Crosley Record Cleaning System


I finally purchased a Crosley Radio Vinyl Record Cleaning System https://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/search?N=11066464&InitialSearch=yes&sts=pi
and challenged it with cleaning 48 of my oldest and most neglected albums, some of which I acquired used from a DJ, and others that I found in a dumpster in the rain. The results are nothing shirt of miraculous!

The formerly unplayable albums now appear mint, with beautiful, glossy, deep black vinyl. When I viewed the YouTube videos I was disappointed that none of the demonstrators actually played a record after cleaning, so I was anxious to actually have a listen. The needle was dead silent tracking the lead grooves. I actually thought I'd forgotten to turn up the volume!

It's difficult to imagine that a sixty-dollar purchase could produce such remarkable results, when there are record cleaning systems on rhe market that cost $3,800. Of course, while the Crosley produced results far beyond my expectations, it is not without fault. The one nuisance is the cleaning brushes do not lock in place, so they tend to migrate up the label during cleaning, and require constant attention. The other thing to be aware of is Crosley supples just one drying cloth, which is good for 10-12 albums. Since with each filling the system is good for 50 records, you will need to have at least 3 additional drying cloths at your disposal.

If you have not yet invested in a proper record cleaning system, I highly recommend you get yourself a Crosley.

And, if you are currently using another effctive record cleaning system or method, please share your experience? Thanks!
avdesigns
@chayro Your observation is correct. I can see some residual water marks on the inside track, but I'm not concerned by this because I can now play and enjoy albums that I have not been able to play in over 30 years and they sound like brand new records.

While the Crosley may make an LP superficially look clean, where it matters, down in the groove. nothing has changed much. And chayro is exactly right---without a vacuum removal of the cleaning fluid, along with the dirt imbedded in the groove, the record is not clean. It may in fact be even noisier, some of the dirt loosened, but not removed.

Serious record collectors moved on from superficial LP cleaning decades ago, when the original Nitty Gritty was introduced. VPI soon followed, and now a true vacuum record cleaning machine can be had, as I said, for as little as $199. Surely every collector can afford that! Your LP’s deserve a more serious cleaning than this thing is capable of providing.

@bdp24 I disagree. Making an unplayable record, not just playable, but quiet and clear is hardly a "superficial" result.
Check out Dave Burton "Record Genie.com. Send him 10 of your cleaned records. Have him clean them and report back. You will be amazed.