Steam cleaning records 2

Peak is a popular brand (like Prestone). You should be able to get it at most any decent auto parts store.

Sorry Tvad, I don't mean to be argumentative or difficult, I'm just asking the the general population here whether they think that water from a single distillation process is inferior or equal to a lower tier reagent grade RO water.

Crem, there are no Pep Boys outlets near me. I suppose I could have some shipped, but I've read about the sediment/mold issue too. I guess I could check into whether the water carries any kind of expiration or packaging date.

Ho72, Try Peak Battery water @ $3.00 gal; its an excellent product and is sold @ Pep Boys Auto Stores. I use it myself with excellent results because the water besides being distilled , has been filtered , demineralized and deionized. One suggestion, examine/shake the container to assure the product is not so old that mold has started to grow. In all the years I have been using Peak Battery Water I did have one "bad" gallon that I filtered & used around the home with no problems.

Be certain to do a double blind test...

Right. All I want is something better that the distilled I've been buying at Walmart. I'll let someone else do the Consumer Report. :)

In the quest for an affordable rinse agent, I found this
http://www.expressmedicalsupplies.com/nerl-high-purity-water-p-28364.html

It's a step below the NERL REAGENT GRADE WATER, but the cost is less than half. An analysis can be found here
http://www.nerl.com/support/sample.aspx?id=9805

Does this look like a step up from garden variety distilled water?

I just ordered the Mc1235 too. I figured worst case, my car engine and BBQ grill will benefit.

I'm currently using a little Rowenta steamer. It "sort of" works but doesn't hold enough water and starts spitting pretty quickly. But even with that one my records are cleaning up beautifully. And I don't have a vac machine either. Even the "lost causes" have new life.

R3w2000: Thanks to you , I purchased a Mc1235 on-line at the Home Depot for $49.85 ; that price includes the price of the Mc 1235 , shipping & taxes. Home Depot indicates they have forwarded the unit by USPS. More on the Mc 1235 later.

I refuse to wade into the "lead" issue again but do offer this suggestion. The Home Depot sells lead detection kits.

The "Lead Check" contains two short "pencil" detectors with brushes that detects lead on surface home surfaces ; appliances , electrical cords , etc. For those that have the interest buy the kit.

I found the lead kit to be educational , almost as educational as a device I now use to determine if "live" electrical current is present in the walls and appliances.

For me it was vindication of my published position regarding some steaming units but moreover I was surprised to learn how many places lead can be present in a home.

Tvad-
No lead warning...

I picked up the "Living Solutions" steamer at WalGreens today. FWIW, the manager said it IS the Perfection with new packaging. Seems to work great, plenty of steam. I cleaned about 7 LP's before sitting to listen with no problems. Steam works great w/VPI 16.5. Thanks all for your post on this subject. Listening to a leaner ,cleaner "The Wall" right now!

I referenced the McCulloch in my post on 1-15-09 as a possible contender. FWIW, Home Depot has them for less. I am also interested in how this unit performs.

Do your duty, R3w2000, go get one of those suckers and tell us about it!

R3w200 : It appears you have found not just a replacement but a upgrade to most other steam cleaners. I believe the variable steam control could bring LP steam cleaning to a new level , the continious refil of water is another bonus. R3w200, you may be on to something. Now for some R&D, namely buying a unit and putting it thru the drill.

Wondering if anyone's taken a look at the McCullouch MC1235 handheld steamer. Here's a link for reference. Continuous fill seems like a nice feature.

http://www.sewingmachineoutlet.com/mc1235.htm

I've already returned one DOA Shark back to Target.

Rada i had a very respected audiophile tell me if you dont get off your butt and try something you will never know what could have been good or bad. At around 8 minutes a lp time can be a factor in the end though because what you experienced in sound like most others i have been going through my collection and steaming all of my vinyl.

Yesterday i cleaned 20 lps and half were from my collection. The difference for better sound is beyond what i ever thought possible. Spirit 12 Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus sounds like a veil was lifted from my speakers. The Radiators Law of the Fish a very fine recorded and produced lp puts the band in the room with you. Same goes for Eagles One of these Nights. All cleaned by other than steaming. I will say this using lab grade water as a double rinse also IMO contributes to increased resolution.

Thanks for the kind words.

I have to thank the members on this thread. Thanks especially to Creml and Stltrains. Why? Cause steam cleaning records it the greatest thing since sliced bread.

