Stereophile snobbery! What a fantastic description! I have just started getting into the vinyl hobby, and my very first post on a social media platform about it, I got one of those turds running my music taste into the ground.... It's unreal ha
I miss it as well. Had a several month period of time where I kept coming across various situations where I needed a part that would have been readily available at Radio Shack. Instead each time had to wait 2 weeks or whatever for online retailers to ship it to me.
@@allstopblue5717 I also had many times needed a part or something and had to wait weeks for it . It was so nice to be able to go down the street to RadioShack. I think RadioShack was best during the late 70s early 80s. After that it was computers then phones.
My first tour with vinyl was with a set up from RadioShack - receiver, speakers, and turntable. This was in late 70's early 80's. This tour now started like 2 years ago.
Back in the early 80's i bought a Realistic stereo compact system turntable tape player/recorder receiver. Sounded great worked well for a few yrs sold it & bought a veey nice Fisher sound system compact stereo late 80's early 90"s.
A dude I knew back in the 70s had literally tens of thousands of LPs and 78s that were used by the CBC; he provided them with lots of content on demand. His way of cleaning vinyl was to wash them in soap and water, using a record preener to dig out the dirt from the grooves, then rinse thoroughly with tap water, THEN distilled water. Then use a dry preener to get most of the water out, then use compressed air to blast out all remaining water. Let dry. As a 70's audiophile, I can tell you it worked beautifully.
Did he use one of those label covers or was just really careful not to get the label on the records wet? Forgive my ignorance but what's a record preener? The think I put liquid on and run over records to clean them?
@@2010stoof He never expressed concern about the labels, though he may have neglected to tell me about that. You're right about the record preener: it's a very fine short-bristled brush that easily dug into the record groves to dislodge dirt. They were often used with anti-static liquid to stop dust from re-collecting on the vinyl from the surrounding air. Proper maintenance of vinyl is labour intensive!
@@Hominid999 ok thanks. I don't have the discwasher brush, but something similar. Just trying to convey what I meant and the discwasher is the easiest way since it spans generations. I have a "label saver" on the way and plan on using my sink and distilled rinse from now on. Too man gimmicky things out there.
Thanks Craig! I just came out from” under my rock” yesterday, when I found your channel! I love your style and the info that you present. I found Audigy last year when I wanted to digitize my Mom’s records. You have opened my eyes!
I've been dragging my 700+ record albums around for a couple of decades. I finally am determined to get back into listening to them. It's a lengthy process from buying a table with record cabinets to setting up the electrical aspects. I can barely wait to start listening to the music again, and maybe look around for records I don't have.
The Spin Clean works out quite well for me. I have found out that using an RCA Brush will only push the debris further into the LP. In the '80s I used a Disc Washer brush, and I noticed it was good for surface cleaning, not very good for removing set in dust and dirt. I also do use an anti static brush as well and I use a dry stylus brush to clean my needle. I even clean my turntable mat with water and dish soap every once in a while. I clean seriously dirty LPs with dish soap and water, then let them air dry and pass them through the Spin Clean. I don't really want to spend hundreds of dollars on a VPI or an Okki Nokki machine.
I've never used Spin Clean befoure but after your recommendation I will give him a chance . Thanku a lot Craig as always very informative and nice to watch . Take care budd.
I use dawn and tap water with a good toothbrush to clean albums. Then I towel dry and air dry. Then I hit it with the anti-static brush before I play it. If I didn't towel dry, I would be more concerned about using distilled water. I use to watch your brewing videos forever ago. Cheers Craig!
Love your videos. I am a drummer too. OK, here is how I clean my L.P.'s. Mild dishwasher detergent soapy luke warm water. Disc Washer brush and a sink. Light water from faucet to take initial dirt off (cool temp) and then soapy water with Disc Washer brush. Clean like cleaning a dish. Hand wash. Be careful of label. Dry with dish rack. Air dry for at least 4 hours. Then take to table, light haze of disc washer solution on record, with brush. Good to go. I had a WAR greatest hits album. Very hard to come by. Brought my record from barely playable to near mint condition. 70's..... pot smoke, beer, fingerprints, cigarette smoke, dust, germs, saliva and who knows what else. This method deep cleans and when I put the album back on, my wife's eyes brightened, she smiled and said, "Charlie, that sounds almost new." There ya go. Last tip... don't talk while handling. Saliva sprays all over vinyl. And I use cotton gloves when placing on spindle. And close that damn dust cover. The album creates a small vortex that acts as a dust tornado towards the vinyl.
I have the Project - VC-S and have been really happy with it. I used to have the knosti cleaner, but the VC-S does a superb job and it's really terapeutic once you get the hang of it. Listen to records while cleaning records 👍 Cool video Craig!
