Vinyl Cleaning Solution Solutions

[Shepherd_of_Anu]

I was going to buy some vinyl cleaning solution the other day because I am about to do a lot of archiving for someone. It was almost $30 for this tiny little bottle! I am going to be doing a lot of records and most of them are 35-50 years old and some of them do not look to be in the best of shape. Some look like they have never been listened to before. Best and the worst of it I think.

I was curious if anyone had any good tricks for cleaning records. Most of my personal records are more or less immaculate and don't require more then a little huff and a puff or a quick sweep of a brush but these records have not been taken care of too well in some cases. What solutions are inside those vinyl cleaning bottles? And does anyone have any first hand knowledge of good alternatives?

thanks in advance

[kristofason]

There was a thread about coverin them in PVA glue then peeling it off when its dry, looked like a good idea!
Or Gin??


LINK:http://www.lencoheaven.net/forum/index.php?topic=320.0

plus you can buy PVA glue in large tubs quite cheap..

[Shepherd_of_Anu]

Interesting idea... sounds scary at first though! I wonder if it alters the sound at all. I think I would want to practice on a few records first. that record used in the example is similar to the kind of condition of some of the records that are worst off.

Thanks for the tip, looks promising..


EDIT :: Wow! I just listened to the before and after wave files from that thread. The difference is almost hard to believe. It sounds like its new again.

[Themis]

http://www.hannl-vinylcleaner.com/de/in ... te=limited

bit expensive though

the problem with every liquid is, how do you get it dry afterwards?

if you dont have such a machine that sucks all water away, it cant be perfect i think.

[Shepherd_of_Anu]

Yeah, its hard to believe that there wouldn't some kind of residue left behind with a liquid. I am getting hung up on this whole glue thing. I want to know if you can get the same results by using "white glue" or "school glue."

I am pretty sure white glue is also PVA but its non toxic. Those other kinds of wood glues often have formaldehyde ingredients. I'm not too keen on that. White glue is non-toxic, that is why they use it in schools instead.

So far I can't find any info on the subject. I might just have to pioneer this method.

[roland]

you'll get the best result with the vinylcleaner machine.. and it's by the way also the safest way to go..

[Casanova808]

If you deal with a lot of dirty used vinyl, these are really awesome:

http://www.vpiindustries.com/static.php ... ng_Machine

I can tell you from first hand experience that these machines are really great and they will turn a really crusty slab of vinyl that has been gathering grime for 40 years in a basement into a mint record. This is the easiest and most convenient way to clean records. You can clean a crate of records in about 40 minutes with one of these.

I used to use one when I worked in a record store. Every time I buy old crusty records I wish I owned one myself. One of these days I am just going to pony up the 500 dollars and buy one.

Now, if you want a cheap solution that still does the trick(just not as conveniently) here is what you need:

1 plastic bottle with a nozzle and cap
1 bottle of isopropyl rubbing alcohol(the higher the better, look for at least 90% concentration, it is a little hard to find but it makes a difference)
1 gallon jug of distilled water(and make sure it is DISTILLED, that means all the minerals have been removed)
2 cloths that are as lint free as possible(I use these disposable wipes that are half way between a paper towel and a regular towel)
1 turntable
1 rubber mat that comes with a 1200(you use the rubber mat instead of your slipmats because it is easier to clean and the wet dirty records won't contaminate your clean slipmats)

-In the bottle mix 2/3rds distilled water to 1/3rd isopropyl alcohol and give it a good shake. Only suckers buy "record cleaning fluid" because "record cleaning fluid" is really just alcohol and water in a bottle with a sticker on it.

-Once you have the mix together, put the rubber mat that comes with 1200's on your turntable, and then put the dirty record on the mat.

-Take the first rag and get it wet with a generous amount of the solution.

-Start the record spinning and put the wet rag on the vinyl, let it spin a handful of time until the record is good and wet.

-Let it sit for 30 seconds to get the grime good and soaked.

-Take your second rag and use it to soak up the solution and the grime on the record.

-Flip the record and do the same thing to the other side.

-Put the record on a paper sleeve and let it sit until it is dry(usually 15 minutes)

It isn't as quick and convenient as a VPI machine but it works fairly well. The only annoying part is that you wind up with a room full of drying records if you do a whole bunch at a time. I have cleaned at least 10,000 records with this solution and it doesn't do any harm and makes the records look great.

(and by "solution" I mean cleaning fluid. I think I would kill myself if I had to clean 10,000 records by hand...)

[breton]

So has anybody here actually tried cleaning records with PVA?
I'm thinking about trying it on a record i bought recently. It was supposed to be Mint, cost me 25 quid, but turned out to be barely playable, lots of surface noise and all that.
Been reading a 5 years long thread at Audiokarma, and it got me pretty excited.
Gonna buy me some Titebond 2 soon and spread it all over the noisy bitch!