Precision Aqueous Cleaning of Vinyl Records

@mglik 

Enzymes are biological catalysts that are generally some kind of protein. There is the “lock & key” analogy associated with enzymes and cleaning. The particular enzyme must be the right key to unlock (dissolving) the particular soil. There are four (4) basic enzymes used and how each works can be contaminant, time, concentration and surface dependent, and they have to be rinsed.

For further details read the book PACVR 3rd Ed Section VIII.9.  Otherwise, if you read Chapter XII you may see some cleaning agent options for vacuum RCM.

Thanks for sharing this information.  I personally have an ultrasonic cleaner (standard, inexpensive VEVOR model), and that works very well for 90% of my LP's.  There are a few (interestingly some sealed, mint LP's) that despite U/S cleaning, and manual scrubbing with a MoFi brush and cleaning solution, there are still crackles, but no pops.  For these I'm considering just sending them off the Perfect Vinyl Forever for an Archival 4.0 cleaning.  Has anyone had experience with this? 
Thanks. 

Just as a PS to this thread... I've now purchased a 1 litre bottle of BASF Dehypon LS54. I don't expect to ever consume this bottle in my lifetime, since it will produce 2,500 litres at the recommended dilution. Given it's quite expensive, if anyone in the UK would like to send me an empty bottle of 50 or 100ml, I am happy to return it to you filled for the cost of postage.

Cheers
Rob

Drbond, if a “sealed, mint” LP does not respond to the cleaning you’ve already done, I’d give up and either toss those LPs or tolerate them as is. I doubt any further cleaning will fix them. Good money after bad, and all that.

Sorry for being so pedantic, but first of all ALL enzymes are proteins, not just most of them or some of them. In general, enzymes act to catalyze chemical reactions that would happen anyway but happen much faster if mediated by an enzyme. (That's actually the definition of a catalyst; it moves the reaction forward.)  With that in mind, I wondered why enzymatic activity would be beneficial for cleaning an LP.  My guess is that enzymatic cleaners help to break down large possibly insoluble molecules, possibly precipitates that are by definition insoluble, into smaller more soluble molecules, which can then be either dissolved (in water, alcohol, and or with the help of nonionic detergent) and washed away.  What exactly are the substrates for enzymes that one can find in an LP groove, I do not know.