Cleaning vinyls

[SkyLounger]

Hi guys!

I just bought a very large quantity of 45rpm's (about 2500) for 100$ cdn.
The catch is that they came in old suitcases and many of them are very dusty and dirty. As you can imagine, there are some real gems in there and I would like to know the best way of getting them as clean as I can? The ol' static-off brush is not quite doing the job!

Thanks in advance

SkyLounger

 

[Dr ZEE]

not as advice, but I can tell you that I was very happy with the result cleaning records with simply windex , spray around away from paper lables and wipe with soft cotton (non-electric ) cloth , I've used pieces of a shirt, similar to what this lovely couple got . Repete if you have some nasty spots of dirt.
I can't be 100% that it's a good idea, but from my experience - it works great. Just try it on some 'non-value' discs, see if its ok as you can tell.

what'Cha got in the case? What records?

 

[hungovermorning]

I would just like to add how much I love glass cleaner. I use it on everything. I feel like the dad in that greek wedding movie. God I hated dating...

 

[SkyLounger]

not as advice, but I can tell you that I was very happy with the result cleaning records with simply windex , spray around away from paper lables and wipe with soft cotton (non-electric ) cloth , I've used pieces of a shirt, similar to what this lovely couple got . Repete if you have some nasty spots of dirt.
I can't be 100% that it's a good idea, but from my experience - it works great. Just try it on some 'non-value' discs, see if its ok as you can tell.

what'Cha got in the case? What records?

Thanks for the tip Doc... I tried it on a vinyl I was going to throw in the garbage and it seems to work just fine.

Also, I found on a website, a recipe for a solution of 50/50 70% isopropyl alcohol and distilled/or denatured water, so I might try that also but the Windex thing works just fine, you actually see the grime and, I guess, yellow gunk from nicotine stick to the towel (beurk)... I told you, they were old 45's!!!

As for what's in those cases, a bit of everything from 70's disco to oldies, french music and québécois music from the 70's and 80's, as well as some real oddities like promotional recordings and polka...


Again, thanks for the tip.

SkyLounger


P.S.: I just realized you're the Dr. Zee from Winamp, btw I use your reel-to reel from Winamp5, awesome

 

[Dr ZEE]

cool
I've found this stuff, SMART products looks good on screen, but I have no idea how good is it and try to find out what it actually made of...heh heh ? "smart sectret".
I have somewhere a smal can of GEMINI record cleaner/spray, and it sais that it contains alcohol. I never used it. Also in the user directions there's a line stating: "If you spray more than three times, the cleaner may get too damp and sticky.", and what the hell does that mean!!!!??? , I am kind of nervious about applying alcohol on plastic... but I really have no clue about chemistry of the whole deal there.

good luck cleaning all those hundreds of records, it will take a while ...
********

p.s. I'm not! from Winamp. , just happen to do a public service in the form of providing THE appropriate cosmetic treatment for what happen to become a one of the most popular "home stereo systems" of today. What ever had possessed me, but as UDO would put it: "IT HAD TO BE DONE!"

I'm coming to the point - where I can't hold myself
You shouldn't hold it back - it has to be done.

(btw, just in case, if you update (or plan to) your winamp to 5.23 or later, then you also need to get updated skins, the older versions will have bunch of problems with 5.23. You always can get latest zdl skins versions HERE)
...here's UDO (who's always dressed to "kill" ):

 

[eh91311]

cleaning vinyl records

I haven't been into my stereo and records since I started collecting recording gear a while back. I believe that the diluted isopropyl alcohol and distilled water mixture when sprayed on will work, but I'm also nervous using alcohol on vinyl.

Believe it or not, I've spent time cleaning old fingerprint-dust-dirt laden records with a weak solution of liquid dish detergent in water, applying the dish soap by hand on the record (fingertips), rinsing with tap water and then putting the records in a dish drainer to dry. Be careful not to wet the labels or minimize water contact there. Extra-dirty records may need a bit more rubbing and/or soaking. After letting them dry thoroughly, play them and they should work out OK. Gets rid of static build-up too. Better than using harsh chemical cleaners or alcohol mixtures. Use a carbon-fiber brush to clean off surface dust before playing them.

Dirty records with gunked-up grooves accelerate wear and tear on stylii and phono cartridges. Try to clean them as best you can before playing them. You might want to invest in separate cartridges/needles for playing thrift store/recovered vinyl records and your known good records to reduce wear on your "expensive" phono cartridges...

 

[arjoll]

I am kind of nervious about applying alcohol on plastic... but I really have no clue about chemistry of the whole deal there.

