Vinyl Cleaning

There is a discussion on this topic which is entitled "Best cleaning fluid procedures with the VPI 16.5." Some don't like any alcohol, although using 5% isopropyl alcohol and 95% distilled water along with the dab of soap (surfactant)will do the trick. Too much soap will cause it to foam and leave a residue. SDCambell may be recommending far more alcohol (12%!!)than is useful and could harm the vinyl if left on for any length of time. Also, there is no 99.9% pure alcohol as chemically, it's a virtual impossibility. Typically, you'll find 60% and 90% at the drug store. Go for the 90%.

(In case you are wondering, the balance of the alcohol in the 60% or 90% solutions is pure water. As you may recall from chem class, alcohols and most acids love to absorb water, making it reasonably impossible to get more than about 95% to 98% pure unless you want to spend the national budget.)

Cheers!
Jim

Hey, SD!

I haven't noticed any ill effects from alcohol either, but some folks are (rightfully) leery of putting ANY alcohol in the mix. Part of the reason I try to use a minimal amount is that, after cleaning several albums, the alcohol odor starts to get to me. If it were only Jack Daniels instead of isopropyl.....

Perhaps the "99.9% pure" refers not to the percentage of alcohol, but to the overall purity of the solution?

Regards
Jim

To Wags question on what brush to use- the guy at Record Research recommends using a soft carbon micro fiber type (several brands on the market from $10 or so) while the brush that VPI has available is quite stiff. I find myself using the VPI brush for wet cleaning and the micro fiber for dry dusting.

Jim