The art of cleaning a record. What do you use, special techniques, etc.?

It played fine for me.

 

I have the same set. Disc 2 is almost flat (it has an extremely mild warp that I didn't notice until your email caused me to look carefully at it).

 

don't really have anything new to add to this thread but does anyone have any experience removing sticky glue type residue off records? One of the discs of an album i bought recently (boris/sunn0))) - altar) had some sticky residue on it. I got some of it off with some tape but there still is some in the grooves. Would using some wd 40 sparingly be ok? I was thinking of applying it to the problem areas with a cotton swab then quickly wash it off and vacuum on my nittygritty.

 

Desperate times call for desperate measures, I have a bottle of "last resort" fluid that has lighter fluid and "goo gone" with 99% alcohol, it will get rid of a LOT of stuff nothing else will including glue on records.

 

I would try undiluted Glass Plus, and if that doesn't work I'd let it marinate in Goo Gone for a few minutes. In either case, rinse thoroughly after use.

 

I'll say it once, I'll say it a thousand times...I let the stylus clean the record.

 

You mean you let the stylus destroy the record?

 

And vice versa.

 

If I use alcohol, what do you recommend applying it with?

 

And he wants to put a heavy rubber mat on a belt drive turntable. Maybe his posts need some kind of disclaimer...

 

Don't use alcohol, either!!!

 

There's some truth to that, but we're talking about different kinds of dirt. Dust can be swept aside by the stylus (until it accumulates there), but the ground in dirt, mold, etc. will not. You need to clean your records to get that off.

 

Dust can also accumulate on the tip of the stylus and form a big ball, where it can cause the needle to lose contact with the groove completely and then the tonearm goes sliding across the record...

 

I never had that happen, and I never said to put a rubber mat on a belt drive turntable. I just said Technics mats are good.

Thank you.

 

Ok, no problem.

 

Hence the caveat: "until it accumulates there".

 

Ok.

 

The thread was someone who was looking for a new mat for a belt-drive 'table. You said Technics mats were top notch. How is the original poster supposed to know you were just making random comments about platter mats?

Now, if you had actually used a Technics on a belt-drive 'table and had good results, then your post might have been relevant. But you gave three bad pieces of audio advice in a row. Do you see the problem?

 

Whatever. Thanks.

 

Tommy Tunes or someone that has tried both MF & Nitty Gritty
What is your opinion of the Nitty Gritty inner sleeves?
NITTY GRITTY/RECORD INNER SLEEVES (100/PACK)

Nitty Gritty Paper-Over-Poly Inner Sleeves are used by Classic Records

The Nitty Gritty Inner Sleeves are the ones used by Classic Records. They are preferred by some, due to the thickness of the outer paper wrap covering the inner ploy-lined sleeve. They are eay to slide in and out of all your LP jackets. You can easily read the label through the poly lined cut-out. A very high quality sleeve!

 

I use the manual Nitty Gritty and their Pure 2 cleaner. Every record gets a cleaning before it's first play.

After that I use a carbon fiber brush, play it, then brush it again in case the stylus pulled up anything from the depths.

Then I pretty much just use the brush prior to subsequent plays.

So, for 2,500 bucks Loricraft gives you this ultra high end drain receptacle?

 

I guess it's what is inside the Loricraft box that matters...

 

I don't know if the discussion on letting the stylus clean the record was serious or not, but just in case it was I feel I'd better chime in. NOT A GOOD IDEA.

A couple of specks of dust on the surface of the record might not hurt anything, but I inspect the surface first and clean off EACH AND EVERY SPECK OF DUST ON THE SURFACE. I do that because, after collecting and listening to vinyl records on and off since 1971, I've learned what dust does. It causes that intolerable crackle that can never be cleaned away once it's set in the grooves.

Many people will worry about what cleaner residues might do to a record. I do not worry about that nearly as much as I do about what the dust will do. I've read the (permanent) crackle is the result of one of two processes: either the dust creates a microscopic shock/pressure crack in the vinyl when the stylus hits it (imagine the wheel of your car hitting a nice big stone at freeway speed) OR the stylus 'flash fries' it to the side of the groove wall when it passes by heated by the friction of playing. Either of those processes, or both, make worries about cleaner residues diminish in importance vis-a-vis dust.