Thanks for the info! Been collecting since the 60's so many of my records are a bigtime mess. Glad to find a nice calm person to help me get them cleaned up for my new turntable/speakers. That was a whole other thank you for helping me set everything up correctly! Your the best - thanks alot ❤
I´d never say something like this to someone i don´t know, it´s just me, but I saw a bunch off your videos and you came not only as a guy who really knows what he´s talkig about, but most important, yo are a nice guy, I mean, I don´t allways came across nice peopple all the time. so now you know. Thanks!
Hey Craig! Good to see you again! My channel specializes in old used and dirty records. The most cost effective and effective way to deep clean my records is also the easiest. I have used it on over 200 records and revived many "discarded" records. Scrubbing bubbles... thick layer... let sit for 5 minutes... Use painters squares (The flat ones for edging that has billions of bristles)... rinse... dry.... Cheap. easy. effective.
I am pleasantly surprised with how well Spin Clean works. I love crate digging for 40s to 60s jazz. I have been able to eliminate >95% of pops and crackles. My secret: I use a little dishwasher Rinse Aid in the final spin. Makes these old records sparkle and they dry much quicker. 🤫
We use a VPI machine in our store to clean a lot of the rarer records. Pricey but it works wonderfully. At home I use a carbon fiber brush. Great video 😎
Great info!!! Love your Channel! Been using the Zerodust for a few years, works great for the Stylus. For cleaning LP's (wet/dry) I use Vinyl vac, and make my own solution. (yes distilled water only when using water) Great Channel!!
for wet cleaning, i use glass micro fiber towels and a spray bottle filled with dawn dish soap to clean the grooves, rinse with tap water. never had water spots, or label fade dry clean: carbon fiber brush before i play a record
What about using Dust Off Electronics Duster (compressed gas) before you clean the record and then to dry it at the end.? Would that work or would it hurt the record? Does anyone out there have an opinion? -- would like to know. Thanks.
Really enjoy your channel. Loved your review about the Fluance RT84. I got the RT 82. This vinyl cleaning topic reminds me of when I had my Dual 1215 with the Empire cartridge. There was this techy cleaning arm I got that followed the needle around cleaning the record groove before the needle passed over. Can't remember the name of it.
I completely understand not wanting to spend a lot of money on record cleaning equipment but as someone who did, I can say I have no regrets! I purchased the VPI HW 16.5 back when it was $500. Yes that’s a chunk of change but it has been a workhorse all these years and very reliable! I can play the perfectly cleaned record right away! I clean every record I buy new or used. Even if the seller says it was cleaned on the same system, I clean it anyway. It amazes me that some sellers will clean the record on a VPI machine and then put the record back into a paper sleeve! Anyway, obviously I feel it was well worth the investment and I doubt there is a more effective cleaning system for the money!
I put together a record cleaning set up using a lazy susan from thrift store ($5) a 1 gallon shop vac from Walmart ($30) and home made cleaning solution (ipa, surfactant and distilled water) The surfactant was the expensive part ($25), but I have enough to make hundreds of litres of fluid now, haha! All together I spent maybe $50 on a top-notch vacuum system and $35 on a lifetime supply of cleaning fluid. Spin Clean - $120. Doesn't dry your records, and fluid is expensive. Do some research and you'll come out on top every time.
Here in the UK off eBay and I think Amazon, there is a German product called "Disco-Antistat", it is similar to the spin clean you showed except it has a spindle clamp, and a drying rack, but more important it uses a chemical solution to wash the records. I have had excellent results with it, and its relatively cheap as you get a filter so you can reuse the chemical bath. The solution also cuts down the static in the record .
Thanks for sharing your cleaning methods, Craig. Cleaning seems to be an integral part of this hobby. Everybody finds their own way of doing it. And changing it 6 months later ;) Cheers. /Paul
Great advice! I’ve been doing the same for years. I did manage to find an ultrasonic cleaner that was affordable, and I prefer it over the SpinClean (and I still own my SpinClean system, too), but the ultrasonic cleaner was still over $800. I think that it gets the deep “junk” out of the tracks better than the SpinClean, and I’ve resurrected some LPs. What I dislike about SpinClean is that it will still leave behind some light residue in the tracks, but it’s definitely a good system for people on a budget. One tip: remember to replace the SpinClean felt pads after 100 cleanings or so. The pads wear out, and junk from previously-cleaned LPs might damage other LPs, or deposit debris in the tracks.
I've got a $700 ultrasonic as well. Do you ever have any problems removing the label spacers from the records after you've cleaned and fully air dried them? I'm having a big problem with that.
@@MJEvermore853 Hi MJ. I use the Kirmuss Audio Cleaning system. The labels can never get wet because the LPs are suspended above the ultrasonic bath. The labels don't need any protection because only the vinyl below the labels are gets wet. DISCLAIMER: I do not represent Kirmuss Audio. I speak only as a user.
