Getting and keeping records clean................


Hello,

I have my turntable on the way and my vinyl collection growing weekly. I am thinking I will need to get a record cleaning machine to enjoy vinyl to its full potential. What RCM are recommended by you? Is it possible to clean records by hand effectively? I wonder if I can clean my collection by hand now with disc doctor or similar and brushes? I plan on getting a record cleaning machine but it will probably take a little while before I can swing the dough for one. Any help would be greatly appreciated such as which cleaning solution to use and brushes and their source. Thanks again.
nicksgem10s
Tvennetis,
Talk to Gayle Van Sycle at Nitty Gritty. She wiill sell direct if no one is in your area. Sometimes she even has refurbished units. I have owned two units; 2.5Fi and Mini-pro2 - both worked great.

http://www.nittygrittyinc.com/about_us.htm
Faded in popular discussion maybe. I still use it as part of my regimen with the 16.5, Disc Doctor fluids and Nerl reagent grade double rince. People tend to talk about steam cleaning in isolation. IMO it is an adjunct, a step in the process.
Thanks I talked to Gayle and she is going to call me later to see if she has enough parts to build one. She found a case with a chip out of the corner.
"Sso, has the steam cleaning craze faded?"

Nope. I use one every time before I vacuum. I was going to mention it, but somehow I lost my internet connection and posted at the same time. Odd.

Get a handheld steamer! I bought one for $25 or so. In conjunction with the RCM, it's by far the cleanest and quietest my vinyl's ever been. I've tried a ton of other methods, and nothing was as good as vacuuming. Steaming kicked it up several more notches. For $25 or so and more uses than just LP cleaning, you can't go wrong IMO.

Also...

If you're getting a Nitty Gritty, you may want to find an old turntable to scrub your vinyl on. I use a Technics SL-BD2 that the only thing that's still operable is the platter spinning. On a Nitty Gritty, there's no platter to lean on while using a little elbow grease, therefore the LP will bend a bit if you apply any pressure.

I was given a ton of old vinyl that sat in an attic for about 20 years. My fingers turned black by just pulling them out of the jacket. Dust, mold, and residue from all the inscense the guy's wife burned took their toll.

Rinsing in the sink, steaming, scrubbing, vacuuming, re-steaming and re-vacuuming brought them all back to as good as new.

Sorry for side-tracking.
The only trouble with cleaning on a turntable is that before you clean the other side of the record you have to clean the turntable.