Record Cleaner

It's BS. I can understand your concern, but if there's any truth in it I've destroyed a hell of a lot of vinyl. And I seriously doubt that.

It's B.S. Enzymes cannot "eat" vinyl. The person who said that on AA also said that enzymes were living things, which they are not. They are proteins composed of amino acids, and they are harmless to elements in the environment.

Enzymes are used in oral care products, baking, fruit juices, yogurt, cheese, and in distilled beverages. Enzymes are also biodegradable. The 4 most common enzymes are (1) proteases, which break down protein; (2) lipases, which break down fats; (3) cellulases, which break down cellulose; and (4) amylases, which break down starches.

Vinyl is none of these things, but many of the things which contaminate vinyl are these things -- most notably, proteins and fats. Hence, the enzymes act on the contaminates; they do not alter the vinyl itself.

Best regards,
Paul Frumkin

Thanks for clearing this up - guess I didn't read the "anti-enzyme" thread very well - even I know that enzymes aren't living things! Guess I was thinking of oil-eating bacteria or something. :-D

Kel34 Please don't blame the record cleaning machines it is the record quality that is most inconsistent "Record washing does not seem to be an exact science" and "none yield consistent results". There isn't a record cleaning machine or cleaning fluid in the world to fix that fact. A great example of this is you could have different pressings of the same recording and some sound quieter and/or sonically closer to a live performance and some do not. I agree with you though that there does not seem to be a consensus amongst audiophiles on the best methodology for cleaning those pesky black discs. Enjoy!

Paul_frumkin has made an informative point. This just adds to your credibility with me kind sir.