@@MJEvermore853 As a precaution, do so using an LP that you wouldn't miss if the label was damaged. My ultrasonic system includes felt pads to remove excess water from the cleaned vinyl so that the the cleaning bath cannot reach the labels.
I use the KISS method warm water and detergent soft cloth rinse and dry with soft cloth to remove water spotting then air dry tried all the other crap doing this since the 70s, now time for a home brew.
The Onzow stylist cleaner is amazing. I use it before ever needle drop. I’ve found the best way to use it is to lift the tonearm off the holder so it’s just resting on it freely and then take the onzow and lift the tonearm up by the needle about an inch or so with the gel and then set it back down. Works amazing
Great video thank you for sharing. I use both those carbon fibre brushes and have done so since they were introduced in the 1980’s. I have been buying a few used records recently so I will now be buying one of those spin cleaners that you have shown. I was not aware of them and the only other cleaner that I was aware of was the Keith Monks record cleaner which are much more expensive.
For dust, I use a carbon fiber brush with several rotations of the platter. Then after lifting the brush straight up from the record, there will be a line of dust left behind. I use a bright led flashlight to highlight the dust and then use a new Swiffer Duster without the handle to clean the dust from the record. The duster is kept in a zip lock bag for reuse. Swiffer Dusters are dust magnets.
I’ve had one for a while now it’s well worth the money , sometimes you have to clean the record twice if it’s really bad but I’ve always had a good results 👍
I've tried everything. Started with the Discwasher in the 70's. used it - hated it, as I doubt it did much, other than to push dirt around the record - kind of like mopping the floor with dirty water. Now, 40+ years later, after trying several record cleaning solutions and brushes, I have found what works: Audio Intelligent Record Cleaning solutions, using MOFI Record Cleaning brushes on a vacuum cleaning machine. Finish with a Zerostat gun and slip the record into a MOFI Master Sleeves. The only thing I do when I play a record is re-shoot it again with the Zerostat gun and DRY brush the record with only the rather stiff bristled, VPI dry brush., dragging the brush off the record on a 45 degree angle. Works flawlessly, every time. Oh yeah....clean the stylus before playing every side of a record and dry brush it - your records will thank you as well as your stylus will last quite a bit longer. Use the Onzow Zerodust for cleaning the stylus. Use stylus cleaning solutions very sparingly and occasionally as I believe over doing that solution (they are solvents) may mess with the glue holding the stylus in place, IMO.
I've been using the original Discwasher D4 since the late '70's and my albums sound as excellent as they did then. The D4 solution always cleans and leaves a quiet surface. Some people just don't know how to use these things properly. Everyone has their own opinion about cleaning vinyl. The thing is to take care of you vinyl in the first place. I also used distilled water on some recordings.
I have the same exact record brush. What's awesome about that brush that you didn't mention is that the metal house body is electrically conductive to the carbon bristles( you can test with a multimeter) and removes static electricity through your hand. Not a lot of record brushes have that particular feature. I also have the spin clean and I think it's awesome, really does make a difference
I love Rush Signals. I have a spin clean too. I spilled a little too much of the cleaner in. It made the records noisy. So be careful with the fluid. I had some records I was going to get rid of but now after using the spin clean, I'm keeping them.
I was afraid when you started this video you were going to bring out the Spin Clean! Everything up to this point was spot on. Spin Clean should be banned. Why would you want to rotate your record through dirty water...and it is dirty after the first 2 or 3 spins. Get a Squeaky Clean from your countryman. Spend about an hour and thoroughly clean a dozen or more albums, put in clean inner sleeves and your ready to R&R. Use your micro fiber carbon brush just before playing. I have no vested interest in the SC but just watch his video and many other reviews by others. Call Nick in Canada. Great guy. I digitize LPs and most of my rips will have a higher DR (Dynamic Range) than the CD version. Measured by the DR meter in FooBar.
The brushes are made of velour (probably synthetic) not felt. Placing a cleaned album in a dish drying rack seems like just asking for a good way to add scratches. Instead, try cutting small 3"x3" squares of soft 1/2" rubber foam (JoAnn Fabrics or some such) and using placing them over the labels and then stacking your albums one on top of another. This keeps the records from touching one another and provides an "air space" between the albums for air to circulate to dry the albums. Total cost for a dozen or so of these squares should be less than $3-5. My Spin Clean is 30+ years old and still works like a charm. Nothing to break and you can buy a new set of replacement "brushes" for around $30 to replace the old ones maybe every 7-10 years.
I have a couple thousand albums that I have slowly acquired since I was a kid WAAAY back in the 70's. I bought a Spin Clean three years ago and spent 4 months gradually cleaning them all. Holy SH*T has it made a difference. The dirty water left in the tub after 15 or so record cleanings was astounding!
