When I first got back into this hobby I started buying used LP's from the dealer across the street. Very nice guy starting his own store. Prices seemed reasonable, quality was OK. I got some very nice stuff.
Over the past 2 years LP's have risen from a "usual" $3-7.99 to $7 - 15. I've also noticed that whether they're described as near mint or VG++ they have continuous pops and ticks even after I clean them with L'Art du Son and Disc Doctor Quick Wash Record Cleaner on my VPI 16.5.
Though I can hear crisp grooves on the better discs the popcorn noise drives me nuts.
Lately, I've notice he stands behind the counter cleaning records with Windex and paper towels. Is he doing something with that that trashes the records beyond redemption?
I've made up my mind to quit buying from him altogether, though he's the nicest guy in the world. The stuff I get from E*bay and Goodwill cleans up better.
The ingredients in the Windex will have a tendency to harden, rather than remove, certain protein-based contaminants. These ingredients will also tend to trap and hold micro-dust from the paper towels.
He's actually making the records much harder to clean properly.
I will agree the windex ain't good but it's better then a brillo pad. I would not avoid buying from him because of the use of windex. Just take home what ever you purchase and give it a run on the VPI. This should remove most if not all of the windex.
I suspect that microscopic particles of paper are what you're hearing.
Windex is basically water, isopropanol, ammomina, and blue dye I believe. Isopropanol evaporates residue free but there may a small amount of residual dye.
Speak with the fellow about what you hear. Maybe you can help him learn how to clean the records properly.
Almost any time someone wet cleans a record without vacuuming it, as far as I'm concerned they are making it much harder to clean effectively even if you have a great cleaning regimen that includes vacuuming. Think about it: anything that is left over in those grooves that dries simply solidifies in there making it that much more difficult to remove.
Most of the "unsalvageable" records I've bought have showed signs of a previous improper wet cleaning, usually evidenced by signs of dried fluid in the leadout grooves. I'd rather buy a record that looks totally filthy and shows no signs of fluid on the record than one that looks not bad but has "dried fluid" anywhere on the record. I would not want to buy a record like that without a return privelege unless it was very cheap.
Thanks for all the input. I've since tried scrubbing for more revolutions, letting the fluid soak a bit, then using Gruv-Glide after and restored the records to "passable". I will have a word or two with the vendor next week, but I think I'll be looking elsewhere unless he's swayed by my comments.
Again propably not the windex,. He doesn't do a proper preclean/wash ala Allsop type wet and scrubbing out the grooves. The usual soft scrub with a more volitile solution will not remove settled petrified deposits in, particular molds, and just any other dried debris. The soft scrub brush and copiuos rinses will have an effect in my experience. Therefore a generous soaking with a sronger detergent and numerous somewhat firm scrubbs should dislodge debis and fungi. Fungicidal detergents should put that question to bed. The rinse clean is clean to get off the residum soap other noxious chemical and fluid maintaing agents et allis. Residuim is should be removed repetatively using vacuum suction very high power counter with an extremly high torque engine like about thevstrentght of a tractor pull and Nasa wind tunnel suction. This cleaning step is the needed element. If that fails boil the record for 48 hours min. in a clamp in a pressure cooker at 1k lbs per inch square, but the clamped to avoid warpages and the disc emerges perfectly straight, the grooves will remain on occasion . THEN get a large colony of the rare emerald green fugus eating Madacasar ants. Apply to the record use a special class 4 biohazard room for this. You must be encolosed in a copletely sealed space type suit. The ants use the record groove dirt fungus as a favored food source, you can get a license for them but you will need years of training. If they get out not even African kller bees can match the extra large but less than needle thin muderously razor sharp pincers which they use to suck the bees dry and very dead, in microseconds. You will not stop them if that happens or all of mankind will disapear in less than a day. Try to get anything alive out. They will not eclude anything including you. Thus pull the red strap on the emergency packet. As I said these ants will remove the fungus. You won't be troubled by crispy crunchy vinyl again. Or any sound we are sure of. the red pull tag triggers a small nuclear device but its only a risk benefit analysis. If you are particular, generally speaking clean all oy your records everyday and use an anhydrous ETOH to dry them. Or 10 complete cleanings using a Kieth Monks type RCM will do it.
02-03-08: Hdm said" "Almost any time someone wet cleans a record without vacuuming it, as far as I'm concerned they are making it much harder to clean effectively even if you have a great cleaning regimen that includes vacuuming. Think about it: anything that is left over in those grooves that dries simply solidifies in there making it that much more difficult to remove."
I haven't found this to be the case with the Disc Doctor system. That system includes separate brushes for application and rinsing, but also is designed to leave a slight residual of fluid. I use a lot of distilled water to rid the surface of almost any residual, but DD is designed to work with vinyl. Other liquids and formulas may indeed worsen a record, but DD does not, in my experience.
Joe : Re-clean your purchases using the Steam Cleaning method outlined in the thread below . Follow the instructions, spend a few $$ on a steamer and other insidentals needed including an effective record cleaning solution ( home-brew or $$$ ). Replay and see if there is a significant difference. Sometimes it just crud and other times record defects , more likely crud. Re-clean your noisy ones first. Should they quiet down you have a inexpensive solution and can go one to other options suggested in the Steam thread. What ever you do don't tell the guy across the street , prices will go sky high.
Isopropanol is generally used in record fluid formulas, such as ours, to harden dissolved protein deposits in order to keep them from reattaching to the record. The water and the cleaning method as you described would not normally be sufficient to dissolve such deposits thoroughly enough to keep them from being hardened on the record, thus manifesting as a "crackling" noise during playback.
Rubbing hard with toilet paper wouldn't be such a great idea either. Those records, although more difficult to clean, can be cleaned with a little effort.
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