Also related to storing records, I thought I would also include this information for cleaning records I got off the interent.
Re: DIY Record Cleaning Solution and Brush? I've posted this here several items in the past, those posts can be found in
the archives. But here goes again ...There are several excellent cleaning solutions to be found on the aftermarket
and they should be considered for extremely valuable discs or extremely grimey
discs. However, for everyday cleaning I use a simple homebrew formula that can
be put together for a few dollars.I begin with store bought distilled water - only distilled water not
drinking, spring or any other sort of water that would include added impurites.
Distilled water can be purchased for about $0.80 a gallon. Start here and listen
after a few discs have been cleaned, you can certainly buy higher purity water
and reclean your distilled water discs if need be but you reach a point of
diminishing returns rather quickly IMO and unless you are at the MF level of
components I doubt you'll notice any problems with distilled water, it has been
the standby for decades.
To one cup of distilled water I add two drops of All "Free - Clear"
laundry detergent (no fragrances, no phosphates, no coloring agents). The
detergent acts only as a surfactant which serves to break the water's
surface tension. This allows the the water to flow smoothly into the record
groove - you'll see how to notice the correct amount of surfactant a bit later -
but actually the detergent does no cleaning itself so do not get into the
thought process that if a little bit is good, then a lot more is better. You
simply need to break the surface tension of the water. That's all you need to
do. The cleaning action is done by the water, which also holds the removed
dirt is supension unitl it can be vaccumed away and, if necessary, the action of
a soft cleaning brush or cloth. The resulting combination of one cup water
and two drops of detergent should result in very little sudsing when applied to
the disc surface. If you get more than a few suds, you've added too much
detergent and you'll have more trouble rinsing this solution from the bottom of
the groove. Remember, the surfactant is there only to allow the surface tension
of the water to be relaxed. Once again there are high end surfactants available
at higher cost but let your ears be your guide as to how much you hear vs. how
much you pay.
That is my basic cleaning solution.
If I have very dirty records that this solution will not clean to my
satisfaction - typically used LP's with finger smudges or mould - I'll add no
more than 1 ounce of alchohol to my then 7 ounces of distilled water, IMO
the less alchohol you can get away with the better you are. Here I will spring
for the more costly and slightly more pure Everclear over the cheaper isopropyl
from the drugstore. A bottle of Everclear should run less than $20 and clean
hundreds of LP's.
I then warm this solution in the microwave to get it quite warm to the
touch, not steaming but quite warm. The solution is placed in a spray
bottle and another spray bottle is filled with just distilled water to be
used as a rinse.I lay out two thick bath towels folded into pads large enough to
support the LP. Placing side one of the disc face up on the first towel, I
liberally spray the warm cleaning solution over its surface keeping as
much as possible off the label area. This isn't just a thin line of solution you
swipe around the disc but a thorough bathing of the groove in cleaning solution.
When the mixture is right you'll see the solution flows into the groove and
covers the surface of the disc rather than puddling up as you'll find happens
with the water only rinse.
I have two main cleaning brushes/towels. For everday cleaning I use a
microfiber towel that has been dampened with distilled water, this serves me
well on basically new or already clean discs. A few strokes in the direction of
the groove and then back in the opposite direction and then side one is flipped
over and the process is repeated on the second side. The next level of cleaning
comes from a VPI brush* which is reserved for the most difficult to clean
discs. If you use a brush, make certain you rinse it in a separate container
after each disc side so you don't transfer crud form one disc to the next. If
you're using the microfiber towel, just constantly turn the towel as you clean
and eventually run the towel under some tap water to rinse it and then re-wet
the towel with distilled water before wringing it out and cleaning the next
disc.
At this point the disc is ready to be run on the vacuum machine.
You'll find your own method for the machine but I did place a few felt pads on
the top corners of my machine to protect the disc should it slip out of my hands
while I'm working with the machine. I do a bi-directional rotation of the disc
on my cleaning machine ending with the machine being shut off and the disc being
slowly rotated to an end point and lifted up as the machine's vacuum dissipates
to zero. The LP is now ready to go back into a clean sleeve.
If you'd care to be a bit more thorough in your cleaning, now is the time for
a rinse before the disc goes back into a sleeve. Place the LP on your second
bath towel and spray with the clear distilled water, thoroughly wetting the
surface as you did with the cleaner. Take a second dampened microfiber towel and
give a light brush to spread the rinse water - without a surfactant to break the
water tension you'll notice the rinse water tends to puddle up. Flip the disc to
rinse the other side and then transfer to the vacuum machine for drying.
After a few LP's you'll need to turn the towels to find a fresh surface and,
if you're cleaning dozens of LP's in one night, you'll probably want a few extra
towels on hand to transfer out when the originals get soaked and dirty. The same
goes for the microfiber towels you use for cleaning.
Mix only enough solution to stay warm while you work and keep the mixture
warm if need be by returning it to the microwave. IMO it's the warmth of the
solution that does the most good here over and above the basic solution itself.
There are steam cleaners on the market for LP cleaning and you might want to
experiment with this method but you'll have to be careful not to lift the label
with that method. I think you'll find the warm water cleaner to be satisfactory
in almost all cases.
For those of you who remember the original Keith Monks machine the solution
used there was a simple combination of distilled water and isopropyl alchohol.
The mixture was, I believe, 70/30. I have numerous discs that were cleaned with
this machine that are still in excellent shape today. I do, however, have a few
recent audiophile pressings that were left with a very slight whitish haze when
cleaned with an alchohol mix as described above. You decide, if you can obtain
good results without the alchohol, the alchohol is for the most part used as
a drying agent and not much more. With the quality of the current crop of
vacuum machines I don't feel alchohol has a real place in your cleaning
regimen.
Many manufacturers of cleaning solutions have a trial size you can purchase.
It's well worth your time to experiment but I think you'll find good results
without spending too many dollars.
* A substitute for the VPI brush is a soft, 4" nylon bristle paint brush
from the hardware store. Some people cut these down to shorten and stiffen the
bristles ever so slightly. IMO the VPI brush is well worth the money, lasts
almost forever for the average user and does a superior job to any other brush
I've tried which include quite a few.
And remember, if your cartridge is not built with a bonded stylus, to use a
good stylus cleaner after a night's worth of listening.
