Cleaning LP's

Part of your problem amy also be the stylus. If it is an old round sperical shaped one, it rides on top of the groves, and will pick up all the the misuse, wear and tear etc that is normal on even the best cared for records. Elipticals ride in the grove, and are less prone to scratches and top grove wear ad noise. If you are a casual listener, and dont want to spend a fortune, go with the Disc wash system, brush and cleaner, next step if you want to spend a touch more, add a good carbon fiber brush (about $15-$25) and use it it to "lift out some of the grit and grime in the grooves. Next step, a vacum machine, the Disc Dr. sells for about $200 from Audio Advisor. Vacuming is the absolute best way to clean, no matter what machine (VPI, Nitty Griity, or others).

DISC DOCTOR-DIS-DOCTO-DISC DOCTOR FOR ABOUT 65 DOLLARS YOU CAN CLEAN OVER 360 LP. THE SYSTEM WILL OUT DO ANY RECORD CLEANING MACHINE. I GOT RID OF MY MONKS CLEANING MACHINE AFTER USING THE DISC DOCTOR. YOU CAN GET IT THROUGH WWW.MEDIAACC.COM TO NAME ONE.

This makes a good cleaning solution for use with a cleaning machine. 10 oz distilled water to 2 oz rubbing alchol + drop or two of photo flow and mix thoroughly. If you don't have a cleaning machine then use above solution and then rinse with distilled water a couple times. Hope this helps.

In days of yore, the word was to clean your LP's in water and a little dishwashing detergent. I've done this with no apparent harm. If you want to go "high tech", use distilled water. Be sure water is only this side of warm and to rinse well (4 times as long as washing time) with clear water. 'Outa do it...

Look on Audio Advisor, they have cleaning solutions in every price range.

I've cleaned records that were old before, made them look perfect, and still the wear is there. Cleaning isn't going to help vinyl that has seen thousands of repeated plays on awful equipment. It only helps preserve records that have yet to be ruined (by the non-philes who'd even play one covered with sand...years before you ever get a hold of it!). Good luck with this, and I'm sorry it doesn't encourage you to pursue buying a better table...seems like this whole thing is what holds most 'philes back, in my pinion. They only see the bad...