Spin Clean works better when used with distilled water and records are left to air dry instead of wiped dry. Add an audio-technica style record cleaning brush, Onzow, and audio-technica 607 liquid brush-on stylus cleaner to complete your kit. If your cleaned record and stylus does not produce snap, crackle, and pop free sound your record is defective or damaged.
I have been testing ways of deep cleaning really dirty records since a bunch were just given to me. I have a Label Saver, rinse the record, scrub with a makeup brush and dilute degreaser, rinse well, rinse again with distilled water, and dry with an air compressor on low.
I'm surprised Craig doesn't mention the wood glue (Titebond II) method. I've been experimenting with the process and have found that it works pretty good. I started with .99 cent thrift store records, and got a noticeable positive result. I did learn that pre cleaning helps the process work.
My experience is that vacuuming leads to best results. Not sure about the subsonic cleaners, which seem very aggressive. I don't play a record unless it's been cleaned though. The antistatic brushes are useful to superficially clean random dust, not for deep cleaning.
Groovmaster. Dawn. Tap water(distilled if your tap water sucks). Paint brush. That's all ya need. By the way, many times pops and crackles are caused by static, not dirt.
B - side, what you said about static causing "pops, and crackles" is certainly true. It is mostly a mistaken thing to suppose that it is always a matter of dust, and dirt; it is actually static electricity.
Okay, on your (and other vinyl people's) recommendations, I bought a SpinClean Vinyl Washer, and I am extremely happy with it. I had just bought about two dozen used records that were in fairly decent shape, but not really playable on my new Audio Technica turntable. After washing them (and, of course, air drying them), I played them all and was amazed at how good the sound was. No pops, clicks or any unnecessary noise. Unpaid commercial!
i clean my vinyl records like cleaning a dish accept no soap just water, and just try not to get water on the label. than dry it off with a clean towel after washing, ive played them almost immidiately after washing and never had any problems just make sure they're dry. simple as that. i also have soft water so that might make a difference than just regular tap water. great video and Vinyl is Final lol. Peace
I use the sticky rubber bubble thing. Brand is momoa or something because I didn't want to pay $80 for the one you have onzwow or whatever. Mine was like $20 or so. May not be as "soft" as the one you got but it's sticky and works, just maybe have to excercise more caution when using it. A trick I use to make sure I'm not pushing too hard is have my system on so I hear when I'm doing it and if it knocks loud I know I need to be easier on it As a plus you just rinse it to clean the stuff off and let it dry ( at least with mine) and it's clean and sticky again
I've used "Tri-Flow" lubricant for localized scratches and embedded dirt. Just drip a few drops on a q-tip and rub the q-tip over the dirty area. I also use it to "deep" clean the stylus in a similar way, but only about once every 10 or 20 records, else I use stylus cleaning fluid.
Thanks for the video. Besides the carbon fiber and other brush dust removers, my dealer in Guangzhou uses WD40. He has over $100,000 worth of equipment including a Clear Audio turntable with a $1000 MC cartridge, so its a good bet that he knows what's doing :) Cheers, Mario, Shenyang (equipment: Amari LP 10MK turntable/AT95e cart )
My way is i use a product called clear groove and i clean it with a velvet record brush i then use a spin clean with just distilled water to rinse it and leave it in a record cleaning rack to air dry i then buff it with a micro fibre cloth and put in a new anti static inner sleeve, thanks for a great channel craig but wished you posted more, very influanced by your advice and brought a black rt81 on your advice also my youtube name is influenced by your other channel name lol, hoping to post some vinyl, cd and gear videos myself once i pluck up the courage, cheers mate
cool thoughts. I was a backer for the fluence RT81. Back when I received it I built my own vacuum machine with an old sears special TT I found and a shop vac. with special felt arm {Vac. reach attachment plugged then covered in felt.}. MOFI makes a brush far better than that RCA. I too mistakenly got one of those RCA kits. Keep the fluid and scraper brush. If you can find one the mobile fidelity is way better, flat nice thick felt pads and replaceable to boot.
You said in a reply that you would do a needle drop for the motor noise on the lp129 and help with our turntable choices. What about that? And if you do that please be sure to use your DMM records.
I found if you slightly "hook" the "magic eraser" on the stylus (depends on the stylus shape) what I'm talking about here is a standard "conical" stylus! If you notice carefully, they are slightly "hooked shaped" ! So I "hook" the eraser from the back (very, very lightly as not to pull off the diamond), then slide it back "unhook" it three times, it stays clean with full fidelity! I do it for each side! But if I notice it left some of the material from the eraser on it, I'll use a brush (homemade I made from a baby toothbrush)!
Craig, I respect your opinions, of course. But, I've been using the RCA brush cleaner system for over 50+ years. And it works. The way to use it is to slowly rotate the brush, from edge to edge, as the record spins. Some place the fluid directly on the brush, me...I squirt small drops over three places on the vinyl itself and 60 degree spacing from each other (very dirty records from Goodwill or such) or just one place (my own already maintained vinyls). My records are very clean and are very well maintained by the Disc Washer system (RCA) BUT, that is with the brush system sold back in the 1970's. Today's brush may be inferior, I don't know.
