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Please suggest a simple way to clean records...

Mike Reed said:
With that amount of regular cleaning, Tabs, I'm surprised you haven't invested in a vacuum RCM. The Knosti is clearly good and superb v.f.m., but a vac. RCM offers far more cleaning techniques and ultimate efficiency. As the Knosti cleans both sides simultaneously, I'm not sure if the vac. machine would be quicker unless it's a two sider one. Having said that, the simple effect of the vacuum is to shorten the drying time by quite a factor, so it must be quicker as well as its other attributes.
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Depending on the state of the vinyl, I can clean a record and have it drying in about 3 mins a disc.
I wipe the first layer of dust off with a very damp cloth before using the Knotsi, as when cleaning 30-60 records there is no sense in adding visible static attracted dust to the solution bath.
I change the solution after about 60 records, depending on the state of them - mouldy records get washed under a tap before using the Knotsi - again there is no need to contaminate the solution if I have a big batch to clean.

I would buy a vac or sonic machine if I thought I needed one - but I get great results without. The physical aspect of the cleaning activity is good physiotherapy for my hands/wrists as my hands/wrists are damaged and need physio to keep the limited movement as good as possible.
 
Big Tabs said:
and have it drying in about 3 mins a disc.
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Drying of dried?
Big Tabs said:
The physical aspect of the cleaning activity is good physiotherapy for my hands/wrists as my hands/wrists are damaged and need physio to keep the limited movement as good as possible.
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I would venture to suggest that the spreading of the fluid and the subsequent scrub and further brushwork of a vac. RCM would give your wrists /hands more exercise, Tabs.
 
Knosti cleaning is quite therapeutic.

I cleaned two records last night to try out Big Tabs choice of fluid.

The Who 'Who's Next'
Quincy Jones 'Gula Matari'

The difference in vinyl thickness between them was quite something. Quincy being an original and The Who being a 'nice price' late seventies £3.99 release. I had to wear a glove to turn the Quincy LP between the brushes without it slipping.

I usually give it 20 half turns clockwise and 20 anti clockwise.
 
hockman said:
Don't knock record stores in Seattle. From what I know, there are plenty of good record stores, unlike London
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I had the same thought. There are some great record shops in London but they require travelling out of the centre of town. Slim pickings in the west end these days.
 
Mike Reed said:
Drying of dried?

I would venture to suggest that the spreading of the fluid and the subsequent scrub and further brushwork of a vac. RCM would give your wrists /hands more exercise, Tabs.
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The records I clean are ready to play in about an hour - none of the records that I clean are time-critical, so whether it dries in 5 minutes or 3 hours, it doesn’t really matter.

I used to clean records manually with a goat hair brush with the record sat on a sorbothane mat on a 13” Lazy Susan.
The physio from that process and the process you describe - spreading solution on a record and brushwork is not comparable to the effort required to use the Knotsi. So although I can see where you are coming from - the Knotsi provides me with far more physical exercise. It is the nature of the movement required for my Right wrist that is catered for by the Knotsi process. So in my case you are wrong.
 
Big Tabs said:
I would buy a vac or sonic machine if I thought I needed one - but I get great results without. The physical aspect of the cleaning activity is good physiotherapy for my hands/wrists as my hands/wrists are damaged and need physio to keep the limited movement as good as possible.
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I'm not sure something like a Project would hold up to that volume of cleaning anyway BT (depending on how often you're doing large batches) so you'd be in for a larger expense.
 
gavreid said:
I'm not sure something like a Project would hold up to that volume of cleaning anyway (depending on how often you're doing large batches) so you'd be in for a larger expense.
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We are selling more records in the Headway charity shop so I am cleaning a minimum of 50- 60 records a week.
7” Single sales are now picking up and they clean quickly in the Knotsi -
I have a large drying rack (a plate drawer out of an old dishwasher) so Drying space isn’t an issue.

If I was cleaning records and getting crud on the stylus after cleaning then I would alter my cleaning method. The records look and sound clean, so that is good enough for me.
 
Big Tabs said:
If I was cleaning records and getting crud on the stylus after cleaning then I would alter my cleaning method. The records look and sound clean, so that is good enough for me.
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It's a hi-fi forum so whatever is the topic of discussion you can be sure someone will pop up and tell you you're doing it wrong.

I'm with you - if the records sound better and there's no gunk on the stylus then it's obviously working.
 
paulfromcamden said:
It's a hi-fi forum so whatever is the topic of discussion you can be sure someone will pop up and tell you you're doing it wrong.

I'm with you - if the records sound better and there's no gunk on the stylus then it's obviously working.
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I would be interested in what force is stronger - centrifugal or vacuum when related to cleaning vinyl. past that though I have little interest now that I have a method that works for me.
The IPA solution journey was very useful as I tried a lot of different mixes, from almost 100% IPA to barely any - trying the biological clothes washing liquid changed all that - and I use the cheapest I could find, it just had to have a Biological action. Still on the same bottle after years of use!
 
I have randomly wondered how well jet washing them could work. Assuming you could support and protect adequately. Would using just water at high pressure damage them?
Now where did I put mine...?
 
awkwardbydesign said:
I have randomly wondered how well jet washing them could work. Assuming you could support and protect adequately. Would using just water at high pressure damage them?
Now where did I put mine...?
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First of all, I only bother to clean used records that look like they need to be cleaned. This becomes very apparent when the album is inspected under my halogen turntable light before it’s placed on my clean felt turntable mat.

Once I put the record label protector on the album, I like to run it under warm tap water for a bit on both sides before I start cleaning it with warm soapy water. It seems to make sense to pre-rinse the album first to minimize the amount of dirt and grit on the surface before attacking it with the soapy water and paint pad.
 
I watched the video, and every time the clicks appeared to be cyclical; ie. scratches! So that's why nothing seemed to work. If he had looked at them all under the microscope we might have learnt something. The label protector looks useful, I may buy one of those, but I'll stick with my Nitty Gritty for cleaning.
 
I got my Disco Antistat out today after reading this thread and cleaned a couple of purchases.. thought I’d show you what it can do @bec143

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after this lot -

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This is the colour of the cleaning fluid.

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and this is the gunk then filtered from that cleaning fluid -

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These are the record grooves afterwards.

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then thought I’d clean the stylus.

before -
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AT fluid brush -

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brush doing its thing.

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and after.

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