I'm cleaning my records. Period.

Dale

 

I use the diluted dish soap method. As I can't see ever using a brush to clean a record twice. Once a brush has been used on a dirty record, I do not want that brush to ever touch another of my records, it is history.

Also when I have the record under the tap and mild soap being squeezed through the grooves in same direction of cut, sometimes I can feel with my fingers a little particle of grime that needs my finger nail to dig it out. I will dig in the direction that the grooves are cut, and then it gives way. I can't imagine any brush would ever be able to scrape out those rare little chunks I sometimes find.

The records come of exceptionally clean and never require a second cleaning. I don't understand any product that requires a second try. If you took your car to be washed and it came out not quite clean, then would you just take it to be cleaned again? No, you would never go back to that place again. I am the same way with records, once I do the deep water pressure cleaning and clean cloth drying, they are played and then put into rice paper inner sleeves, and will never need to be cleaned again in my lifetime.

My LPs come out with no water spots, no cloth micro scratches, no signs of being handled at all. They look like they were never cleaned or handled. The stylus does not get any buildup of anything, and the records track clean as can be, like a new record right off the press.

The Palmolive dish soap is .99 at the "99c Only Store", I use the original green formula. I take a bottle with 1/5 left in it and fill the remainder with spring bottled water, shake well and let it sit for an hour or so. This diluted dish soap will rinse off easier that full strength soap would.

There are a few things I do to make sure everything is well. I leave the water running for a few minutes before I put a record under it, so that the water is cleaner. I use a terry cloth towel that absorbs water well. I use a very soft towel. I wash my hands well before handling the LP and soap under the faucet.

There are some labels that do not take to running water and can bubble slightly (Old RCA, Columbia six-eye). Other labels can take the water and dry flawlessly (Capitol, Apple, RCA Dynaflex, MCA, Impulse, Fantasy, etc.). For the labels that do not do well with water, I tend to either keep the water off them, or dry them very quickly with a pat dry. If it is a rare record, only dusty (not real grime), delicate label, I will forgo the soap, and just give it running water (blasting cold straight into grooves), and a very fast dry. This lifts the dust out and requires less rinse due to no soap used.

I've sold 2,500 LPs on ebay and never had a customer complain or comment negatively about an LP or condition of label. I've been doing the cleaning this way for 26 years now.

There are other things to be concerned about. Once I flipped the LP over and the faucet caught the edge of the LP side putting a little scratch on the first song. Not bad and did not effect the sound, but still visible. Also did a MONO Blonde on Blonde (six-eye, flat red label), I did not pat dry the label but wiped the water off the label. It took some of the color from the label and left white spots. The record sounded horrible anyway, no loss there. But I have learned which labels need special care. Columbia 60s flat red "matte" finish are delicate. They handle water fine, but during the drying can fade to pink easily.

Other records like MFSL, Japanese pressings, Direct to Disc, and stuff like that I never clean this way. I do not buy those records unless they are Near Mint and clean to begin with. Who wants to screw around with a dirty copy of "Waiting for Columbus" anyway.

But for an old NM- James Brown - Mother Popcorn on King that you found in the dusty thrifts, my cleaning method can bring out spectacular sounding music. Would you want this dirty gritty R & B record cleaned with the same brush that you will later use to clean a DCC Aqualung? I don't think so.

 

The problem with any brush that is used while the record is spinning on the turntable is - besides the brush being contaminated once it is used the first time, when you flip the LP over, the mat that just had the dirty LP side on it, is now touching the side of the record you just cleaned.

It is a good idea to have two or three mats on hand. One for the uncleaned records, one for clean records, and a super clean one for those rare $100+ LPs that need to go back into their sleeves with not any dust on them.

Many folks do not think about running their rubber mats under the water for a few minutes every week or so. This will help keep the records clean and dust free.