stereo for the joy of it - can records be cleaned?

czarivey, I'd love to see your cleaning videos, so I will PM you. I'm guessing you might be using a "V8" tank cleaner and rotisserie? 

Of course I am biased as the owner of the ultrasonic record cleaning service Record Genie, but the Audio Desk and Klaudio ultrasonic record cleaning machines offer great results. I also have a VPI 16.5 that I use for pre-cleaning very dirty or moldy records before ultrasonically cleaning them. Let me know if you are interested in having your set cleaned, my rates are affordable (as compared to buying machines) and I have happy customers all over the USA.

czarivey,

That sounds like a novel approach to cleaning/drying!

What kind of RPM's does your "high speed" drill run at at?

Enjoy the music!
Dave

tzh21y,

I’ve seen different sleeve materials interact differently with the record surface, some of the worst are the wiggly "contact patterns" made by some older poly sleeves that affect the surfaces of the vinyl.

If you’ve got "bits" of sleeve stuck on the record surface then obviously those need to be removed from the playing area, and I would use my VPI 16.5 cleaner to do that first, and then use an Audio Desk or Klaudio ultrasonic cleaner (or both) to clean deep into the grooves.

Otherwise, the good news is that sleeve marks/patterns are generally cosmetic and not audible, since they are only on the surface of the playback area (tops of the "lands" between grooves) and not down in the groove walls where the music is.

Having said that, while the appearance of some surface marks will be removed or reduced by thorough cleaning, other surface marks will be impossible to remove, so it’s really just a case of cleaning and seeing what happens..

Let me know if you would like me to try..
Dave

stringgreen,

Which "audiophile approved" record cleaner do you have?

I have a "factory mistake" record with double labels applied on one side, one of which is incorrectly positioned way off center, such that several tracks on that side can't be played - What brand/model of steam cleaner do you have, and do you think it would be suitable for the job?

If it only costs $15 and you've had success using it with your records, I would very much appreciate it if you could post a link..

Thanks,
Dave

stringreen,

Thanks for the info, although unfortunately it looks like the Perfection brand of steam cleaners are no longer made, although I checked and see it’s probably a 1000 watt steamer you have, the bright red one!

There are steamers on Amazon for around $30 if I want to buy new, but I think I will keep an eye out for one at yard sales etc just to play with, and I will be sure to experiment on scrap records to start!

Thanks,
Dave

czarivey,

Thanks for your comments..

Good to know about the drill speed of 500rpm, as that is pretty high speed, so I’m sure it must fling all the water off quickly! Have you had any problems with record spindle hole wear or deformation?

I’m relatively new here on A’gon, not many posts, so I’m not sure I can "PM" anyone yet, but I did look at your profile and was able to use the "Send a Message" button on the "Marketplace Feedback" page to send you a note with my email address, but better yet, put the videos up on Youtube and post a link for everyone!

I’ve never used lighter fluid directly on any records, but of course it’s good for removing unwanted labels from jackets. I guess it might be okay for records themselves if it’s not on there for long, but I would want to make sure the area is thoroughly rinsed immediately afterwards.

I do have concerns about steam cleaning doing damage, but my interest in it comes primarily from seeing Michael Fremer’s video where he cleans a water damaged record that had a paper sleeve stuck to it.. It was a real mess, and he seemed to do pretty well with just a small hand-held steamer.

I applaud the fact that you’ve made your own cleaning devices for $300 and you find those results acceptable (and convenient) on your 2,000+ records. I’m using 2 Audio Desk machines, and 2 Klaudio machines to good effect (especially when "double-cleaning" with both machines) and I know Record Genie customers love the results too.

Yes, proper cleaning using the "single slot" machines does take a lot of elapsed time, but they are highly automated and the results are very consistent. $6 per record has been mentioned, but I charge less than $3 per record for ultrasonic cleaning on one machine, and $5 per record for ultrasonic cleaning on both machines ("double-cleaning"). New inner sleeves are always included in my prices, and I also offer bulk discounts as high as 25% off.

Drivers and passengers? I’m not sure how this relates to record cleaning, but I’m definitely a driver.. I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy owning and driving some nice cars over the years, including a Porsche 911, BMW M3 coupe, BMW M5, and I also had a BMW R1100RT touring motorcycle for 8 years. Yes, I love high-performance German cars and motorcycles, but now with 3 children aged 5 and under, we’re taking a practical approach, so our minivan and station wagon make sense! :)

Enjoy the music!
Dave

slaw,

+1

For really dirty records I use VPI 16.5 first, then Audio Desk, then Klaudio is a great last step with only distilled water.

I also use a TDS water testing meter (total dissolved solids) to carefully monitor actual impurities the Audio Desk cleaning solution, and the Klaudio distilled water.

If you want consistent results, it's much better to measure TDS than "guess" based on the number of records cleaned. Makes financial sense too when Audio Desk cleaning agent costs $20 per tiny bottle!

Happy cleaning! :)
Dave