Mic - when RCA bought DisWasher they changed the material that the cleaning formula. The RCA version is terrible. It just as easy to get a, great condition, 70-80's era, disc washer on eBay.
Oh, well mine is the original Disc Washer, bought new in 1975. Didn't know RCA had cheapend the original Disc Washer but I guess I'm not surprised. The original D-3 fluid has been replaced with D-4 and what the difference is I can't tell. It still works good. I like this washer Craig is demonstrating but the price on it is (imo) entirely unjustified by what it is, a plastic box with two brushes and some fluid. If the price ever comes down I might bite - or maybe I'll try making my own version at home. Until then, Disc Washer all the way, for me. Thanks!
I just use a new clean polishing cloth (The one time use variant you use on cars) and soak it in 99% isopropyl. Then put the record down on the turntable and gently apply the cloth to the record while it spins.. I find that this gets rid of most if not all gunk and crackles on the record.. One other nice thing about it is that it will evaporate on its own within minutes so there no need for drying the records afterwards.. Something tells me it will not be "audiophile approved" or something stupid like that but it has worked for me.
Deep cleaning for a visibly dirty used record (thrift store purchase, etc.) --- use a makeup removing pad that does NOT contain alcohol or residuals (aloe vera, for example), then rinse with distilled water, then completely air dry, bone dry. When dry, sweep over surface very lightly with a clean, unused Swiffer dusting product, like their fluffy duster. If you still have dust, you need to use the electrostatic brush to release that clinging dust. The brand of makeup removing pad I use is a Kroger brand called REMOVE. It copies the formula in Pond's, but costs less. I've used it on very grungy, moldy old 45 rpm records with stunning results.
A kneaded eraser works well for the stylus. Dab it gently a few times. I confirmed it using a dissection microscope. All the dirt was removed and the eraser didn't grab the stylus.
3:40 that's neat how there's diffrent perspectives with how to use the brush. I read on the packaging of mine in straight line away from the record label
I simply use 90%distilled water and 10% ammonia sprayed onto a microfiber glasses cloth. I let one side dry, then I spin it and if I notice any residual dust I will lightly brush it off with a technica brush and play it. it works very good most of the time especially if it is a vg+ nm record.
The fluid for the spin clean was invented by a scientist that researches detergent. It was originally created to extend filter life in water filtration plants in 3rd world countries. If you can get the biger (bigger is a relative term here) particles of dirt to become more dense and sink they don't end up clogging the filter so fast. Now the compound is used everywhere including improving our sound 😊. I let the records dry overnight in the dish washer (turn off the circuit breaker to be safe 😂 lol) built in dish rack and it keeps the dust off. Leave the door cracked.
My wifes name and pic. Mark here.Hey Craig, that's funny about the rock but maybe I haven't checked out your site in a bit so I've missed some stuff. Show people this products and methods anyways as I've never seen Spin Clean or these other items. I know you want to help people like me who dont do the research as we have such a Cool source as You man!
I spot a Pink Floyd Relics album from 50 paces! 😀 I use a "magic eraser" occasionally and it does work. It does become a bit of a bug bear this cleaning issue. I've got vinyl I've had for 35 years and it's never had any of these expensive and fiddly cleaning regimes applied to them and all I've done is look after them and put them away, properly, in their covers after use. I don't have cloth ears. I own a reasonably decent system & deck. All my records sound great. Much better than some I've bought that are claimed to be "excellent and cleaned on a professional machine". It's like shampoo. To double the sales of shampoo all they had to do was add one word to the users instructions....repeat. It's the same with any product. If they can find some expensive after sales stuff to flog to the "discerning owner" they will and some will fall for it, hook, line & sinker. Find what you think works for you and if that means doing nothing more than playing music, then so be it. Just enjoy it.
I use a the Vinyl Styl Deep Groove cleaner which is similar to the Spin Clean with the exception that it covers the label so you don't risk getting it wet, and it also comes with a drying rack. Plus I found it on sale for about $40 which was great. www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0LRLM5/ref=sspa_dk_detail_4?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B01M0LRLM5 I usually only use it if I have several records to clean though. If I get an album or two I have a spray bottle with distilled water and a drop of Dawn liquid soap and I use a paint pad. Someone else on RUclips mentioned using it and it works great. Just place it on the record and push it. The brushes are in the grooves and it forces it to go around in a circle. Works really well.
I found a new liquid cleaner on amazon called record friend and it comes with a built in stand that holds 10 albums and it works great and its about 15 bucks cheaper than spin clean, i also found a cheaper version of the onzo zero dust and its half the cost and now its so convienient to have it sit on my turn table that i clean the stylus after each side of a record.
