Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?

Subject: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: Kudzuman
Date: 04 Feb 03 - 12:07 PM

Since the advent of CD's finding such stuff as DiscWasher fluid is nigh impossible (especially in the boonies). Any know of a safe solution to clean albums before playing. I'm not talking nasty grunge here, just the basic get rid of dust and the occassional stray fingerprint. My last bit of Discwasher fluid is about gone. I bought a quart years ago and it has lasted well but it's almost gone. Thanks in advance!

Kudzuman

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: Jim Colbert
Date: 04 Feb 03 - 12:31 PM

Check the web site...

http://www.discwasher.com/home/index.asp

While it's designed to lead you to your local dealer, I'm sure the smaller specialty stereo stores would do mail order. Another good place to check would be Goldmine magazine, the record collector's periodical. A lot of the advertisers have vinyl-related products, ie rice paper sleeves, cleaners, etc.

jim

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: Larkin
Date: 04 Feb 03 - 12:34 PM

my son's a Dj and swears by isopropyl alcohol. Mind you he play Drum n'Bass so it probably helps!!

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: rangeroger
Date: 04 Feb 03 - 12:36 PM

I've been using isoprpyl alcohol and my Discwasher brush, but it is not the best due to the volitility.Breaks down the vinyl.

A Google search turned up 633 hits for DiscWasher fluid,so it is still available via the internet.

rr

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 04 Feb 03 - 01:02 PM

To clean old LPs found at the Sally Ann and junk shops, I use weak Ivory dishwasher soap and a soft sponge on the LP, quickly flushed with water, then flushed with distilled water from a spray bottle and dried with a clean pre-washed chamois. Works well!
Get as little water on the center label as possible and blot immediately. All the labels on lps that I have found have a pretty good finish and I haven't got any discoloration or lifting.

Keep the lp in a clean sleeve. Before I play one, I track an artist's soft brush, dampened slightly with distilled water from a spray bottle, across the grooves as the turntable goes around. Only takes about 20 seconds.

My daughter has those eraser-like pads that they sold in record stores long ago, which she uses after lightly spraying the LP with distilled water, but my brush with distilled water does a better job, just as quickly.

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: Cluin
Date: 04 Feb 03 - 02:49 PM

I think Radio Shack still carries this stuff (both solution and brush). It did last time I was in the store anyway. Could try their website: www.radioshack.com and do a product search there.

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: Kudzuman
Date: 04 Feb 03 - 03:08 PM

Thanks to all!

Kudzuman

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 04 Feb 03 - 03:19 PM

I think the solution is a waste of money. What is it made with?
Isopropyl alcohol not only breaks down vinyl with over use, but as it evaporates it leaves a deposit from impurities.

Paint spatters. Tried olive oil. Over about two weeks, the paint specks softened enough to be lifted off. Then washed with Ivory and finally distilled water. Other cooking oils may work. Probably will not work with all paints, but worth a try if the record is a rare one.

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: nutty
Date: 04 Feb 03 - 05:22 PM

I use one of those cleaning cloths that you can buy at the opticians for cleaning glasses (spectacles)

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 04 Feb 03 - 06:26 PM

Don't mean to be overly simplistic, but I've washed albums and 45 rpms with plain old dish soap and warm water. It has done a remarkable job on salvaging almost unlistenable records, and I've never had a problem with it. Of course, how much could they charge for dish soap and hot water?

Jerry

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 04 Feb 03 - 10:19 PM

I'm with you, Jerry. I rinse mine with water, give them a good shaking, then make a tape right away, letting the needle run right through the remaining water.   Works fine.

From now on I intend to add a little detergent to the water, then rinse well.

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 04 Feb 03 - 10:53 PM

Jerry and Leeana, if you follow the wash with a spray of distilled water (about a dollar a gallon), trace minerals in the water and soap are removed. May not sound any better, but the records are squeeky clean. I always dry before playing- afraid of water affecting the pickup and turntable.
I am amazed at the number of good condition LPs that I have found. Of course, the pop material by Beetles, etc., on 45s and LPs has always been played to near extinction.

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 12:40 AM

Q--This seems the only way to get some of these recordings if record companies won't transfer them to CD's for rerelease. I need to find a set of the McCurdy albums, and will start with the Half Price Book and Record stores in my area. I'll look locally before I start trying the Ebay route.

I plead guilty to using a very soft nappy cloth (velour) and isopropyl alcohol. The fabric, without lint itself, picks up every speck (it's what was used in a lot of the kits). But I'll try the dish detergent next time. Do you wash your albums every time before you play them, or do you just dust them off for a couple of plays before washing again?

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 12:55 AM

the company below advertises a device that operates sorta like
the laser in CD player....you attach the relatively small battery
powered device [it uses a single AAA cell] to the ARM and as the record spins...it translates the imbedded imformation in the grooves to electonic impulses....

you can find out more at [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 12:58 AM

No, I think the one wash is sufficient for quite a while. I try to have clean hands when I handle the records after that, and use the slightly damp brush along the tracks each time I play them. If I see a fingerprint along the edge, I use a soft cloth, like you, but with a touch of soapy water. I have a friend who uses curator's gloves, but I tell myself that that is going a bit far. He has some pretty rare stuff, though.
Haven't had much luck finding McCurdy and similar material outside of LP dealers, but I have had good luck with classical which I also collect. Ballads wern't sold in any quantity except for the very popular ones like Limelighters, etc. Can't recommend any dealers, I haven't gone into it that deeply yet.