When I started reading, thinking, "What a foolish notion, steam cleaning records." Well, color me foolish. The more I read the more I wanted to try it. So, I bought the Shark cleaner, and went to town. Cleaned dirty used records, cleaned new records, cleaned clean records already sucked by my VPI 16.5. The combo of the 16.5 and steam is genius.

The sound? Records I'd listened to many times (That were already cleaned!) took on a new life. Lower lows, more defined highs. Just more there there.

If you haven't already, spend the dough and do it. You're gonna love it.

Thanks again!

I found mine in the auto section.

thanks for the info re micro-fiber cloths. could you tell us at what section in Target it is in?

Speaking of which...

After having some really bad lint issues with microfiber cloths I bought at Lowes, I've been on the lookout for something else. So, I was in Walmart on Sunday and I found this

https://www.cleantools.net/WebSite/productDesc.aspx?pid=3

It's called the Absorber and it's a synthetic chamois. I bought one and used it when I steamed about a dozen records this morning. I used one side for the initial steaming and the other side for the finish steaming. It works very well at picking up moisture and is about as lint free as anything could be.

Anyone ever tried this product? Any potential downside?

Try the auto supply section at Walmart. They have a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors.

Target had many to choose from.

can anyone recommand where I can get quality micro-fiber cloth used in cleaning LPs?

Many thanks Sonofjim for your kind offer i cant thank you enough.

I guess in the end as long as you get those lps steam cleaned with a steamer that can deliver a good spray to the lp surface you should get the results needed for super clean quite playing lps.

Thanks Ho72 for the fine review.

Those both sound like viable options. For now I've stuck with the Perfection due to it's history of success and my own familiarity with it. Let me know if you need one. For now they are still available around here.

Errata:

Both units are rated at 1000W.
The Shark has the Viton o-ring on the filler cap, not the WG.
The WG is UL listed

I think that concludes my list of screw-ups and omissions.

OK, here's a mini review of the new Walgreens Living Solutions steamer vs. the Shark Hard Surface Steam Cleaner.

Physically, the steamers are very similar, leading me to conclude that they were either built in the same factory or factory A stole the plans from factory B. Hey, it could happen. Anyway, from external appearances and features, the Walgreens (WG henceforth) unit is a bit better built. It has a torque limiting filler cap, the Shark does not. The o-ring on the WG cap is Viton, which is chemical and heat resistant. All o-rings on the Shark are standard issue. The WG's attachment point on the basic, straight cone shaped nozzle (where the elbow attachment would slip on) has double o-rings (not Viton); the Shark has only one. On the other hand, the Shark's heating element is rated at 1000W, the WG at 900W. The power light doubles as a ready light on the WG, turning off when operating temperature is reached. The Shark light is always on. The WG has a 2 year warranty, the Shark 1 year.

The Shark's accessories are made of gray plastic, the WG accessories are black. The difference goes deeper than the color. In the original steamer thread, some concern was raised about the burning vinyl smell emitted by the Perfection steamer, and some troubling worries about lead were voiced. The WG unit's attachments emited a distinct odor, which I describe as a burning tire smell. The Shark's accessories emitted no detectable odor, or at least none that could override the smell from the WG. I was using them side-by-side, but I held each cone attachment up to my nose after the second run and there was nothing offensive given off by the Shark. If there are any lead warnings on either unit, they are not prominent. I have not examined every word of the manuals nor every inch of the units, however.

Now on to performance. Both units were filled with approx. 200ml of water and allowed to warm up for 10 minutes. The WG light turned off well before then, but Crem says he lets his steamer warm up quite a bit, so I decided to do the same. Holding one steamer in each hand with no attachments of any sort, I depressed the triggers simultaneously and aimed into the double kitchen sink. The Shark produced a greater volume of steam and the duration of usable steam lasted 2-3 seconds longer than the WG, using the count-it-off-in-my-head timing method. Attaching the straight cone, or "concentrator", (the design of which makes either attachment fit either steamer) the test was repeated. Again, the apparent volume of steam from the Shark was greater and it seemed more consistent with less spitting. Steam "on" time was again slightly in favor of the Shark. Attaching the elbow and repeating the test yielded essentially the same results.

Note that no actual cleaning was done in these tests, and the steamers weren't used until the water was exhausted, so cleaning time is unresolved. I did hold my hand about 1 foot away from each unit as it was in operation and there is no danger of scalding at that distance. One did not seem to be any hotter than the other.

