OT: How do you clean your Vinyl?

[WernerM]

I have been using a microfiber cloth to lightly sweep the top before playing, but I get some minor spits and pops on vinyl that looks really clean. I was just wondering what you guys use, and if there are any home brew cleaners I can use?

Before you guys ask, I am using a Pioneer PL-1150 with a new cartridge, and it has been properly zero'd.

Another thing that I notice, is when using vinyl, the highs present hard S's where as CD's don't do that. Is this common?

Thanks in advance.

[richard t]

Re: OT: How do you clean you Vinyl?

Back in the day, I never had great results with any cleaning method in particular. There was always a little bit of clicks and pops. I guess it depends on how much you can tolerate. Discwasher worked ok.
I saw this video on youtube and thought I would pass it on. Strange method but it seems to work if you want as much success as possible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gyvipBs6Vs

[asmd]

Re: OT: How do you clean you Vinyl?

i use a record cleaning brush before each play.
For vintage records that i just acquire that need cleaning, i use dishwashing liquid and water and gently clean under running water and make sure to avoid the label. (the label will get ruined)
I have also used wood glue on records that don't clean up well with soap and water as a last ditch attempt.. i haven't had great results (maybe because i use it as a last resort), it gets no cleaner than after soap and water. But it certainly does not damage the record. The wood glue mask comes off cleanly. I use Titebond II fwiw.

[williamrschneider]

Re: OT: How do you clean you Vinyl?

When I play vinyl, I use the Stanton VC-1 Vinyl Cleaner kit available from the Needle Doctor online. I have an old Discwasher from the 80s too.

If there's groove damage, no cleaner will fix that.

The sibilant S sounds may be an artifact of the cartridge model. I've owned some that emphasize highs in an unpleasant way.

The underlying cause might be an impedance mismatch between the cartridge and the phono preamp. My external Pro-Ject Phono Box S preamp has selection switches on it's underside to tailor the impedance for the cartridge. It's been a while since I experimented with a sibilant cartridge, so that's about all that I remember.

[maltux]

Re: OT: How do you clean you Vinyl?

Discwasher with D4 fluid now made or distributed by RCA. Clean my stylist before and after each disc (this fluid used to be cheap but now is way over priced). Also have a Memorex Microfiber brush I use.

This is a good link:

http://cleaningvinyllps.blogspot.com

[Navy Guy]

Re: OT: How do you clean you Vinyl?

I use warm water and dishwashing soap with a nice soft bristle paint brush like Purdy. I then lay them on a microfiber cloth and wipe them dry. I think the wiping ads some static, which contributes to the pops, but this usually goes away after one to two plays. I also have a anti-static record cleaning brush that I use before each play on all records.

If the records are in good condition, they should play fairly quite. I do have some that I have cleaned like this that look like they are in good shape but still pop regardless. Sometimes there is not much you can do except for live with it.

[Wushuliu]

Re: OT: How do you clean you Vinyl?

I have been using a microfiber cloth to lightly sweep the top before playing, but I get some minor spits and pops on vinyl that looks really clean. I was just wondering what you guys use, and if there are any home brew cleaners I can use?

Before you guys ask, I am using a Pioneer PL-1150 with a new cartridge, and it has been properly zero'd.

Another thing that I notice, is when using vinyl, the highs present hard S's where as CD's don't do that. Is this common?

Thanks in advance.

A drop of dishwashing liquid in a cup of water and rinse under warm water with a soft toothbrush or equivalent. Or use Scrubbing Bubbles cleaner, which is safe for vinyl. Many options. Make sure to use a very diluted concentration of cleaning agent to water. You don't need much for cleaning records. What's important is loosening the dirt from the extremely tiny grooves.

No, a hard S is not at all common for vinyl. You mentioned zeroing your cartridge, not sure what that means unless you're just talking about the counterweight. Hopefully you are using a weight scale of some kind for accuracy as opposed to just balancing the arm. You also need to make sure your cartridge is properly aligned e.g. stevenson, beyerwald alignment or what have you. Cartridge alignment protractors can be found here.

Lastly, I believe you mean PL-115D not 1150.

[Face]

Re: OT: How do you clean you Vinyl?

http://www.spincleanrecordwasher.com/

To wipe clean and dry, I use new microfibre cloths from home depot or the auto parts store.

As for the hard "S"'s you're hearing, something may not be set up correctly or it's your phono preamp.

[Pete Schumacher]

Re: OT: How do you clean you Vinyl?

You may think it's crazy, but cover the grooves with Titebond, let it dry for a day, and then peel it off. It will remove every single spec of embedded crud and restore the grooves to as pristine a condition as possible.

[Wushuliu]

Re: OT: How do you clean you Vinyl?

You may think it's crazy, but cover the grooves with Titebond, let it dry for a day, and then peel it off. It will remove every single spec of embedded crud and restore the grooves to as pristine a condition as possible.

Yes. Messy but very effective. One example here

Best to test with spare records until one gets the hang of it.

[Face]

Re: OT: How do you clean you Vinyl?

You may think it's crazy, but cover the grooves with Titebond, let it dry for a day, and then peel it off. It will remove every single spec of embedded crud and restore the grooves to as pristine a condition as possible.

This does work, but it's a LOT of work for a record collection. Using the method I mention above is much faster and almost as thorough.

[kevinr]

Re: OT: How do you clean you Vinyl?

clicks and pops are sometimes a defect in the material when manufactured. Like on a brand new unplayed record.
Steam Cleaning helps although it's labor intensive. Google it , I use an inexpensive model from Walgreens.
Otherwise I use the Spin Clean record washer from Music Direct ( or amazon)

[Wushuliu]

Re: OT: How do you clean you Vinyl?

This does work, but it's a LOT of work for a record collection. Using the method I mention above is much faster and almost as thorough.

Going to disagree with you there. Spin clean is affordable and easy to use but I would not say as thorough as glue or other methods. There are plenty of Spin Clean users, including myself, who experienced continued or worsening noise on records, probably due to the brushes. Spin Clean would be good for records that have already had deep cleaning but not much more than that IMO.

[rpb]

Re: OT: How do you clean you Vinyl?

WernerM.... Are you coming to the gtg?

I think cartridges are a lot like speakers. They have a frequency response that is not perfectly flat. Perhaps a well placed notch filter would correct the response.

Navy Guy... I have a small number of records I could bring to the gtg, and sell. I no longer have a turntable. Mostly 80s rock I think. I also have a bunch of old big band albums that I inherited from my parents. I think many are like new, and were hardly played. I think I still have them if my sister didn't toss them out.

[maltux]

Re: OT: How do you clean you Vinyl?

You may think it's crazy, but cover the grooves with Titebond, let it dry for a day, and then peel it off. It will remove every single spec of embedded crud and restore the grooves to as pristine a condition as possible.

Not to be too controversial but I do not believe glue penetrates all the way into the groove. You are better off using distilled water, some denatured alcohol with a brush then steam clean and then wipe off with a clean micro fibre rag. Just my humble opinion.