I happened to get mine from Music Direct (www.amusicdirect.com).

You can also go direct, at www.discdoc.com (don't think you can order from the Web site, but there's a phone no.).

I highly recommend the brushes and fluid. The results for me have been much better than a vacuum-powered machine by itself. For the cost of a couple of audiophile LPs, it's well worth it.

[Paul Chang]

Originally posted by Jeff Partyka


Red Trumpet (www.redtrumpet.com) just recently started carrying the Disc Doctor products (thought so, anyway, but I notice they're not on the Web site anymore -- ??). I happened to get mine from Music Direct (www.amusicdirect.com).

You can also go direct, at www.discdoc.com (don't think you can order from the Web site, but there's a phone no.).

I highly recommend the brushes and fluid. The results for me have been much better than a vacuum-powered machine by itself. For the cost of a couple of audiophile LPs, it's well worth it.
Try the Red Trumpet (my favorite mail order store) accessories page.
http://www.redtrumpet.com/accessories/