LP cleaning advice?

[Bol]

Hi everyone.  I have some LP's that look very clean but are a bit noisy when played -- no skips or loud noises but just constant little static.  I don't have a cleaning machine, and I have not found a record shop here in London that cleans records for fee.  I've read somewhere that one can clean records with a sponge dipped in warm water.  I was wondering whether this is advisable, and it can be done without damaging vinyl.  Thanks in advance for your advice.

[Dmitry]

How many albums do you have? If you buy used records, I'd absolutely spring for a record cleaning machine. The difference pre and post-cleaning will be drastic. Loricraft is made in England, and is an excellent choice. I've had mine for 20 years now...reliable with a capital R.

[Rabshakeh]

18 minutes ago, Bol said:

Hi everyone.  I have some LP's that look very clean but are a bit noisy when played -- no skips or loud noises but just constant little static.  I don't have a cleaning machine, and I have not found a record shop here in London that cleans records for fee.  I've read somewhere that one can clean records with a sponge dipped in warm water.  I was wondering whether this is advisable, and it can be done without damaging vinyl.  Thanks in advance for your advice.

After some good advice from this forum, I've been using this brush:

Velvet Vinyl Cleaning Brush by SPINCARE | 2-in-1 Anti Static Record Cleaner Kit Includes Stylus Brush | Remove Dust Dirt & Debris from Your Favourite LPs https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01AKAHF52/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_7J5FF3YXB0APR38HMZFH?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Normally I do it once with cleaning product and then a second time with deionised water, which is cheap and available and which I'm advised is the best way to cut static. 

[Bol]

Thanks.  I think I have about 150 LP's.  My collection has grown quite a bit during the pandemic, after being pretty constant in size for many years.  

Loricraft looks fabulous!  But it is a bit too much for me.  Perhaps the next time I get an outside job offer!  Something to aspire to, for sure.

I will look further into Spincare.  Thanks a lot, folks.

Edited January 20, 2022 by Bol

[Dmitry]

Loricraft is one of the best, is quiet, reliable, very effective. There are others, much less expensive, probably quite decent, but I swear by my Loricraft.. If you can't swing it at the moment. look into the record vacuum attachments for a wet/dry utility vacuum cleaner. This Vinyl Vac 33 seems like a decent budget solution. If you find an old turntable, you can dedicate it to just using for cleaning records with that.

https://www.amazon.com/Vinyl-Vac-33-Cleaning-Attaches/dp/B014X2SXY0

 

[Rabshakeh]

1 hour ago, Bol said:

 I don't have a cleaning machine, and I have not found a record shop here in London that cleans records for fee.  

Is this a thing elsewhere? I'm picturing hairnets.

Edited January 20, 2022 by Rabshakeh

[Bol]

When I was in Austin, TX, there were a couple of used record stores that cleaned records for $1 each.  

[Brad]

It all depends on how much you want to spend. I have a Nitty Gritty Vacuum Cleaner but it’s not inexpensive.  I used to have a Studebaker and it did a nice job and it was only around $40. In the same vein is a Spin Clean but it’s a bit more expensive.  In my opinion a wet clean is best but you can buy ones that just do a dry clean.

If you look on Hoffmann you can find a lot of suggestions. 

Here’s a thread from a couple of years ago on cleaning records.

 

[Daniel A]

This is a good budget alternative that has served me well:

https://www.amazon.com/Spin-Clean-Record-Washer-MKII-Complete/dp/B002UKSZUU

[Pim]

This one’s a classic and it works fantastic! 
 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Knosti-1300001-DISCO-ANTISTAT-RECORD-CLEANER-Black/dp/B000BFXIVW/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=WF1UGIFPZXGB&keywords=knosti+disco+antistat&qid=1642744871&sprefix=knosti%2Caps%2C78&sr=8-3

I definitely would not try to clean them with a sponge or something like that. They make scratches. Big scratches!

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Static doesn't always clean up. I've had mint, almost unplayed original Van Gelder CTI LPs that play back with static. Sometimes, it's just there.

I use a Discwasher brush, as I have for many decades. For a particularly dirty/dusty record, I'll apply the Discwasher fluid and even drip some onto a particularly dirty smudge. Over the years, I've become a lot less dainty with my old records. Lightly rubbing a thumbnail over a dried chunk of stuff often works better than a brush and normally removes that junk with no audible residue. Record might look worse after, but who cares. I figure the only one who cares will be whoever gets that record after I'm gone.

[Dmitry]

I've tried it every which way, and concluded that some type of wet vacuum is essential. Otherwise whatever dirt is in the grooves, will stay there;  some will lift off and wash off when rinsed, and some will remain where it was due to liquid tension and other causes. Also, the bristles on any brush in the world are much wider than the grooves of a 33 or 45 rpm records. We may use the brush to force the liquid into the grooves, but without the vacuum, the cleaning will not be nearly as effective as it would've been, had you used the vacuum. 

[sidewinder]

Had bad experiences with that ‘Disco Anti-Stat’. Left gooey residue that required constant stylus cleaning and caused outer perimeter damage to record labels. RCMs are my preference - much better but at cost.

Edited January 21, 2022 by sidewinder

[Pim]

5 hours ago, sidewinder said:

Had bad experiences with that ‘Disco Anti-Stat’. Left gooey residue that required constant stylus cleaning and caused outer perimeter damage to record labels. RCMs are my preference - much better but at cost.

The solution is crap indeed. I create my own with distilled water, alcohol and a drop of Dreft dish washing fluid. The machine works perfect.

Edited January 21, 2022 by Pim

[Royal Oak]

On 21/01/2022 at 7:08 PM, Pim said:

The solution is crap indeed. I create my own with distilled water, alcohol and a drop of Dreft dish washing fluid. The machine works perfect.

I like the Disco-Antistat too. I've had it over 10 years now, been worth every penny and more. I must have cleaned 1000 LPs with it

Edited February 3, 2022 by rdavenport