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how to clean old LPs

Hi , can someone help me on this :
I have hundreds of LPs , they have never been played for about 15 years , but , I put them in anti static sleeves either from Nagaoka or discwasher.
I found some to be still in good condition , but , some are looking not glossy anymore ( good vynil should look shiny isn't it )
I guess the problem lies in the bad material of the vynil? so they accumulated soft dust that make them looking dull..worse still , the sound is noisy.. and after we finished playing the dirty LP , the stylus accumulate the soft dust..
I once try clean it with Matrix cleaner from Clearaudio , but no luck..they are still dull and dirty
antonoyuwono
bdgregory
1,712 posts
 
I had a similar situation to yours - my vinyl collection sat unplayed for about 15 years. When I first took them out again to play them, they all played awful - pops, ticks etc. My suspicion is mold, but who knows. I first tried manual cleaning using a few different fluids but that was too much work and the results were mixed (likely due to my own laziness and impatience).

I purchased a record cleaning machine and they all play like new again. I have not tried the steam cleaners, though I plan to get one for really dirty LP's, but for mass cleaning, I think the RCM pays off just in time saved. I also purchase a lot of used lp's and they all need a thorough cleaning. When you can buy albums for $1 - $5 that play like new after a good cleaning, the RCM really starts to pay off.

A Nitty Gritty RCM can be purchased for $150 (i needs to be hand cranked) I think. I started with one of those and it worked great. After I realized I was in it for the long run I purchased a VPI 16.5 for $350 used. It's less work and does a great job. I mix my own fluid - there are recipes online and they work as well as the expensive ready made solutions.
antonoyuwono OP
3 posts
 
actually I'm looking for nitty gritty fluid cleaner , and maybe SOTA RCM , do you all think that will solve the problem?
vinyl_33
3 posts
 
Thorman, what do you do next after applying the steam? Do you scrub with a brush, wipe with microfiber cloth, dry it??? Also, do you steam the LP with it lying flat (steam from above)?
macdadtexas
1,794 posts
 
VPI 16.5 with Walker Fluids and a Walgreens steam clearner. Best I have tried. Better than Clearaudio or NittyGritty.
thorman
1,262 posts
 
vinyl_33
I have a ( jig ) 4' Rod/Spindle set up where I can spin the record while steaming and once steamed ( still wet and dripping ) I give it a water rinse cycle and while still wet I put them on a DIY( Turntable )Vacuum system to suck any liquid left.You can also just wipe lightly with a Micro Fiber cloth .Any real dirty records I hand clean with a record cleaning fluid ( in the kitchen sink ) before hand.. The hand cleanng only takes the one time and my records now never get dirty....The steamer does a fabulous job..Specially for the low cost........
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