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Record Cleaning brushes - experimentation?

I know we tend to beat the subject of record cleaning to death (but we all love it so much) - yet I don't remember seeing much of a discussion of record cleaning brushes.

I scrub my records when I clean them. I use mostly MoFi fluids and brushes, but since I recently bought my 2nd VPI machine, I've been experimenting with VPI fluid and brushes. The VPI brush seems a little hard and bristly, but after going back and forth with it versus that MoFi brushes, I'm not sure it doesn't get a little deeper into the grooves and perhaps dislodge a bit more debris. But I only use the VPI brush with the VPI fluid...so maybe it's in part the fluid I'm responding to. However, the MoFi enzyme-based fluid seems to dissolve some debris that the VPI doesn't catch (as I've noticed when I go back to VPI-cleaned Lps and do them over with MoFi). (In fact, I can go back after a MoFi cleaning and get some improvement with the VPI brush and fluid, but also go back after a VPI cleaning and get some improvement with the MoFi brushes and fluids.)

Probably the answer is to continue to mix and match, and on really problematic records, use it all. But I'm curious to hear from record-cleaning folks that have experimented with different brushes. What do you like? One, or another, or a combination?

Thanks
eweedhome
oilmanmojo
472 posts
 
Many types of brushes are out there and in my experience the microfiber type brushes are superior to the standard bristle brushes to get into the grooves. I do like a stiffer brush for the reason you state. I have used the vpi brush, mofi brush, bristle type brushes and some of the microfiber cloth and brushes. One of my favorite is a stiff microfiber brush that i use for wet cleaning that is very good as an initial cleaning brush to spread the cleaning solution and get some agitation into the groove. I use this in combination with a steaming step then reapply using a mofi microfiber brush with cleaner followed by a rinse with distilled h20 and clean mofi brush.
eweedhome OP
227 posts
 
Oilmanmojo - Thanks much. So I'm clear, you consider the MoFi brush to be a "microfiber" brush? (I don't really know what "microfiber" means, to be honest.) The stiff microfibre brush that you use for wet cleaning, first step, is that a MoFi brush? And would you consider the VPI brush to be a "standard bristle" brush?

Thanks
cerrot's avatar
cerrot
1,700 posts
 
I was using th ones you are using but recently purchased walker audios three brush set-I only use it for cleaning used records with the AI 3-step cleaners and I'm happy with it. For new records, its mofi brushes (2 seperate ones) with Needle Dr fluid and rinse with distilled water. (Trying to avoid cross contamination). I was using the VPI brush with the Needle Dr. but read it doesn't get into the grooves as well as the mo-fi. I should pick up another set of the walkers and use those all the way around as they do a great job.
dopogue
1,773 posts
 
For about 5 years I've been using nothing but the LAST brushes, currently 10 for $30. Easy to see when to discard them because they're white to start with. I use a separate one for each of the three AIVS cleaning fluids including the final Ultra-Pure water rinse
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