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What is the best way to clean records?

This was a quest I feel I accomplished. The ultrasonic cleaners seemed to be the best way. I bought a VPI Cyclone and returned it without opening the box. I knew that it was very important to well clean records but felt that just vacuuming the wet records was not very effective. That there would be dirt or stamping process solution would remain on the LP. The Kirmiss process seemed very effective but way too complicated, difficult and time consuming. And it still seems like a lot of junk would remain deep in the groves. Then I heard about the rather famous Keith Monks Record Cleaning Machines. Their RCM was developed and used by the BBC. And the machine is used by the Library of Congress and many pros, etc. And I wrote to Better-Records and they told me they use the Keith Monks RCM and most of their better LPs are used and sell for $199++!
I was most attracted by their process of using a medical grade vacuum pump and tone arm like arm with an end piece that runs barely over the record groves slowly removing all the cleaning solution, dirt and the oil-like stuff the use to be able to stamp the records. And it is very gratifying to watch the junk completely removed as the arm  takes about a minute running across to the edge. Every record comes out looking better than a brad new with a surface that shines. And, most of all, the fidelity of the sound has jumped up as much as a major component upgrade. I just emptied my first full jar of dirty solution. Man was it dirty. All that junk was on my records!
mglik
8 responses Add your response
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 
Don't let them get dirty and you do not have to clean them. If you are buying used records an ultrasonic cleaner using distilled water with a little Triton X-100 and BAK 1:750 will do the trick beautifully. 
How do you not let records get dirty after you have cleaned them or from new? Never let them stay out. Make sure static is always discharged. Cover the during play. Right back in a rice paper (non static forming) sleeve after. Do not let anybody smoke anything in your house. Have a good exhaust fan for cooking. I use a conductive sweep arm connected
to ground and I always use a dust cover during play. I never have to clean my records and I hardly ever have to clean my stylus. A good dust cover that is not directly attached to the chassis holding the plater and tonearm will actually improve the sound by attenuating any sound in the room, like putting ear muffs on. A proper duct cover can be constructed for any turntable. Some, like the Sota Tables come with a fine dust cover.
Others you will have to have one made.
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
The key to clean is the Walker Enzyme four step, also recommended by Tom Port as the best cleaner. I bought just the enzyme and cleaning solution refills, use my own bottles and brushes, with only the final two rinses being vacuumed off with the VPI. Walker Enzyme is a superb cleaning system. But its no match for the RCM. That thing if I'm not mistaken brushes solution up with a thread that's always slowly being replaced with fresh new material off a spool. Never a dirty brush, its constantly being replenished. Awesome design.
mglik OP
908 posts
 
HI Charles,
The RCM vacuums off solutions with a nozzle at the end of its arm that is suspended slightly off the record bu a thread in between
that is automatically replaced. And the vacuum pump is a large and powerful medical grade one. If the nozzle touches the vinyl on a slightly warped record, it will stop the rotation and lift the record. To prevent this, I use a Stillpoints 1.6 lb record weight.
It is the only divise that suctions off its solution a grove at a time reaching deep down to the bottoms.
And I asked about new records. Keith said that new records need the cleaning most of all. There is an oil-like substance applied to the vinyl before it is stamped to allow it to be released. I notice a huge difference in new records as well as old.
Charles, I actually thought that you had recommended the KM RCM in a post. I did confirm that Better-Records uses one as well as many dealers who offer their clients a free cleaning service. It is super fun to watch it in action! Very gratifying. Once a record undergoes this deep cleaning it is good for years if stored properly.



ljgerens
155 posts
 
I agree with what mijostyn posted except, I am not sure about the use of benzalkonium chloride. It is a cationic surfactant that I have not studied. I would add my findings regarding an ultrasonic cleaner. I built my ultrasonic cleaner in 1975 and did extensive studies using different solutions, detergents and surfactants. I found that distilled water with a little Dawn detergent provided the best combination of cleaning without leaving significant residue. Adding isopropyl alcohol was useful in removing certain contaminants. Once clean, if handled properly, your LPs should require no further cleaning. I found that even when handling LPs on the edges, oils from fingers can migrate to the outer groves of the LPs and be picked up by the stylus. So I always used clean room gloves when handling my LPs.
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 
Ijgerens, Benzalkonium chloride is not a surfactant. It is a very strong anti fungal agent. PVC unfortunately likes to grow fungus. The BAK is insurance in this regard particularly with records that you have no idea where they came from of how they were stored. When I lived in Miami I came across several collections that were destroyed by this. If you live in Arizona this may not be an issue.
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 
The BAK also takes the place of Isopropyl alcohol. 
ljgerens
155 posts
 
Benzalkonium chloride is a quaternary ammonium salt which is a cationic surfactant. It is typically used as an antiseptic. It also can be used as an anti fungal agent as you state. It may be fine to use for its anti fungal properties on LPs. My only concern with it is whether it leaves a residue behind after use. Also, BAK would not remove the same contaminants as isopropyl alcohol, so they are not interchangeable.
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Yeah, that is a killer SOTA record cleaning machine. Way too spendy for me though! The Walker Enzyme four step Tom recommended works quite well. All the Better-records.com Hot Stampers are cleaned with the Walker process using the RCM. I have quite a few of them, and the ones I have cleaned by hand using Walker and my VPI to vacuum off the final two rinses gets awfully close. The main drawback being its such a big production I tend to wait until there's a stack to make it worth doing.  

He is certainly right about new records needing cleaning maybe even more than used ones. Now that almost all mine are Walker Enzyme'd when a new uncleaned one is played it actually has a greasy sound to it. After cleaning its pristine. The difference is easy to hear, even on a brand new record.
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