Record cleaning - what's your method?

Got a reply from Nick pretty quickly, here's what he said:

"Really sorry you're having this issue. I have heard of it twice before and had a friend of mine who is a chemist check it out. Apparently there are plasticizers in some newer records that can react with the mat if it is still damp with an alcohol based cleaner.

They will simply disappear and cause no harm.

I do understand you would find this alarming, I will send you a replacement mat to see if that solves the problem."

I checked the record I noticed this on last night and the marks were in fact gone this afternoon. I'm going to try it out on a few other records and maybe clean the mat before asking him to waste money shipping another mat to the states. Good to know, and definitely interesting. Thanks to everyone for your help!
 
I have a VPI 17 that I use and as of late putting together a Ultra Sonic system. I have a DIY solution that I am trying that can be diluted and used in the US tank. If anyone is interested this is the formula. It comes from a chemist that comments on Vinyl Engine. The only difference is I add a .1% Hepastat for static reduction. Will use a 3 to 1 mix for my US tank and final rinse on the VPI. If a couple of guys get together, for less than$50 bucks minus the alcohol / distilled water you can make enough to last a long long time (around 350 gal)

Took an empty gal. water jug. mixed 10 oz. of Triton X-100 to 90 oz. of distilled water to yield a 10% stock solution. I did add a few ounces of alcohol to help it dissolve.

[IMG]


I use the premixed stock solution to make my final cleaning solution.

I remove about 11-12 oz. of water from a gallon jug of distilled water. I add about 3.5 oz. of the diluted Triton X-100 stock solution to the distilled water gallon jug. I add in about 8-oz. of 70% Isopropyl alcohol and that is my final cleaning solution.

This allows me to make over 36 batches of cleaning solution from my diluted stock solution.

Figure that I can make up ten gallons of stock solution for the straight Triton X-100.

That will yield 360-gallons of record cleaning solution, from the single $35-bottle of Triton X-100.

At at total cost of < 10¢ per gallon for the Triton X-100 that I use in the finished cleaning solution (plus the cost of the 70% Isopropyl alcohol, which is currently about $3/Qt.
 
Sturgus said:
I have a VPI 17 that I use and as of late putting together a Ultra Sonic system. I have a DIY solution that I am trying that can be diluted and used in the US tank. If anyone is interested this is the formula. It comes from a chemist that comments on Vinyl Engine. The only difference is I add a .1% Hepastat for static reduction. Will use a 3 to 1 mix for my US tank and final rinse on the VPI. If a couple of guys get together, for less than$50 bucks minus the alcohol / distilled water you can make enough to last a long long time (around 350 gal)

Took an empty gal. water jug. mixed 10 oz. of Triton X-100 to 90 oz. of distilled water to yield a 10% stock solution. I did add a few ounces of alcohol to help it dissolve.

[IMG]


I use the premixed stock solution to make my final cleaning solution.

I remove about 11-12 oz. of water from a gallon jug of distilled water. I add about 3.5 oz. of the diluted Triton X-100 stock solution to the distilled water gallon jug. I add in about 8-oz. of 70% Isopropyl alcohol and that is my final cleaning solution.

This allows me to make over 36 batches of cleaning solution from my diluted stock solution.

Figure that I can make up ten gallons of stock solution for the straight Triton X-100.

That will yield 360-gallons of record cleaning solution, from the single $35-bottle of Triton X-100.

At at total cost of < 10¢ per gallon for the Triton X-100 that I use in the finished cleaning solution (plus the cost of the 70% Isopropyl alcohol, which is currently about $3/Qt.
Click to expand...

You had me until the isopropyl.
 
Ilfotol is better than Triton-X..here is the recipe come up with by an organic chemist who is a vinyl ripper. There are a lot more variations and a rinse solution but I'll not cloud this with those. This just flat out works, no U/S needed but a RCM helps a lot. The key is the mechanical scrubbing

Here is the recipe for the cleaning solution:

take 1 l of water in a glass bottle/vessel (it’s always better to use glass for these solutions), remove 50 ml and replace them with 50 ml of Ilfotol.

If you want Tergitols in your mix, add 3 to four drops of TergiKleen and shake to mix the chemicals. TergiKleen takes about 24h to correctly dissolve and form the right micelles.
 
vinyldoneright said:
Ilfotol is better than Triton-X..here is the recipe come up with by an organic chemist who is a vinyl ripper. There are a lot more variations and a rinse solution but I'll not cloud this with those. This just flat out works, no U/S needed but a RCM helps a lot. The key is the mechanical scrubbing

Here is the recipe for the cleaning solution:

take 1 l of water in a glass bottle/vessel (it’s always better to use glass for these solutions), remove 50 ml and replace them with 50 ml of Ilfotol.

