Deep Cleaning Records With Steam?

I've used a Black and Decker steam cleaner on records with problem spots. I had no problems with warpage. You would have to apply the steam for a very long time to actually heat the vinyl enough to have any sort of problem. I have done this as an experiment, but do not use it regularly because it is NOT very practical (requires way too much effort).

Get a decent wet cleaning/vacuum machine. A very basic model is fine and reasonably priced.

The statement that distilled water is better than R/O water is factually wrong. Most of the distilled waters one can purchase contain FAR more minerals than R/O water, particularly the magnesium and calcium carbonates and the sulphate compounds that one is most concerned about (the stuff that makes water "hard" and leaves a deposit). I have measured the hardness and conductivity of commercial distilled water and it is not that good. But, I suppose the question is whether such waters are good enough, not whether they are absolutely pure.

I am willing to bet that any soft water, except those softened by ion exchange where sodium chloride is exchanged for other minerals would be acceptable for these purposes.

By the way, I've tried steaming records clean (I used R/O water I make for fish tanks). This does work, but it is such a BIG hassle it is not worth the effort. Get a decent manual vacuum cleaning machine and be done with it.

Thommas,

I think R/O water works fine. I use it to clean my records. I would bet that most other forms of demineralized water would work fine too (distilled, cation/anion exchange that is not based or replacing water hardening minerals with salt).

I just think that the steam cleaning method is a big hassle compared to wet cleaning and vacuuming. I hardly ever find a used record that does not clean up by using such machines, and I never let my own records get terribly dirty. I have the same Nitty Gritty machine for almost twenty years and it does a good job and is easy to use. I don't use the automatic fluid dispensing feature (I apply fluid from a squirt bottle) and I don't even use the rubber wheel to turn the record (I prefer to turn by hand so I can scrub back and forth). Thus, for me, the cheapest machine would be enough. The idea of having to get out a steam cleaner, fill it with water, wait for it to heat up, clean the record, dry the record, empty the steamer, etc. is just too much trouble for regular, every day use.

Crem1 and Thommas,

I don't think we have a big difference of opinion. You both use RCMs and steam cleaners. I also use both, though I rarely find a record so dirty I need to avail myself of the steam cleaner. But, for me, the RCM is the essential tool because of its everyday utility. R/O water used in either/both is a very practical approach from the standpoint of cost and minimal damage to plasticizers and other compounds in the record.

Thanks for the anecdote about four intensive cleaning cycles making a difference. I usually make two vigorous efforts and then I assume that what I hear is permanent damage to the record and not just stubborn dirt. I will try more cycles with some precious, but noisy, records I have found.

It sounds like steaming is a good approach to cleaning new records, and very dirty records. But, if it is so very effective at removing all grime and residue, it may be less desirable to use on lightly soiled records or as an every day sort of cleaner. This is the case with any strong cleaner because compounds added to the record, such as plasticizers, could be pulled from the surface of the record.