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Record Cleaning brushes - experimentation?

I know we tend to beat the subject of record cleaning to death (but we all love it so much) - yet I don't remember seeing much of a discussion of record cleaning brushes.

I scrub my records when I clean them. I use mostly MoFi fluids and brushes, but since I recently bought my 2nd VPI machine, I've been experimenting with VPI fluid and brushes. The VPI brush seems a little hard and bristly, but after going back and forth with it versus that MoFi brushes, I'm not sure it doesn't get a little deeper into the grooves and perhaps dislodge a bit more debris. But I only use the VPI brush with the VPI fluid...so maybe it's in part the fluid I'm responding to. However, the MoFi enzyme-based fluid seems to dissolve some debris that the VPI doesn't catch (as I've noticed when I go back to VPI-cleaned Lps and do them over with MoFi). (In fact, I can go back after a MoFi cleaning and get some improvement with the VPI brush and fluid, but also go back after a VPI cleaning and get some improvement with the MoFi brushes and fluids.)

Probably the answer is to continue to mix and match, and on really problematic records, use it all. But I'm curious to hear from record-cleaning folks that have experimented with different brushes. What do you like? One, or another, or a combination?

Thanks
eweedhome

Showing 1 response by chashmal

chashmal
605 posts
 
I agree. The VPI brush tends to do more than the MoFi brush for me.

I have given up on the VPI fluid. I think it is just detergent, alcohol, and water.

I am partially dissatisfied with MoFi fluids too (both enzyme and regular), however I still use them. I have found nothing better yet, and I think they are good enough except on the worst offenders. I guess the hardest to clean LP's will never be totally clean. Maybe my expectations are too high.
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