If you want Tergitols in your mix, add 3 to four drops of TergiKleen and shake to mix the chemicals. TergiKleen takes about 24h to correctly dissolve and form the right micelles.
Click to expand...
The guy that came up with this mix is also a chemist and says that Ilfotol is just a diluted version of Triton-x therefore more expensive. This is from a discussion on Vinyl Engine. Not saying your wrong just that after reading and conversing with him, I trust his knowledge.


Post by vince1 » 22 Jan 2019 19:36


You do realize that the surfactant in Ilfotol is identical to Tergitol to Triton X-100 yes? Oh, except you pay a huge premium for packaging, labeling, marketing, and the toxic isothiazole preservative in a hugely diluted preparation. They don't specify which alcohol ethoxylate is in their solution, but these are the most common and surely used. There isn't anything magic here, and certainly no marketing you should be falling for. Furthermore, there is nothing materially similar to photographic film and phonographic records so products marketed for one application are not optimized for the other. Detergent, surfactant, wetting agent, emulsifier, cleaner, degreaser....don't be fooled by marketing terms for the same thing.
 
I am more in the tergitol camp as I have used triton X-100 for years with other boutique cleaning fluids. I have the recordings to back up my preference but to each their own
 
My name is Steve and I neglect my records. After throwing Teen Dream on this morning and being able to literally hear the stylus grinding against crud in the initial grooves, I decided that it is well beyond time to invest a cleaning system. I know there’s a lot of love for the Spin Clean and that’s what I’m leaning toward. I don’t care to invest in a vacuum system. I get that they are probably better, but that’s more than I can do right now. Is that the best direction? Just need some nudges to pull the trigger I guess.
 
sjaygray said:
My name is Steve and I neglect my records. After throwing Teen Dream on this morning and being able to literally hear the stylus grinding against crud in the initial grooves, I decided that it is well beyond time to invest a cleaning system. I know there’s a lot of love for the Spin Clean and that’s what I’m leaning toward. I don’t care to invest in a vacuum system. I get that they are probably better, but that’s more than I can do right now. Is that the best direction? Just need some nudges to pull the trigger I guess.
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You’ll be amazed at all the garbage that the SC will pull out of the grooves. You’ll be able to hear the difference.
 
sjaygray said:
My name is Steve and I neglect my records. After throwing Teen Dream on this morning and being able to literally hear the stylus grinding against crud in the initial grooves, I decided that it is well beyond time to invest a cleaning system. I know there’s a lot of love for the Spin Clean and that’s what I’m leaning toward. I don’t care to invest in a vacuum system. I get that they are probably better, but that’s more than I can do right now. Is that the best direction? Just need some nudges to pull the trigger I guess.
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Another entry point for some people is Groove Washer. I was given some bottles a few years ago for Xmas. Works great on new records but on used ones (especially bargain bin ones) you need a bit more elbow grease. Either way you go, a simple, low impact system to start and soon enough you will be looking at record vacuum systems.
 
sjaygray said:
My name is Steve and I neglect my records. After throwing Teen Dream on this morning and being able to literally hear the stylus grinding against crud in the initial grooves, I decided that it is well beyond time to invest a cleaning system. I know there’s a lot of love for the Spin Clean and that’s what I’m leaning toward. I don’t care to invest in a vacuum system. I get that they are probably better, but that’s more than I can do right now. Is that the best direction? Just need some nudges to pull the trigger I guess.
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Hi Steve! If you can stretch your budget to $200, then you can have a vacuum system. My Record Doctor V is simple to operate, well-built and does an excellent job of sucking the crud out of the grooves. Over time it might be more cost-effective too, especially if you make your own cleaning solution, lots of tips on that in this thread. Conversely, the Spin Clean has a special solution which you have to use, something to do with suspension of the particulates.
 
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sjaygray said:
My name is Steve and I neglect my records. After throwing Teen Dream on this morning and being able to literally hear the stylus grinding against crud in the initial grooves, I decided that it is well beyond time to invest a cleaning system. I know there’s a lot of love for the Spin Clean and that’s what I’m leaning toward. I don’t care to invest in a vacuum system. I get that they are probably better, but that’s more than I can do right now. Is that the best direction? Just need some nudges to pull the trigger I guess.
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You can get a Squeaky Clean for around $120 if you can stretch it. It will need a shop vac though but any cheap one will do. I always found the Spin Clean cumbersome to use and you have to "batch clean" to avoid wasting fluid.
 
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