For me, tried and true, use 70% isopropyl alcohol with a microfibre cloth. For really dirty records, a good scrub with Dawn dish soap (BLUE ONLY!) with a microfibre cloth does the trick 95% of the time. For those really subborn ones, I will play the record forwards and backwards after cleaning. Restored a 1978 Blondie Heart of Glass record from Italy with 5 passes. Each time, a white strip would come out of the groove.
70 year old brit just back into vinyl what a guy down to earth not pushing us stuff you say it as it is keep making these videos
Love your channel dude. Very calm and down earth useful advices without the stereophile snobbery they are known for. Cheers.
Stereophile snobbery! What a fantastic description! I have just started getting into the vinyl hobby, and my very first post on a social media platform about it, I got one of those turds running my music taste into the ground.... It's unreal ha
I bought the Realistic (Radio Shack) version of the Disc Washer back in 1978 and still use it. Great product - how I miss Radio Shack stores.
I miss RadioShack also. That store was great in the early 80s.
I miss it as well. Had a several month period of time where I kept coming across various situations where I needed a part that would have been readily available at Radio Shack. Instead each time had to wait 2 weeks or whatever for online retailers to ship it to me.
@@allstopblue5717 I also had many times needed a part or something and had to wait weeks for it . It was so nice to be able to go down the street to RadioShack. I think RadioShack was best during the late 70s early 80s. After that it was computers then phones.
My first tour with vinyl was with a set up from RadioShack - receiver, speakers, and turntable. This was in late 70's early 80's. This tour now started like 2 years ago.
Back in the early 80's i bought a Realistic stereo compact system turntable tape player/recorder receiver. Sounded great worked well for a few yrs sold it & bought a veey nice Fisher sound system compact stereo late 80's early 90"s.
I am a newer vinyl collector. And I have been enjoying your content a lot the past 2 weeks. Keep up the great work!
A dude I knew back in the 70s had literally tens of thousands of LPs and 78s that were used by the CBC; he provided them with lots of content on demand. His way of cleaning vinyl was to wash them in soap and water, using a record preener to dig out the dirt from the grooves, then rinse thoroughly with tap water, THEN distilled water. Then use a dry preener to get most of the water out, then use compressed air to blast out all remaining water. Let dry. As a 70's audiophile, I can tell you it worked beautifully.
Did he use one of those label covers or was just really careful not to get the label on the records wet?
Forgive my ignorance but what's a record preener? The think I put liquid on and run over records to clean them?
@@2010stoof He never expressed concern about the labels, though he may have neglected to tell me about that. You're right about the record preener: it's a very fine short-bristled brush that easily dug into the record groves to dislodge dirt. They were often used with anti-static liquid to stop dust from re-collecting on the vinyl from the surrounding air. Proper maintenance of vinyl is labour intensive!
@@Hominid999 so can I just use the "cleaning bar brush" like the "discwasher" or is there a special type of preening brush?
@@2010stoof Discwasher *IS* a preening brush! Just don't use it (dry) to push dirt around in the groves - it needs liquid to dislodge the dust.
@@Hominid999 ok thanks. I don't have the discwasher brush, but something similar. Just trying to convey what I meant and the discwasher is the easiest way since it spans generations.
I have a "label saver" on the way and plan on using my sink and distilled rinse from now on. Too man gimmicky things out there.
I have an original Discwasher from 1978 and still use it today. I also have the Discwasher stylus brush with mirror on the other side. It works well.
Absolutely love your enthusiasm and knowledge in this field. Please continue to share your knowledge with a big fan of getting back into vinyl.
Thanks Craig! I just came out from” under my rock” yesterday, when I found your channel! I love your style and the info that you present. I found Audigy last year when I wanted to digitize my Mom’s records. You have opened my eyes!
I've been dragging my 700+ record albums around for a couple of decades. I finally am determined to get back into listening to them. It's a lengthy process from buying a table with record cabinets to setting up the electrical aspects. I can barely wait to start listening to the music again, and maybe look around for records I don't have.
Elliott Mann: Good for you for not getting rid of them like so many others did!!!! I hope you start to enjoy them again!
The Spin Clean works out quite well for me. I have found out that using an RCA Brush will only push the debris further into the LP. In the '80s I used a Disc Washer brush, and I noticed it was good for surface cleaning, not very good for removing set in dust and dirt. I also do use an anti static brush as well and I use a dry stylus brush to clean my needle. I even clean my turntable mat with water and dish soap every once in a while.
I clean seriously dirty LPs with dish soap and water, then let them air dry and pass them through the Spin Clean. I don't really want to spend hundreds of dollars on a VPI or an Okki Nokki machine.
I've never used Spin Clean befoure but after your recommendation I will give him a chance . Thanku a lot Craig as always very informative and nice to watch . Take care budd.
