LP LAUNDRY

[porcy62]

How do you clean your Lps?

[couw]

if I'm in a hurry - when an LP will not play decently or when there is goo on it, I just do it with the dishes. That gets rid of the big dirt. If I want it really clean, for recording onto CDr for instance, I bring it to my local 2nd hand shop. The guy has a professional cleanin' machine.

[Claude]

I have a Kabusa EV-1 record cleaning machine, which is based on the Nitty Gritty Basic, but is much cheaper because it has no built in vacuum system. You have to connect a regular vacuum cleaner. (www.kabusa.com)

There is also a miraculous and cheap cleaning method which uses a microfibre (?) cleaning towel, and a solution based on 30% alcohol and 70% distilled water.

It is decribed here, but in german:

http://www.vinyl-lebt.de/home-vl1024/CheapThrill.htm

I now combine the two methods.

The trick is to get the cleaning solution together with the dirt completely out of the grooves, so it will not dry and stay. This does not work by simply rinsing the records with tap water. Both methods mentionned above achieve this goal by different means: vacuum and microfibres.

[Sundog]

VPI: HW-16.5

[patricia]

I'm afraid that I'm low-tech and use the dreaded very hot, running tap water, getting the gunk off my discs, lay them out on a lint-free dishtowel and pat them dry with a paper towel. I then stand them on their edges, til they're completely dry. Seems to work quite well.

[Brandon Burke]

There is also a miraculous and cheap cleaning method which uses a microfibre (?) cleaning towel, and a solution based on 30% alcohol and 70% distilled water.

It is decribed here, but in german:

http://www.vinyl-lebt.de/home-vl1024/CheapThrill.htm

The use of any alchohol whatsoever has been a hot topic on the Assoc for Recorded Sound Collections listserv for years. Many people are against the practice as it can be potentially harmful to PVC (the primary component in vinyl records).

[Claude]

I've heard this, but as far as I know it is a small minority of collectors that believes alcohol to be harmful to vinyl. It is true that alcohol must absolutely be avoided when cleaning pre-1950 records (I have forgotten the english name of the material, germans call it "schellack")

Most cleaning machines come with a fluid that contains alcohol. It must be high quality pure isopropyl alcohol of course.

[Brandon Burke]

Here's a link to the ARSClist archives. I included both a link to December 2003 (a particularly busy one for cleaning solution talk) and the general page.

ARSClist archives (December 2003)

ARSClist archive index

[patricia]

I tend to be a little wary of any cleaning agent, or cleaning machine, that may change the makeup of the older discs I have. I can't be sure what they were made of and how a chemical could possibly change the vinyl itself, for the worse. Once that happens, the disc would be wrecked.

My whole reason for cleaning them is to simply get the gunk off them, some of it visible, some of it not. Usually it's just common dust, which seems to respond to my clear hot water method, as well as does any actual chunks of unidentifiable material. I' m not concerned with sterilizing them. My whole reason for cleaning them is to be able to play them. Period.

I'm not slamming machines, or cleaning solutions, but I'm not concerned with getting every single thing off the disc, just that they are clean enough to play.

Edited February 3, 2004 by patricia

[porcy62]

Here's a link to the ARSClist archives. I included both a link to December 2003 (a particularly busy one for cleaning solution talk) and the general page.

ARSClist archives (December 2003)

ARSClist archive index

Thanks.

BTW I found this useful link http://www.loc.gov/preserv/care/record.html

[shrugs]

mention of tap water and the dishwasher are enough to make one cringe!!!

[desertblues]

mention of tap water and the dishwasher are enough to make one cringe!!!

You said it!!! Dishwasher-what about the labels fer crissakes? Geez...

[Brandon Burke]

mention of tap water and the dishwasher are enough to make one cringe!!!

You'd be surprised how many people use this method. I'm certainly not endorsing it but I should point out that most folks don't simply dunk records in dishwater like it were a plate. For better or worse, they usually bother to keep water off of the label. Either way......

[patricia]

Relax guys. Hot water, even if it touches the labels, doesn't hurt them. I'm not soaking them in the sink and I'd rather be shot in the eye than use any kind of detergent on them. No problems, so far.

[shrugs]

I'm not talking about the labels. I know water won't hurt most labels(one OJC pressing did turn pink after a DISTILLED WATER rinse).

Keep using the methods you prefer and I'll keep using the ones that are preferred by many of the vinyl collectors I have communicated with.

[patricia]

I'm not talking about the labels. I know water won't hurt most labels(one OJC pressing did turn pink after a DISTILLED WATER rinse).

Keep using the methods you prefer and I'll keep using the ones that are preferred by many of the vinyl collectors I have communicated with.

I was referring to desertblues concern about the labels. It takes a lot more than hot water to do anything negative to the label. They're on for the duration and the water doesn't affect the printing on them either. Of course, I don't soak the record in the sink. I don't know what that would do, or who would do that.

As you say, whatever works share your method.

[clifford_thornton]

...most folks don't simply dunk records in dishwater like it were a plate.

Wait, didn't I see you do that to the Curtis Fuller LP you just sold?

[patricia]

...most folks don't simply dunk records in dishwater like it were a plate.

Wait, didn't I see you do that to the Curtis Fuller LP you just sold?

Everybody knows that our walls have eyes.

[street singer]

Keep using the methods you prefer and I'll keep using the ones that are preferred by many of the vinyl collectors I have communicated with.

shrugs,

If you would, please elaborate on the methods you referred to in your previous post.

[Brandon Burke]

...most folks don't simply dunk records in dishwater like it were a plate.

Wait, didn't I see you do that to the Curtis Fuller LP you just sold?

No, that was my Curtis Fuller Vol. 3 collecters plate.

[Tom in RI]

Oh I have long lusted for a VPI. In the meantine, like Couw, I use the one at my locla used shop. For minor stuff I've been happy with Last solution and a microfibrebrush, available from Cadence. I also use Lemon Pledge on covers where needed.