I don't know if anyone will find this exercise useful, but as for me, I think I'll keep the Shark.

Sonofjim i did a search earlier today for Perfection steamers. Walgreens.com has them listed not available at this time. I like using Perfection as i am not familiar with Shark. I have logged many hours on my Perfection with out any problems but i think i will be sending you a check for 29.00 for a backup. Send me a PM with your address will add cash for shipping many thanks. Mike

I just bought a Shark today. I plan to compare it to the "new" Walgreens steamer tomorrow. Just from a cursory once-over, I'm thinking they both came from the same factory in China. We'll see what happens at the face-off...

Depending on how things turn out, I may take you up on your offer to ship, SOJ (hope you don't mind the abbreviation). You may have access to some of the last of the Perfection line. According to Walgreens website, the item has been deactivated.

The Perfection steamer appears to still be widely available at Walgreens thoughout the Des Moines Iowa area, albeit at a cost of $29.99. I bought an extra as a backup today to have on hand. If anyone is interested in this steamer and honestly can't find one anywhere send me an email. I can arrange to ship one to you this week. Just send me $29.00 and maybe a little extra for shipping. Maybe this Shark is better, I don't know.

The Shark is on my short list, Jahnewnoise (the real one, not the bottle). Also of interest is a McCulloch unit

http://tinyurl.com/7zv3ol

I'm hopeful a winner will emerge from those choices.

To distinguish between Shark models, note that the 1000W Shark that provides continuous steam without pumping the trigger is called Supersteamer Model SC710S.

I actually got the Shark 1000W cleaner at Target's website, and it works great. I saw the steam bottle, but didn't think it would do the job.

Thanks Crem, your unselfish sharing of your experiences led me to try what would have been unimaginable (to me, anyway) only a few short weeks ago.

I lament the passing of the Perfection steamer, but I am going to give Walgreens new offering (Living Solutions) another shot. I think I was moving around the record much too slowly on my first attempts. After watching the YouTube video and rereading these threads, I am sure I need to modify my method.

FWIW, I tried a Shark "steam bottle" and have mixed emotions about it. It's designed with a trigger pump, not unlike a Windex bottle. You squeeze the trigger a few times to start the steam rolling. Then, you have to keep squeezing the trigger at certain intervals to keep the steam flowing. Too few pumps and the steam stops; too many and it starts spitting. Overall, even though the steam output seems better than the Walgreens unit, I can't help but wonder how long that trigger pump will last... I've had spray bottles wear out relatively quickly. Another thing I don't care for is that the filler cap is on the *bottom* of the unit. But, if you aren't bothered by either of those factors, the heating element is rated at 1500w and it only needs to heat up for about a minute. And, as I said, the steam output is pretty good.

I may try another steamer or two, using the Walgreens steamer as the control or baseline model. If I find something better, I'll let you all know.

Readers: For those interested in steam cleaning , keep in mind that the method(s) , mechanics , materials , water and much , much more has been previously outlined in the now discontinued initial steam cleaning thread.

I have reclused myself from this thread. I am continuing research regarding record cleaning that I intend to publish in the future.

For Those New to Steaming : Not all steam cleaning units perform as well as others, and garmet units I have warned may actually warp a record. There are rational reasons for following a certian method , the use of record cleaning fluids ,as well as, other record cleaning machines , even the use of microcloth A over microcloth B . Anyone that believes that any steamer will do , any materal or methods is ok could find themselves in trouble.

As mentioned many times in the past thread , I follow a method and use products out of years of experience that produce positive results. For those that accepted the suggestions their learning curve was reduced and they reported excellent results.

As for the "vinyl smell" I was flamed to death over my concern(s) regarding mold release compounds and potential lead issues. Again, as was outlined in the past thread I don't recommend using the attachments , unless, they have been deep cleaned to remove those compounds that cause the smell ; the reasons are already outlined in the past thread.

I wish everyone well. When I have a book you will be the first to know. For those that want advice, contact me by email. I will respond as time permits.

Again my recommendation, read the former thread, lots of FYI buried there.

