Record cleaning - what's your method?

Swapped out the velvet pads on my MoFi brush (used in the distilled water rinse of my process) and plan to swap out the pads on the VPI tube later today. Just a friendly reminder for anyone using consumables in your record cleaning process, today/this week is as good a time as any for a "refresh."

I track sides/LPs cleaned and I was just about due for replacing these parts anyways (and they're like $5 tops so why not?)
 
ngower said:
Swapped out the velvet pads on my MoFi brush (used in the distilled water rinse of my process) and plan to swap out the pads on the VPI tube later today. Just a friendly reminder for anyone using consumables in your record cleaning process, today/this week is as good a time as any for a "refresh."

I track sides/LPs cleaned and I was just about due for replacing these parts anyways (and they're like $5 tops so why not?)
Click to expand...
I thought I was the only one that consumed velvet pads. A little rosemary and 🤌🏻
 
I purchased a record cleaning kit from Squeaky Clean Vinyl about a year ago and am just now getting around using it and it’s great.

I have a crate of old records from the 70s that my mom had in a closet. I’ll just say that they haven’t been well cared for.

So far I’m 2 for 4 on cleaning and getting them to a listenable state.

A copy of Wes Montgomery- Greatest Hits didn’t have a sleeve, but looked ok was not a success. Still to many pops and click. Maybe needs an ultrasonic cleaning.

A copy of Donny Hathaway - Everything is Everything was scuffed beyond repair. 😢

I had success with Bill Withers - Still Bill (1972) and Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes - I Miss You. The Squeaky Clean was what these 2 needed to sound great.

Hopefully, I’ll continue to have success as I work my way through the crate which has OG 70s releases from Stevie Womder, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Night, Natalie Cole, Al Jerreau, Al Green, Chicago, Stanley Clark, The Temptations, the Commodores and more.

IMG_2100.jpegIMG_2099.jpeg
 
mindhead1 said:
I purchased a record cleaning kit from Squeaky Clean Vinyl about a year ago and am just now getting around using it and it’s great.

I have a crate of old records from the 70s that my mom had in a closet. I’ll just say that they haven’t been well cared for.

So far I’m 2 for 4 on cleaning and getting them to a listenable state.

A copy of Wes Montgomery- Greatest Hits didn’t have a sleeve, but looked ok was not a success. Still to many pops and click. Maybe needs an ultrasonic cleaning.

A copy of Donny Hathaway - Everything is Everything was scuffed beyond repair. 😢

I had success with Bill Withers - Still Bill (1972) and Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes - I Miss You. The Squeaky Clean was what these 2 needed to sound great.

Hopefully, I’ll continue to have success as I work my way through the crate which has OG 70s releases from Stevie Womder, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Night, Natalie Cole, Al Jerreau, Al Green, Chicago, Stanley Clark, The Temptations, the Commodores and more.

View attachment 224651View attachment 224652
Click to expand...
Ultrasonic cleaning often helps but cannot repair genuine damage.
 
tvham said:
I live in a SUPER dusty apartment and the combo of blu-tack and stylus brush just isn't doing it for me. Willing to give this a shot to see if it will work out better, and I have a Ortofon Blue if that makes any difference.
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Ortofon recommends not using any solvent on their styli. That being said, I cleaned my 2M Blue with a stylus brush, wetted with distilled water. Worked every time without dislodging the stylus gem. However, I did it infrequently - maybe 3-4 times a year. The rest of the time I cleaned using the dry stylus brush.
 
tvham said:
Has anyone used this stylus cleaner?


I live in a SUPER dusty apartment and the combo of blu-tack and stylus brush just isn't doing it for me. Willing to give this a shot to see if it will work out better, and I have a Ortofon Blue if that makes any difference.
Click to expand...
I would go with the AT.
I use it with no issues.

www.audio-technica.com

AT607a

The AT607a liquid stylus cleaner removes dirt and dust from the stylus tip for improved performance and extended stylus life. Bottle contains 0.33 fl. oz (10 ml) of quick-drying cleaning fluid. Ap ...
www.audio-technica.com www.audio-technica.com
 
Jbraswell said:
I would go with the AT.
I use it with no issues.

www.audio-technica.com

AT607a

The AT607a liquid stylus cleaner removes dirt and dust from the stylus tip for improved performance and extended stylus life. Bottle contains 0.33 fl. oz (10 ml) of quick-drying cleaning fluid. Ap ...
www.audio-technica.com www.audio-technica.com
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Just my experience: The Audio Technica cleaner works, but sixteen bucks for two teaspoons of alcohol with a tiny brush was a bad deal to me. And, Ortofon does not recommend using it with their styli (see above). Finally, plain distilled water on my stylus brush works equally well. YMMV.

