Record cleaning - what's your method?

I use an Okki Nokki with Audio Intelligent #6 fluid. For particularly dirty records, I let them soak in the fluid for a few minutes before vacuuming. I tend to let the vacuum do 3-4 full passes over the record. I also sometimes need to use a microfiber cloth to dry off the outside edge of the record and some of the run-in grooves.

Clean records always go into a new inner sleeve (typically a MoFi).

If I'm digitizing a record, I'll sometimes clean it twice before I start recording.
 
Does anyone know what makes up the disc doctor miracle cleaning solution. It smells an awful lot like a peroxide based cleaner w/surfactant.

 
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During the record cleaning seminar at Rocky Mountain audio fest, to be fair they all were from companies that sell cleaning products and or machines/tools and they all said how terrible it was because it’s “toxic” I think of you go back through this thread we may have discussed it. They all talked about how you should know what’s in the cleaning “solution” you buy except they don’t tell you what makes up there’s. Tergikleen is effective compared to just isopropyl alcohol mixed in and “toxic” isn’t specific to what degree or in what ways even water can be toxic in absurd amounts to the human body. I decided to try the stuff acoustic sounds sells, the guy on the panel from there says they use it amongst other products depending on the state of the record being cleaned. Obviously like with most things you can’t expect one product or method to always be ideal but it seems like with cavitation if you anything that breaks down oils and other contaminants and you rinse the record it should be just fine for most records.

Oh I think I saw that panel video and they were shitting on isopropyl too, right? I still use it tho lol
 
Oh I think I saw that panel video and they were shitting on isopropyl too, right? I still use it tho lol
Well the alcohol was a different story, it would seem that many people probably use way too much but that in moderate amounts it isn’t harmful and has benefits. I believe the guy from kirmuss audio and the guy from acoustic sounds kind of discussed that at some point. The things that seem logical to me about cleaning records is that you want to remove as many contaminants as possible without causing further damage. This means it’s as important to rinse and avoid using products that leave any residue behind that doesn’t simply rinse off with water. I’ve been trying out the disc doctor that acoustic sounds owns now I believe it’s the miracle record cleaner version. I previously with my cavitation bath tried distilled water and alcohol and distilled water with tergikleen. The tergikleen seemed to work extremely well but it is harder to rinse off then the disc doctor which I have now tried. The disc doctor merely anecdotally seems to closely resemble a hydrogen peroxide based solution with a surfactant which is used for cleaning/sanitizing as well as stain removal. This would lead me to believe that some version of that would be great for records. I don’t do any mechanical cleaning before the cavitation bath and many especially older records get cleaned and played three to six times before they are to me subjectively clean as the play all the way through with no contaminants on the stylus, I then clean them once more. I use a spin clean to rinse after and dry with microfibers. With the tergikleen I put alcohol in the rinse, I don’t with the disc doctor solution.
 
Does anyone know what makes up the disc doctor miracle cleaning solution. It smells an awful lot like a peroxide based cleaner w/surfactant.


I don't know what's in Disc Doctor but it absolutely sucks. It's a bottle full of surface noise. I like their stylus cleaner though.
 
I’ll have to time my vacuum passes on the squeaky clean for comparison. I do 2 full rotations for wash and then rinse so four passes per side. I am definitely rotating slower than 33rpm but not by too much. To get it all out, washed and put back up is an average of 5 minutes per record.
How long do you leave the fluid on to "soak". I'm usually around a minute a side of soak time. I've noticed I have to quite a few spins to get all the fluid up out of the grooves. Definitely more than 4 in each direction.
 
How long do you leave the fluid on to "soak". I'm usually around a minute a side of soak time. I've noticed I have to quite a few spins to get all the fluid up out of the grooves. Definitely more than 4 in each direction.
Depends on the record. For new stuff not very long. I focus more on the rotations under the brush. For grimier stuff I leave it on substantially longer to help pick up more residues (especially cigarette smoke). Occasionally, I'll let one sit wet while I sleeve the already washed stuff. The distilled rinse water defintely comes up quicker and dryer than the detergent water.
 
So I guess the distilled water I used for the TTVJ was bad? Since there's floating stuff in it and it's been kept in a cool dark place constantly.
 
Whatever your small load setting is and let them air dry..........no dryer.
But I heard air dry doesn't make them fluffier

I also heard that you should use detergent and bleach with the cloth since it says you must do they for with white clothing
 
But I heard air dry doesn't make them fluffier
Air drying is what's recommended and what I always did when I had one.........besides, fluffy doesn't matter, they just need to be absorbent. But you're free to follow any other recommendations as well. Just stating what I know and did ;)
 
Air drying is what's recommended and what I always did when I had one.........besides, fluffy doesn't matter, they just need to be absorbent. But you're free to follow any other recommendations as well. Just stating what I know and did ;)
The mkII has no instructions for washing beyond if you do it work clothes be whites only with detergent and bleach
 
Warm or hot setting.. and speed was with auto soak or towels and sheets just trying to figure out these washer settings
Whites are usually washed in hot water. I would say with the towel setting, but every washer is a little different so I couldn't tell you for sure.
 
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