I have no idea about the specifics, but I'm pretty sure that most glass cleaners (including "Mr Muscle" and which I think is similar to Windex - the problem always being that trade names in the US can be relatively unknown in other countries!) contain some isopropyl alcohol.

Wikipedia lists the ingredients of Windex being (at one time) isopropyl alcohol, ethylne glycol monobutyl ether (solvent), sodium laurel suphate (surfectant/detergent and the main ingredient in most shampoo!), tetrasodium pyrophosphate (water softener), ammonia (fragrance!), dye and perfume.

I'd be cautious about any cleaning solvent on precious vinyl, so agree with your advice on trying it on some old junk first. I've always just used a weak solution of mild detergent, not that I have a decent turntable to play any of my vinyl on at the moment anyway!

 

[Dr ZEE]

not that I have a decent turntable to play any of my vinyl on at the moment anyway!

what you got at the moment.?
I have one and only pioneer PL-730 ... heh heh , I love it, I guess it's totally indecent.
as for chemistry thing. I'm clueless there. 4% of alcohol sounds like "non" to me.... Budweiser got more than that The GEMINI "professional" record cleaner I've mention before (which I never used on records as I've said) actually smell like alcohol, it smells like any other tape head cleaners from radioshack I also have somewhere around (and those are maybe 70% alcohol ...or so???), they never put any formula info on the lable.... all you can do is - smell and guess .

 

[arjoll]

what you got at the moment.?

Please, please don't ask! A Technics SL1600mkIII bought second hand in 1994 and absolutely buggered; no feet, heaps of rumble, thought I'd 'fix it up' but it never happened. Stanton cartridge of some description (the EE one) which you can't get stylii for any more. Pretty sad really. Hasn't been hooked up for years. I guess I could always borrow dad's Hitachi one with Ortofon cartridge but sounds like crap. Tough choice - rumble or distortion....

I do know of an LAD one I might be able to borrow, but am waiting for when I have time to copy them to a medium I can play without spending real dollars on more equipment! I also may have scored an old Garrard one, primarily for archiving some old 78's, but no idea if it comes with a plinth, toneam or cartridge.

Kind of odd, but I have everything required to archive 4 track / 2 channel and 2 track / 2 channel 1/4" tape, but nothing for vinyl!

all you can do is - smell and guess .

Did you notice on that Wikipedia said that the ammonia is added mainly for the smell? "It smells like a cleaner, so it must be cleaning."

Marketing, eh?

Kind of reminds me of a TV ad for PVC roof guttering years ago. The product was extra-special because it had "titanium dioxide impregnated polymers." Sounded really good until you realise that, when translated, it means "white plastic."

 

[SuperGeek]

This works well

Hi guys!

I just bought a very large quantity of 45rpm's (about 2500) for 100$ cdn.
The catch is that they came in old suitcases and many of them are very dusty and dirty. As you can imagine, there are some real gems in there and I would like to know the best way of getting them as clean as I can? The ol' static-off brush is not quite doing the job!

Thanks in advance

SkyLounger

This works very well

Record Cleaner

The site has many more products that may be of use to you.

I use some of there stuff I do Record Restoration for fun and some extra money Tracertek

Got DC-6 from there and it works great

 

[rayc]

Step ONE - Using a good vacuum with a VERY VERY VERY soft brush (even hold the knozzle near & use an ultra soft paint brush) to vac away as much dust & crud as poss as often liquid cleaners will create cement in the grooves with that stuff. Don't get too close with the vac & don't touch the plastic with it.
THEN use an anti static brush like static off.
THEN you can use the recipe from online - it's good, windex is OK, soap & water go part of the way. If you want to digitize & restore or even sample from let alone play as is, you'll need something specific that a) cleans & b) doesn't leave anything behind, film junk etc.
AM Record Cleaner, Record Magic etc. etc. wiped on with an ultra soft clean cotton cloth THEN if poss - vac again as before while the liquid is still wet - THEN wipe off with another soft cotton cloth following the grooves from outside edge to inside edge.
You might have to repeat this.
I restore/archive/burn to CD lots of vinyl & I do the above.
If restoring the BEST restoration prog available on any format is WAVEREPAIR.The prog is written by someone who does it & tweaks it often to do even better.

 

[SkyLounger]

First of all, thanks to everyone who responded.

Unfortunately, I'm away from home at the moment so no time for the hands on part, just browsing. Like I said, I just had time to try the Windex trick and it seemed to work fine, so I'll have to give the others a try when I get back home, not sure I want to spend 550US on a cleaning machine, though, but it sure seems to do a great job.

I'll keep you posted on the results...

Cheers, SkyLounger