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: Mudlark
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 01:15 AM

I've never gone so far as to use gloves but I am VERY careful of fingerprints, always holding record by edge between palms, etc. Doesn't happen much now, in the age of tape and CD, but it used to drive me crazy to see people, in person, or in a movie, holding a record as you would a frizbie. I've never let anybody tourch my records!

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 01:40 AM

In this day of concrete slabs (in contrast to the houses with basements where I grew up) my kids are puzzled when I try to tell them that we couldn't thump around the house when a record was playing or a cake was baking. But they do know they're not to touch the records without direct supervision!

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: mooman
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 04:38 AM

Yes...I'm with Jerry on this!

A little liquid dish soap and tepid previously-boiled water works perfectly with a rinse down afterwards with some fresh tepid boiled water. I have revived dozens of vinyl LPs with these cheap ingredients.

And if you use Fairy Liquid you can go on and on and....

moo

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 07:25 AM

"May not sound any better, but the records are squeeky clean"

I have to admit I've never noticed whether records are dirty or clean. Apart from sticky stuff such as jam which catches in the needle, in which case I'd wipe 'em off with a soft soapy cloth and dry them.

I don't think I've got high fidelity ears. But I think I'll probably try to have a clean-up now I've read this. Jerry Rasmusson's approach sounds the most likely way.

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 06:28 PM

Moving forward a few decades, how do you clean your CDs? Aside from a quick rub on a clean leg of your jeans? I've read some pretty bizarre approaches to cleaning them. I myself have simply washed them in warm water and a very mild soap, then patted them dry on a clean low-lint dish towel. I don't put them in to play or burn right away, but let them air dry a little longer.

I started this when some years ago I opened a brand new Sony recordable CD and kept getting error messages when I tried to write to it. I took it out and looked and found a kind of microthin mold coating the disk, and it didn't take a lot of figuring to see that they centered from fingerprints from whomever packaged these at the Sony plant. I opened others from the box (these were sealed in jewel cases) and they had the same configuration of fingerprints and mold. I washed them and they came completely clean. More recently I found one that had apparently been growing the mold for a lot longer, and when I washed it there was still a mark, or stain, on the CD, though it seemed to register fine when I put it in to write to it. I later decided to toss that one, afraid the marks might make it more easily corruptible. Now I buy the spools of CDs because I figure they got there through mechanical means and weren't touched by individuals.

Any thoughts or solutions?

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: Cluin
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 06:33 PM

For CDs: lens cleaner for glasses or cameras. I always handle mine by the edge and keep them in the jewel cases when not in use. I cringe to watch how some people treat their "indestructable" CDs.

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: NicoleC
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 07:24 PM

Isopropyl alcohol comes in several forms. Don't use rubbing alcohol; it's only about 70% pure. For plastic/vinyl/rubber applications, be sure it's labelled "99.953% pure" or "anhydrous." Also best for cassette or RTR rollers and tape heads, disk drives, etc.; recording studios buy it by the gallon.   Available at electronics supply shops and medical supply places, and at some pharmacies. Not cheap, but also not destructive. I'm guessing it would work great on CDs, too.

(And don't let it skin on your skin; it's not good for you -- use an applicator.)

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: Gurney
Date: 06 Feb 03 - 04:54 AM

A soundman once told me that after cleaning the LP, I should record it to tape with the stylus running in isopropyl alcohol, which helps with dust crackles. It works, but it is tedious sitting there with an artists brush.

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 06 Feb 03 - 10:51 PM

G'day Gurney,

For some inexplicable reason, my two previous attempts to post a reply simply vanished ... ?!?

Anyway, your story reminds me of a bit of an old yarn in Australia. Back before and after WW II, the big radio stations recorded their broadcasts on 16" acetete-on-aluminium discs - and circulated these to their bush (rural) networked stations. Every playing lost quality ... and, by the time they got to the little stations way outback, sound was pretty dire.

Late one night, a presenter popped on the big disc, got it broadcasting and headed off to the 'fridge for a medicinal beer. He must have been getting pretty tired, because he spilt some of the beer - onto the record surface. The sound quality, over the monitor speakers, immediately improved!

For years after (probably until tape replaced the acetate discs) small stations swore by a modicum of beer to suppress the dust and scratch noises.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 06 Feb 03 - 11:56 PM

Used to use Isopropyl - but it left a white chalky residue.

I used to use vodka - but most U.S.brands have sugar in them, they look beautiful... and then it feeds the mold/mildew over time.

If you can do it....distill your own 180 proof. This is what I now do.

If you can't distill...then buy EverClear 180. Don't use 151 rum...it also has sugar.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: Gurney
Date: 07 Feb 03 - 05:13 AM

Hi Bob Bolton, this side of the Tasman has sloppy drinkers too. It was a Kiwi soundman who tipped me off. Also the raw materials were no trouble to get or dispose of, presumably, but it would leave the records sticky and smelly. Don't see why it wouldn't work though. YOU try it out first and let us know. (he-he)
Hi Gargoyle, The Isopropyl that I've used came in small amounts from a pharmacist, because some people will drink anything. It is over 99% pure and leaves no deposit that I can see. (Tastes OK but smells funny) (he-he)

Subject: RE: Tech: Cleaning Vinyl Albums?
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 07 Feb 03 - 05:23 AM

G'day again Gurney,

Hey! We are talking about dry outback radio stations - they probably licked the disc clean at the end!

I did get back a bit of my vinyl, back when I was sily enough to lend it to younger brothers for parties, with fine patterns of what was probably dried-out beer foam across the LP. Dried out it dsefinitely didn't improve the sound! However, it washed off OK - swabbed with clean water on a nap-free cloth and wiped down witha dry one ...

Regard(les)s,

Bob Bolton