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LP Cleaning..the cheapest way, and it works

A 'micro sponge' is sold in places like Aldi (about £1..50 for four) and is claimed to absorb far more water, or liquid. It is just more absorbant and so should make getting the anti-static spray off the vinyl that much easier.
As for tapwater...never knew there were so many variations. Seems ok in East Sussex but then us soft southerners have no grit..etc etc. Maybe a big bottle of distilled (ironing) water would be safer.
But go on, for a few pennies and an old LP it is worth a punt. You might be surprised...I honestly suspect it is as effective as my Loricraft. And cheaper, and less noisy. But zero street cred.......if it doesn't cost a lot how can it be any good?
 
I use a couple of drops of Ecover washing-up liquid in a washing-up bowl of tap water, then just dunk the LPs before giving them a thorough scrubbing with an ancient ivory handled badger bristle nail brush, followed by rinsing under the tap and drying with a clean linen (not cotton or anything artificial) glass cloth, then leaving in a drying rack for half a day. Works a treat.
 
In all these references to submersion, sponging or dousing records with tap water, two things are omitted.

Tap water costs a pretty penny nowadays; rightly so as it's one of the most potable supplies in the world, and

No mention has been made of the effects to the label, as important to the collector as the vinyl and cover.

Using an RCM (with reasonable care) protects the label as well.
 
Mike Reed said:
In all these references to submersion, sponging or dousing records with tap water, two things are omitted.

Tap water costs a pretty penny nowadays; rightly so as it's one of the most potable supplies in the world, and

No mention has been made of the effects to the label, as important to the collector as the vinyl and cover.

Using an RCM (with reasonable care) protects the label as well.
Click to expand...

You need one of these or similar.

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5338728743&icep_item=150744474576
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
In Scotland our tap water is so clean you can drink it. And it's free.

Excess rain is good for something...
 
The 'Anti -Tap Water' brigade are mostly wrong.

Think about it. The impurities in tap water, are in the ..errm .. tap water.

So.. if you do not leave tap water to evaporate on your records, you will leave little or no residue.

Generally, I find most s/h records ok if just played and brushed with a decent anti-static brush.

Filthy records can be cleaned thuslywise:

Place a clean old newspaper on a flat surface.
Place record on newspaper.
Apply a sensible amount of water, mixed with Isopropyl Alcohol. (Proportions are not critical.. one is simply carrier for the other, but obviously economy counts. I go for about 10-15% IPA)
If you can't figure out a 'sensible amount', you are better not bothering.
Use a plain carbon fibre record brush to distribute the liquid around the grooves in a circular motion, until you get the 'feel' that you have 'worked' the solution well into the grooves.
Turn record over and repeat for other side.
Take the record to a COLD tap and rinse off, avoiding wetting the label.
Place the record carefully in a dish rack or otherwise support vertically. Leave for no more than a minute or so.
Most of the remaining tap water will migrate down the grooves and drain off the record.
Last traces can be removed by taking a Kleenex tissue (Other tissues are available) and folding it around both sides then running it around the disc until dry.
There will be very little trace of solid residues from tap water, and a lot less dust, grease and general crud.
Job done.

That will be £1:50p per record on an Honesty Box basis.

Thank You.

Mull
 
Give it up Mull, that's far too pragmatic and sensible.

Some people want to believe that you have to have a specific machine, specific fluids, and a specific method and you won't persuade them otherwise. That's fine, it's up to them. I'll stick with a bit of lukewarm water and a tiny splash of detergent, then rinsing and drying. Residues? No more than on my wine glasses that get the same treatment. But if other people want special techniques, same as the people who use special bike chain oil, special engine oil, one guy I know has fitted a special engine oil filter, that's fine.
 
Mullardman said:
The 'Anti -Tap Water' brigade are mostly wrong.

Think about it. The impurities in tap water, are in the ..errm .. tap water.

So.. if you do not leave tap water to evaporate on your records, you will leave little or no residue.

Generally, I find most s/h records ok if just played and brushed with a decent anti-static brush.

Filthy records can be cleaned thuslywise:

Place a clean old newspaper on a flat surface.
Place record on newspaper.
Apply a sensible amount of water, mixed with Isopropyl Alcohol. (Proportions are not critical.. one is simply carrier for the other, but obviously economy counts. I go for about 10-15% IPA)
If you can't figure out a 'sensible amount', you are better not bothering.
Use a plain carbon fibre record brush to distribute the liquid around the grooves in a circular motion, until you get the 'feel' that you have 'worked' the solution well into the grooves.
Turn record over and repeat for other side.
Take the record to a COLD tap and rinse off, avoiding wetting the label.
Place the record carefully in a dish rack or otherwise support vertically. Leave for no more than a minute or so.
Most of the remaining tap water will migrate down the grooves and drain off the record.
Last traces can be removed by taking a Kleenex tissue (Other tissues are available) and folding it around both sides then running it around the disc until dry.
There will be very little trace of solid residues from tap water, and a lot less dust, grease and general crud.
Job done.

That will be £1:50p per record on an Honesty Box basis.

Thank You.

Mull
Click to expand...


I don't believe it - have you looked at your 'cleaned records' under a microscope?

I used to make tea with mineral water (it tasted a lot better) and after 6 months there was no scale caked to the inside of the kettle. If tap water leaves so much scale on the sides of a kettle it is likely to do the same to a record groove left to dry without even being vacuumed off.

mat
 
mmaatt said:
I don't believe it - have you looked at your 'cleaned records' under a microscope?

I used to make tea with mineral water (it tasted a lot better) and after 6 months there was no scale caked to the inside of the kettle. If tap water leaves so much scale on the sides of a kettle it is likely to do the same to a record groove left to dry without even being vacuumed off.

mat
Click to expand...

Well said, And add to this the antistatic gunge. The problem is that this deterioration willl not be noticed by those with a system that resolves the information from the groove insufficiently.
 
so what if there is microscopic residue? pretty sure the grooves are more dense than the invisible goo...
 
eguth said:
Well said, And add to this the antistatic gunge. The problem is that this deterioration willl not be noticed by those with a system that resolves the information from the groove insufficiently.
Click to expand...

This is very true - with a perfectly clean line stylus any imperfections in groove reading will become apparent; not so with a caked stylus or spherical tip.

PS following our previous discussion I now rinse off the l'art du son with purified water to great effect after stylus cleaning. The difference is visible under the eyepiece.

mat
 
Mr Pig said:
Please visit. Just don't stay! ;0) It's already hard to find a Scottish guest-house that's run by Scots!
Click to expand...

If I do get the chance to visit I will try and find a Scottish guest house! (and drink water from a mountain spring)

mat
 
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