White cloudy film on inside groove of an LP

I had a similar problem with a Simply Vinyl Steely Dan album. In my case the inner grooves had a light speckled pattern (almost like what one sees with a defective spray paint can--see Mr. Porter's note above). I had purchased the album from Elusive Disc but I didn't discover the problem for a month or so until I took it out to listen. They graciously replaced it without question and they had no idea what it was. I never got as far as trying advanced cleaning methods because it seemed incorrigible and the folks at ED wanted to see it for themselves.

Thank you all for the replies to this issue. Mr. Porter, if you are willing to send me a sample of this fluid, I would like to try it first before I try the more radical suggestions.
I am a little concerned that both of these LP's are from Simply Vinyl and have the same issue. I am wondering if any one else is having issue with this particular label in any other ways. I have not bought an LP in 15 years so I am not truly up to speed yet but I am trying. Mr. Porter, I will contact you offline with my email and address. Thank you again. Dale

Try the Disc Doctor fluid. I have used RR fluid, LAST fluid, Nitty Gritty and the standrd VPI, and the Disc Dr. stuff (though a MAJOR, time consuming pain in the butt to use) really works. The secret is wetting and using the "right" solvent. I do like the RR stuf for normal upkeep of reasonably clean LP's, but when the going gets tough the Disc Dr fluid does work. Havent tried VinylZime, but I amn skeptical. Why? Well, enzymes require pretty lomg contact times (several minutes) to really do their stuff, and most commercially available ans safe to use ensymes work best on enzymatic soils like grass stainf, blood, etc. THe haze you describe is best dealt with with a solvent or a good surfactant. If anyone can tell the chemical names of typical mold release agents, I cna posat some potential options....

Another possibility is that it could be related to the amount of styrene used in the raw material mix? As Mgottlieb mentions this is common on used lp's where there is visible groove wear and the groove starts to turn white. Regards, Richard.

This is a common phenomenon on used LPs, although I have not found it on LPs I bought myself new 30-40 years ago, possibly because I have put them in good quality inner sleeves, which suggests that it may be trapped water vapor held against the vinyl over time. Mold release is an interesting theory, one I have heard suggested but have no proof of. I have found that putting a small amount of denatured alcohol on a cotton swab, running it around the groove surfaces, and IMMEDIATELY washing it off in a vacuum machine works well, but you can't let the alcohol sit on the record because it will destroy it if not washed off. Following that up with a dose of LAST 2 preservative usually does the job.

As usual, Albert is right on the money. Only problem with the situation is that it sounds like you've had the discs for longer than a few days. With that in mind, you might not be able to return them unless you had contacted the dealer upon receipt and explained the situation.

If you can't return them, you might also want to try using some stuff made by Bugtussl called "Vinyl Zyme". These guys make a product that is enzyme based that MIGHT be succesful at removing the "grundge" without harming the LP. Never used the stuff personally, but saw it at a show and thought it looked impressive. It looked like it was especially suited for "nasty" discs. I've seen reviews of it and they all concluded it was up to tackling the worst stuff out there without harming the LP's. Sean
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Without seeing the LP I can only guess, but I suspect it is mold release.

Mold release lubricates the hot LP during stamping, reducing the vinyl sticking and warping. Sometime the machine goes crazy, clogs or goes off it's setting, and applies way too much. Once this cools off and hardens, it is difficult to remove.

Unfortunately the one cleaner that works best for removing this is now banned by the EPA. It was called First, was manufactured by NItty Gritty and was Freon based. The Record Research deep cleaner may do the job, although I have not had an LP as severe as you describe to test on.

I can send you a sample bottle of the RR fluid to see if it cures the problem, but you need a vacuum type record cleaning machine to do this job. Better yet, get the dealer to replace this defective merchandise and save yourself the trouble.