porcy62 Posted March 4, 2005 Report Posted March 4, 2005 (edited) Since I started to buy used vinyls some years ago I was obsessed with cleaning. A part washing machines I tried every audiophile product on the market, with different results from poor to discreet. A couple of week ago I met an italian collector, he showed me his way. Well, I couldn't believe to my ears and eyes! With a sponge and soap for dish he resurrected an old lp of King Crimson I considered dead, after countless cleaning with all the esoteric stuff I bought. His method: Rinse the record on both side with tap water, put some soap for dish on the sponge, clean the record with circular movements on both directions. Rinse very well both side of the record. Dry the recor with a used towel, don't rub the label, it will dry during the last phase. Then play the record on both side, the stylus will remove the residue in the grove. The miracle happened at the second listening: unbeliveble! The record sounds almost perfect and the label looks perfect too. I imagine that some of you already use this method with most of the records, I mean I will not guaranteed that will work with shellac or old 78, but it works great with 33, and maybe with some labels you could loose some brightness and color. Anyway I wish to part it with all vinyl heads on the board. I think I will work a lot as dish washer in the next few days. Edited March 4, 2005 by porcy62 Quote
David Ayers Posted March 4, 2005 Report Posted March 4, 2005 I've heard this before... but I've never dared to try it! Quote
Daniel A Posted March 4, 2005 Report Posted March 4, 2005 Just to check out this revolutionary theory, I'm going to go right into the living room and get that Dave McKenna LP I've never cared for anyway and give it the full sponge treatment. Quote
Clunky Posted March 4, 2005 Report Posted March 4, 2005 this is more or less what I've been doing except using very small quantities of washing up liquid in the wash and then a splash of photographic "wetting agent" on the rinse cycle Quote
Bill Fenohr Posted March 4, 2005 Report Posted March 4, 2005 I use this method on used lp's also, but i use a brush made for combing a babys hair. It seems to be stiff enough to dislodge little particles of gunk in the grooves without scratching the vinyl. After cleaning, i used to give the record a spin on a old turntable at 78 rpm to get the deposits picked up. Now, i have a Nitty Gritty machine, so i just vac them dry. No cleaning system is going to take care of scratchs, but this method will do away with pops caused by particles of whatever being lodged in the grooves. Quote
AllenLowe Posted March 4, 2005 Report Posted March 4, 2005 I used to use distilled water, dish detergent, and a t-shirt - best thing now is the VPI cleaning machine. Does an incredible job - Quote
David Ayers Posted March 4, 2005 Report Posted March 4, 2005 I've also discovered that spittle rarely works well. Especially if you happen to be chewing gum when you apply it. Quote
porcy62 Posted March 4, 2005 Author Report Posted March 4, 2005 I used to use distilled water, dish detergent, and a t-shirt - best thing now is the VPI cleaning machine. Does an incredible job - Do you use any particular cleaning solution with the VPI? Quote
AllenLowe Posted March 4, 2005 Report Posted March 4, 2005 I use the solution that came with the machine - I bought this from Mark at North Country Audio - as for t-shirts, best to use a greasy, sweaty one in August - Quote
Michael Fitzgerald Posted March 4, 2005 Report Posted March 4, 2005 Doesn't Cadence sell t-shirts for such a purpose - or will the Cadence socks work? Mike Quote
AllenLowe Posted March 4, 2005 Report Posted March 4, 2005 actually, send them enough money and Bob Rusch will come to your house and clean 'em for you - Quote
JSngry Posted March 4, 2005 Report Posted March 4, 2005 ...will the Cadence socks work? Yes, and they work even better if you have them on while you clean the record. Quote
MartyJazz Posted March 4, 2005 Report Posted March 4, 2005 I used to use distilled water, dish detergent, and a t-shirt - best thing now is the VPI cleaning machine. Does an incredible job - I agree. I've had the VPI for 20 years now. Love it! Quote
RDK Posted March 4, 2005 Report Posted March 4, 2005 I suggest trying any new record cleaning methods on old Kenny G albums first. Just in case... Quote
Michael Fitzgerald Posted March 4, 2005 Report Posted March 4, 2005 Wait - doesn't this require PLAYING said albums post-cleaning? Mike Quote
porcy62 Posted March 4, 2005 Author Report Posted March 4, 2005 Yes, and they work even better if you have them on while you clean the record. Traditional method, simply put on the socks and subsitute the grapes with records. Quote
porcy62 Posted March 4, 2005 Author Report Posted March 4, 2005 I suggest trying any new record cleaning methods on old Kenny G albums first. Just in case... I haven't any Kenny G records, probably VPI's bought all of them for their tests Quote
RDK Posted March 4, 2005 Report Posted March 4, 2005 Actually (not that I really care), but were any Kenny G albums ever available on vinyl? Or is he a CD-only kinda guy? Quote
Michael Fitzgerald Posted March 4, 2005 Report Posted March 4, 2005 Of course - just about anything between 1955 and 1985 or thereabouts was available on vinyl. The G-ster's first five albums definitely were. I think the first CD-only album by the dreaded one was "Live" (more accurately "undead" perhaps) from 1989. Mike Quote
Tom in RI Posted March 4, 2005 Report Posted March 4, 2005 My favorite record shop in Providence (Round Again Records) sells a little unit that clamps over the record label with a waterproof gasket along the edge to keep the record label dry while cleaning in the fashion described here. Quote
patricia Posted March 4, 2005 Report Posted March 4, 2005 (edited) Wait - doesn't this require PLAYING said albums post-cleaning? Mike At least at 78RPM, the sound of the G-ster would amuse, rather than annoy. A long time vinyl fiend friend of mine says not to use any kind of soap because it leaves a film, no matter how much it's rinsed. He uses hot tap water, laying the disc on a dish towel afterwards and blotting off the excess water. He then puts the record on it's edge in a plastic dishrack and lets it dry. But, the baby brush suggestion sounds like a winner. Edited March 4, 2005 by patricia Quote
RDK Posted March 4, 2005 Report Posted March 4, 2005 Of course - just about anything between 1955 and 1985 or thereabouts was available on vinyl. The G-ster's first five albums definitely were. I think the first CD-only album by the dreaded one was "Live" (more accurately "undead" perhaps) from 1989. Mike Dammit, Mike, you made me do something I never thought I'd have to do: look up Kenny G on AMG. I didn't realize that his career went back so far (his first album in 1982). For some reason I thought him a 90's phenomenon, which is why I wasn't sure if he hit the tail end of the "LP age." Hmmm. Duotones and Miracles both get 4 1/2 stars... Quote
Michael Fitzgerald Posted March 4, 2005 Report Posted March 4, 2005 That's OK - I checked it on gemm.com. Fortunately, they don't have the kind of website that will tailor recommendations based on what you've looked up. Mike Quote
_forumlogo.png.a607ef20a6e0c299ab2aa6443aa1f32e.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.