I've stopped turning my TT on to clean it. I manually rotate it with my hands to reduce motor stress
I use dawn and tap water with a good toothbrush to clean albums. Then I towel dry and air dry. Then I hit it with the anti-static brush before I play it. If I didn't towel dry, I would be more concerned about using distilled water. I use to watch your brewing videos forever ago. Cheers Craig!
Love your videos. I am a drummer too. OK, here is how I clean my L.P.'s. Mild dishwasher detergent soapy luke warm water. Disc Washer brush and a sink. Light water from faucet to take initial dirt off (cool temp) and then soapy water with Disc Washer brush. Clean like cleaning a dish. Hand wash. Be careful of label. Dry with dish rack. Air dry for at least 4 hours. Then take to table, light haze of disc washer solution on record, with brush. Good to go. I had a WAR greatest hits album. Very hard to come by. Brought my record from barely playable to near mint condition. 70's..... pot smoke, beer, fingerprints, cigarette smoke, dust, germs, saliva and who knows what else. This method deep cleans and when I put the album back on, my wife's eyes brightened, she smiled and said, "Charlie, that sounds almost new." There ya go. Last tip... don't talk while handling. Saliva sprays all over vinyl. And I use cotton gloves when placing on spindle. And close that damn dust cover. The album creates a small vortex that acts as a dust tornado towards the vinyl.
Great video C. Totally agree with you, spin clean does bring some/undamaged vinyl back to a better sound quality. Thanks for the stylus cleaning tip!
I have the Project - VC-S and have been really happy with it. I used to have the knosti cleaner, but the VC-S does a superb job and it's really terapeutic once you get the hang of it. Listen to records while cleaning records 👍
Cool video Craig!
Craig, the name of the sticky gel is onzow zerodust. Yes it works well. I like your you tube videos. Very good information.
Thanks for the info! Been collecting since the 60's so many of my records are a bigtime mess. Glad to find a nice calm person to help me get them cleaned up for my new turntable/speakers. That was a whole other thank you for helping me set everything up correctly! Your the best - thanks alot ❤
I´d never say something like this to someone i don´t know, it´s just me, but I saw a bunch off your videos and you came not only as a guy who really knows what he´s talkig about, but most important, yo are a nice guy, I mean, I don´t allways came across nice peopple all the time. so now you know. Thanks!
Hey Craig! Good to see you again!
My channel specializes in old used and dirty records. The most cost effective and effective way to deep clean my records is also the easiest.
I have used it on over 200 records and revived many "discarded" records.
Scrubbing bubbles... thick layer... let sit for 5 minutes... Use painters squares (The flat ones for edging that has billions of bristles)... rinse... dry....
Cheap. easy. effective.
Interesting. I have been wanting to try this. It seems logical to me. The microscopic action of the bubbles should dislodge dirt.
I am pleasantly surprised with how well Spin Clean works. I love crate digging for 40s to 60s jazz.
I have been able to eliminate >95% of pops and crackles. My secret: I use a little dishwasher Rinse Aid in the final spin. Makes these old records sparkle and they dry much quicker. 🤫
How much do you add to the spin clean water?
We use a VPI machine in our store to clean a lot of the rarer records. Pricey but it works wonderfully. At home I use a carbon fiber brush. Great video 😎
Great info!!! Love your Channel! Been using the Zerodust for a few years, works great for the Stylus. For cleaning LP's (wet/dry) I use Vinyl vac, and make my own solution. (yes distilled water only when using water) Great Channel!!
Thank-you so much for the helpful tips!
Thank you for this...I just ordered the stylus cleaner! Very helpful video.
for wet cleaning, i use glass micro fiber towels and a spray bottle filled with dawn dish soap to clean the grooves, rinse with tap water. never had water spots, or label fade
dry clean: carbon fiber brush before i play a record
What about using Dust Off Electronics Duster (compressed gas) before you clean the record and then to dry it at the end.? Would that work or would it hurt the record? Does anyone out there have an opinion? -- would like to know. Thanks.
Really enjoy your channel. Loved your review about the Fluance RT84. I got the RT 82. This vinyl cleaning topic reminds me of when I had my Dual 1215 with the Empire cartridge. There was this techy cleaning arm I got that followed the needle around cleaning the record groove before the needle passed over. Can't remember the name of it.
I completely understand not wanting to spend a lot of money on record cleaning equipment but as someone who did, I can say I have no regrets! I purchased the VPI HW 16.5 back when it was $500. Yes that’s a chunk of change but it has been a workhorse all these years and very reliable! I can play the perfectly cleaned record right away! I clean every record I buy new or used. Even if the seller says it was cleaned on the same system, I clean it anyway. It amazes me that some sellers will clean the record on a VPI machine and then put the record back into a paper sleeve! Anyway, obviously I feel it was well worth the investment and I doubt there is a more effective cleaning system for the money!
Good to see you out there again Craig, good video!