Edit: Ortofon has updated their recommendations to read: "We recommend the use of a dry brush only; avoid any fluids or gels as they can potentially damage the stylus or the internals of the cartridge."

ortofon.com

Protect your equipment

Ortofon is a micro-mechanical powerhouse, which develops, manufactures and markets the world acclaimed Ortofon phono cartridges.
ortofon.com ortofon.com
 
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Angsty said:
Just my experience: The Audio Technica cleaner works, but sixteen bucks for two teaspoons of alcohol with a tiny brush was a bad deal to me. And, Ortofon does not recommend using it with their styli (see above). Finally, plain distilled water on my stylus brush works equally well. YMMV.

Edit: Ortofon has updated their recommendations to read: "We recommend the use of a dry brush only; avoid any fluids or gels as they can potentially damage the stylus or the internals of the cartridge."

ortofon.com

Protect your equipment

Ortofon is a micro-mechanical powerhouse, which develops, manufactures and markets the world acclaimed Ortofon phono cartridges.
ortofon.com ortofon.com
Click to expand...
Yeah I've held off using any liquids as ortofon recommends against it. Just thought I'd check in here if anyone uses that specific machine with one.
 
Angsty said:
Just my experience: The Audio Technica cleaner works, but sixteen bucks for two teaspoons of alcohol with a tiny brush was a bad deal to me. And, Ortofon does not recommend using it with their styli (see above). Finally, plain distilled water on my stylus brush works equally well. YMMV.

Edit: Ortofon has updated their recommendations to read: "We recommend the use of a dry brush only; avoid any fluids or gels as they can potentially damage the stylus or the internals of the cartridge."

ortofon.com

Protect your equipment

Ortofon is a micro-mechanical powerhouse, which develops, manufactures and markets the world acclaimed Ortofon phono cartridges.
ortofon.com ortofon.com
Click to expand...
I wouldn't worry about the value. It's such a small amount per use that it last years.

Often, I will brush it with the AT stuff and then dip it in a sticky to pull whatever FOD off.
Helps dry the tip also.

But yeah, don't over apply.
 
tvham said:
Yeah I've held off using any liquids as ortofon recommends against it. Just thought I'd check in here if anyone uses that specific machine with one.
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I get it - I responded because the Hudson cleaner also uses a cleaning fluid. Have you tried a magic eraser?
 
Anyone use this ultrasonic stylus cleaner from Hudson Hi-Fi? I ordered one. Less than $30, my stylus is kinda crusty. Figured it couldn't hurt. Curious about people's experiences with it.

hudsonhifi.com

Ultrasonic Stylus Cleaner for Turntables – Anti-Static Needle Cleaner with Safe, Residue-Free Ultrasonic Vibration for 15-Second Precision Cleaning

Experience the purest sound with the Hudson Hi-Fi Ultrasonic Stylus Cleaner. In just 15 seconds, the ultrasonic vibrations gently and effectively remove dirt and residue from your turntable's stylus, improving tracking and restoring clarity. This compact and easy-to-use cleaner is perfect for...
hudsonhifi.com hudsonhifi.com
 
SnowmaNick said:
A little off topic, but do you use a dust cover on your table?
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Better question - is there an air purifier in the room? The whole purpose of a good air purifier is to keep particles out of the air.

Gels on a stylus are terrible. More harm than good. Fluids, unless an insane amount is poured into the cartidge, can't harm cartridge internals. Generally speaking, liquids do not travel upwards. The issue with fluids is deterioration of the glue attaching the stylus to the cantilever. Chisto has a pretty good solution for this.
 
RHANDMJ said:
Better question - is there an air purifier in the room? The whole purpose of a good air purifier is to keep particles out of the air.

Gels on a stylus are terrible. More harm than good. Fluids, unless an insane amount is poured into the cartidge, can't harm cartridge internals. Generally speaking, liquids do not travel upwards. The issue with fluids is deterioration of the glue attaching the stylus to the cantilever. Chisto has a pretty good solution for this.
Click to expand...
I have a small air purifier in my bedroom and it catches so much dust and dirt, I'll have to get another to put near my turntable set up.
 
Jbraswell said:
We have AprilAire for the whole house and still battle dust with no pets included.
Dust is undefeated but can be minimized to some extent.
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You can never eliminate dust. Your skin produces an amazing amount through continual flaking.

For the most part, unless extreme, dust doesn't affect vinyl playback. The stylus just pushes it out of the way.

Just look at a record under strong direct sunlight. Loads of dust even right after being cleaned.

I'm fairly dubious about 'whole house' solutions, but I have stand alone Philips air purifiers that are doing a terrific job, as well as a pair of Briiv which are even better.
 
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