Record-playing Rituals?

I just bought a second VPI 16 cleaner. One is used for really dirty records, the other for everyday use. After cleaning a really dirty one it goes to the everyday use machine for final cleaning. Felt on everyday machine will not get so dirty if no dirty records are cleaned with it. I can also clean 2 records at once, I buy a lot of collections. Really dirty records may take 2 or more cleanings. NEVER use a volatile alcohol (Isoprpyl, Ethyl, Methyl etc) 1.They damage your records. 2 Alcohol does not clean vinyl. The only use for alcohol is to get more of the surfactant into solution. I manufacture cleaning solution, so I'm not giving any more clues. Double and triple distilled water is a wate of money. By the time it's exposed to the air for 15 seconds it's just as contaminated as regular distilled water. Save your money to buy records. I used to use a preservative, made my own and sold it for $15 for 8 oz. At this point, I'm not sure whether preservatives help, hurt, or has no effect.

There are more contaminants in the air than in the water. Even water that has been processed with an ion exchange filter is fine. In the 70s I had a system with several baths. Today that's not so practical. Trace minerals are so small, we're talking minimicrons, that they fit between gaps in the porous surface of the vinyl. Now if you have really hard water, there could be enough to hinder playback. Actually the biggest contaminant in the cleaning fluid is the surfactant itself. It tends to gum up brushes, because it is a very high molecular weight with a complex molecular structure. Dirt and dust and grease are what will hurt your records and cartridge. The type of brush is pretty inconsequential, I use a lint brush, a reccomendation from the vinyl asylum, for really dirty records. I use the last brushes, a little overpriced but not for audiophile stuff, for everyday cleaning. I clean the brushes regularly to remove dirt but more importantly the cleaner (surfactant) buildup.

Linn doesn't believe in cleaning the stylus, rega doesn't even believe in cleaning the records. I use a stylus cleaner, but not a stylus preservative. Mr Shagano says it's a no-no. Any good stylus cleaner should completely evaporate before you play a record.