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cleaning vinyl records


slave to zep

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my partner just gave me a turntable for christmas!

i dare not play any of my old records until they are clean ( it's been about 15 years since i had a record player! :o )

a record store guy told us to use warm soapy water ( mild detergent ), and to just clean using our fingertips, and leave to dry.

i can't remember what i used to do back in the day .....

what do you guys think is the best ?

thanks so much :)

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You don't need to spend loads of money on special cleaners and cloths. What my dad used to do waaaaaaaaay back in the day (and still does today) and what I do is:

1. Fill two tubs or basins full of warm (read: tepid) water. In one basin, put in a few drops of fragrance-free, dye-free, as-plain-as-it-comes dish detergent (NOT the kind you put in your dishwasher). Swirl it around until it makes some soapy bubbles.

2. Take the record out of its jacket and protective sleeve and hold it so that it's vertical and dip it into the soapy water making sure to keep the label dry. Turn the record around in your hand in a circle so that the whole of the album MINUS the label is immersed in the water and covered in suds.

3. Take a soft-bristled toothbrush and lightly scrub in small circles, going from outside to inside, all along the album, again taking care to keep the label dry.

4. After you feel you've cleaned it sufficiently, take the album and repeat the same process, but this time in the basin of clean water. Hold it like you did when you dipped it in the soapy water, and turn it around so that you get all the suds off the album. Rinse the toothbrush and use it to make sure you get all the soap out of the grooves.

5. Place the records on a clean, lint free cloth. A clean bath towel would be fine here.

6. Once the record is dry, either put it back it its sleeve or on your turntable to play. Finished!

All of this will cost you absolutely nothing, unless you need to go to get the dish soap and a soft bristled toothbrush, which shouldn't set you back hardly anything. In the US, it would cost you under $5. I don't know what things cost in Australia, but I can't see it being that expensive.

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Carefully take the album out of the sleeve

Place the vinyl in your hand and hold onto it like it was a frizzbie

Open window and toss album out

If it doesn't come back...probably wasn't worth keeping anyway's !

*** cause it was you who asked ;)

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When I sold a load of old records on eBay, I followed this advice;

CLEANING YOUR RECORDS

To ensure customer satisfaction, clean your records before selling them and ensure it plays throughout with no jumps. I have a random technique of cleaning records. I just use a damp piece of compressed toilet paper and set the record on my turntable. I turn the speed up to as fast as I can (on mine it’s 78rpm + 50%) and spin the record whilst moving the piece of toilet paper from the centre outwards. As long as the paper isn’t too damp, this will buff up the record from greasy fingerprints and remove most of the dirt. It leaves minimal lint behind (despite what people say) and whatever lint cannot be removed is usually dislodged by the needle upon playback. For tougher grime and dirt you may use alcoholic swabs then some soft toilet paper. Try to avoid using tissue paper and stuff with aloe vera in it. There are other methods to clean records too so be inventive, as long as you remember that plastic melts (when using strong solvents) and scratches easily (when using abrasive materials).

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Hmmm, I might give that one a try. My turntable has a setting for 78rpm records. What does he/she mean by compressed toilet paper, though? I'd hate to try that, do something wrong, and then damage my vinyl.

I used a single piece, folded it in half five times, wet it under the tap then pressed it together to get rid of the excess water.

My record player only goes up to 45rpm, but it still worked.

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i wouldn't even do this to a Bee Gees album

If you read the link, it's not suggesting you run the records through a cycle in the dishwasher, just that letting the record dry in a dishwasher is a good idea, as it allows to you keep the vinyl vertical. You want the record to air dry and that's a good way to do it.

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Baby Boy Urine and some Velvet Cloth, my Nan used to swear by Baby Boy Urine and used it as a face wash that prevented wrinkles, she lived to a ripe old age and still sat on her only wrinkle. :o;)

Regards, Danny

PS, I was recently prescribed an ointment for Rosacea that contains Urea and Lactic Acid.

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sorry i took so long to get back here .... been working flat out ( like a lizard drinkin! )

thanks so much for all your replies.

seems like gentle soap and water is all that is required....

guess i will get to it!

thanks again everyone. :yourock:

happy new year to you all! :toast: ( it's almost the 31st here now ... )

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For general maintenance, I use a piece of velvet or one of those new microfiber cloths and clean each side before and after I play something. If I have a plastic sleeve for the record too, I'll put the open side of the record on the bottom of the bag, and it helps keep a lot of the dust out, even when it sits for awhile.

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If you are serious about keeping your record collection in tact, a used record store owner told me and it's not expensive. All you need from your local hardware store is Denatured Alcohol and a soft clean cloth. Just pour some on the cloth and wipe your record down in a circular motion. Don't use too much, just enough to get it cleaned, and don't overdo it too often at all(If you take good care of your records, you should not have to do it all too often). And don't keep it on your record too long, either spray it on and immediately wipe it off, or as I said, pour some on your clean soft cloth and just wipe your record down.

I'm not sure or not if denatured alcohol if available everywhere or not, but as I said it's available at hardware stores. The clerk may ask you why you are buying it, just let them know it's for cleaning your vinyl records. But store it in a safe place, it is very flammable and will burn your skin. Wash your hands after using it. Most all other cleaners like discwasher has denatured alcohol in it, but they put other additives in also, plus they are way more expensive. You don't need all those additives. The denatured alcohol will lift any grime right off your record and make it clean as a whistle again.

Shouldn't be more than 10 bucks for a can of denatured alcohol, and that will last you a long time.

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  • 6 years later...

^^Well, denatured alcohol is not legal here anymore like it used to be in Arizona, so I am looking into getting a spin cleaner. i was pricing record cleaning machines and they get pretty expensive, but I have heard good things about spin cleaner and it is not too expensive at around 80 smackers.

 

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Have to be careful about cleaning records, I wouldn't just try anything like dish soap hell no.

I have a memorex cleaning arm that has a felt pad on the end and a thin white brush that I run across my records before playing them and it gets the dust off.

Usually I have pretty good luck buying rare used vinyls, but recently got one that could use a little more than just a dusting. There is a record shop downtown that does it, I'm going to look into it. At the same time it is time for me to invest. Maybe I'll just get discwasher or invest in the spin cleaner.

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On 12/28/2010 at 8:58 AM, beetleron said:

discwasher

 

unnamed.jpg

 

cheap money

 

works quite well

 

had one for almost 30 years now....used it asll the time.....and i have a record collection that would make any led hed shit

That's the one I had.

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19 hours ago, reswati said:

I never let you come close to my record collection....lol.

Never did them any harm. Re cds, I have heard one about putting them in the freezer for a few minutes. Get them out, Wipe the ice away. Works better than ever. i use cds because i got rid of my vinyl years ago. My Mrs is rebuilding her vinyl collection. By getting cheap ones from charity shops.

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