If it's not working after 5-10 minutes of warm-up, then assuming you used the supplied beaker to measure the correct 8oz of water, did not overfill the resevoir(if overfilled it will blow out a column of water), and screwed down the top tightly, then it must be defective.

just got my Shark Steamer. Could someone please tell me how these are suppose to work. It doesn't blow continuous steam- a lot of air. I don't think this is right. When I hold it upside down though I get a lot of steam. I might have a defect?

Yeah, no RCM here although I'm scouring the thrift stores for an old TT. I think 1 minute of steam or so might get the job done it the record were turning. Also, I think I've located a store that sells some form of the Shark so I'll stop by tomorrow and see what they have.

Thanks for posting.

FWIW, the Shark hand-held with similar 8 oz. reservior provides uninterrupted steam for at least one minute-- after which I stopped trying. About 8-10 seconds does it with a RCM. I can see how without an RCM it would take longer.

NOTE: I attempted to post this yesterday and was informed that I am restricted to a 750 word limit. I then posted a truncated version (three words) which apparently failed to amuse the moderator. So here, once more, is the full version. If it cuts of mid-sentence, so be it.

Here are my first impressions of steam cleaning with the steamer currently sold by Walgeens. Remember that I have nothing to compare the steamer's performance to except the videos I've seen and testimonials I've read.

First, the steamer: Walgreens Living Solutions, item #W14A8006

The steamer holds 220ml of water, which doesn't go very far (at least using it the way I did). Using the angled attachment and starting with the grooves nearest the label, I held the steamer about 3-4 inches above the record and moved in an expanding circular pattern. I could make about 2 laps around the LP before the steam velocity decreased noticeably and the Not Ready light came on. As I moved farther out, with the diameter becoming progressively larger, I found that I could not make one complete lap before having to wait for the steamer to catch up.

Evaluation
I am disappointed with the performance of this unit and suspect that it is sub-par when compared with steamers used by others.

Cleaning Results
I started on albums that I owned in high school (graduated in '72) which had be previously played to death on one of those ubiquitous BSR turntables with the tonearm that held that little "needle" that you flipped over to play 78s. On these specimens, no miracles were observed. Once I was sure I could do this operation without melting the vinyl, I moved on to records with a better history of care and found that surface noise was in fact reduced, sometimes dramatically. I should point out that my process consisted of

1. using 1 dedicated micro fiber cloth for pre-cleaning
2. steaming
3. using 2 more micro fibers to blot up the water and wipe dry.*

Conclusion
I think that steaming holds promise, provided the right equipment and techniques are used (thanks to the pioneering efforts of many others, I don't have to re-invent the wheel). With the addition of a cleaning solution to pre clean (paired with a VIP or DD brush), a better steamer and perhaps a vacuuming of the surface with a homemade attachment to finish up, I should get more consistent results and a sparkling clean record collection.

*the micro fiber cloths I used, something made in China and purchased from Lowe's, proved to be a poor choice judging from the tumbleweeds that were wrapped around my stylus after playing about 4 album sides.

To be honest the answer is yes. But don't let that dissuade you from using steam to clean your records. However, it could also be that you are new and the moderators don't "know" you yet.

One other question/thought:

Has there been a history of flame wars in this forum? The requirement for every post to be reviewed and approved by a moderator (and the subsequent, lengthy delay involved) seems like an arrangement best suited to misbehaving children, not responsible, reasonable adults.

Thanks. On my way home today I stopped at yet another Walgreens and found that they are now carrying a steamer under a new name, "Living Solutions". Is it any good? Well, I intend to find out since I just bought one. I have a few more things to gather up before I attempt to cook my first LP. Stay tuned.

I just bought a $40 1000W Shark hand-held from Target on-line. It works great, does not run out of steam, and appears to be well-built.

Hello,

I just registered for the express purpose of asking what brand/model is considered the #2 choice behind the Perfection steamer, which is no longer available? I apparently discovered this thread a month or so too late...

I noticed that when I used a steamer (in my case it is Perfection ) on LPs, I got a bit of burning vinyl smell. My steamer's noozle was about 4 inches away from LPs.
anyone notice that?

Thank you Vetterone, I appreciate your offer. I'll call around in NYC. You may get an email.

Gregg

Just picked one up tonight at Walgreens. They had several. Glad to get you one if you can't get one local or online.

Walgreens "Perfection" RIP?

It's no longer available, I could not find one in NYC in September, I'm going to have some time to play over Christmas so I thought I'd pick one up, are there any other suggestions? K-Mart maybe?

Gregg