I put together a record cleaning set up using a lazy susan from thrift store ($5) a 1 gallon shop vac from Walmart ($30) and home made cleaning solution (ipa, surfactant and distilled water) The surfactant was the expensive part ($25), but I have enough to make hundreds of litres of fluid now, haha! All together I spent maybe $50 on a top-notch vacuum system and $35 on a lifetime supply of cleaning fluid.
Spin Clean - $120. Doesn't dry your records, and fluid is expensive.
Do some research and you'll come out on top every time.
Here in the UK off eBay and I think Amazon, there is a German product called "Disco-Antistat", it is similar to the spin clean you showed except it has a spindle clamp, and a drying rack, but more important it uses a chemical solution to wash the records. I have had excellent results with it, and its relatively cheap as you get a filter so you can reuse the chemical bath. The solution also cuts down the static in the record .
Thanks for sharing your cleaning methods, Craig. Cleaning seems to be an integral part of this hobby. Everybody finds their own way of doing it. And changing it 6 months later ;) Cheers. /Paul
Great advice! I’ve been doing the same for years.
I did manage to find an ultrasonic cleaner that was affordable, and I prefer it over the SpinClean (and I still own my SpinClean system, too), but the ultrasonic cleaner was still over $800. I think that it gets the deep “junk” out of the tracks better than the SpinClean, and I’ve resurrected some LPs. What I dislike about SpinClean is that it will still leave behind some light residue in the tracks, but it’s definitely a good system for people on a budget.
One tip: remember to replace the SpinClean felt pads after 100 cleanings or so. The pads wear out, and junk from previously-cleaned LPs might damage other LPs, or deposit debris in the tracks.
I've got a $700 ultrasonic as well. Do you ever have any problems removing the label spacers from the records after you've cleaned and fully air dried them? I'm having a big problem with that.
@@MJEvermore853 Hi MJ. I use the Kirmuss Audio Cleaning system. The labels can never get wet because the LPs are suspended above the ultrasonic bath. The labels don't need any protection because only the vinyl below the labels are gets wet.
DISCLAIMER: I do not represent Kirmuss Audio. I speak only as a user.
TBNTX...good to know, thanks. I may try to use my ultrasonic without the label protectors
@@MJEvermore853 As a precaution, do so using an LP that you wouldn't miss if the label was damaged. My ultrasonic system includes felt pads to remove excess water from the cleaned vinyl so that the the cleaning bath cannot reach the labels.
TBNTX..thanks 👍
I use the KISS method warm water and detergent soft cloth rinse and dry with soft cloth to remove water spotting then air dry tried all the other crap doing this since the 70s, now time for a home brew.
Another very informative, and valuable video, as well, Craig. It has helped me clean my older records.
The Onzow stylist cleaner is amazing. I use it before ever needle drop. I’ve found the best way to use it is to lift the tonearm off the holder so it’s just resting on it freely and then take the onzow and lift the tonearm up by the needle about an inch or so with the gel and then set it back down. Works amazing
Great video thank you for sharing. I use both those carbon fibre brushes and have done so since they were introduced in the 1980’s. I have been buying a few used records recently so I will now be buying one of those spin cleaners that you have shown. I was not aware of them and the only other cleaner that I was aware of was the Keith Monks record cleaner which are much more expensive.
just came across your channel and I LOVE IT... just keep going dude, greatings from Italy XD ;-)
I just love that Onzow Zerodust for cleaning the stylus. It's worth the money! Great video!
I am new to vinyl just wanted to say thank you. You're videos helped me out a lot answered so many of my questions..
For dust, I use a carbon fiber brush with several rotations of the platter. Then after lifting the brush straight up from the record, there will be a line of dust left behind. I use a bright led flashlight to highlight the dust and then use a new Swiffer Duster without the handle to clean the dust from the record. The duster is kept in a zip lock bag for reuse. Swiffer Dusters are dust magnets.
Really great advice and overview. Thanks.
Thanks man. Love your approach to this stuff.
New to the vinyl life and truly appreciate your experience and recommendations! Going to give it all a try and thank you again!
Hey, keep up with the videos. I'm just getting in to your channel and am enjoying the content. Keep it up and you've done good work.
I’ve had one for a while now it’s well worth the money , sometimes you have to clean the record twice if it’s really bad but I’ve always had a good results 👍
I use spin clean as well and it works great for me! 17:34 Keep making these vids, Craig. I look forward to them 👍
Hi Craig. Good to see you back making vids. Have a great holiday season. Best, Charles.
I just received a Spin Clean today, man what a difference!
Craig when using the carbon fibre brush angle it to the first row of bristle. Then slowly rotate so the second row is sweeping
Grrreat advice & I thank thee, Craig for sharing...
I've tried everything. Started with the Discwasher in the 70's. used it - hated it, as I doubt it did much, other than to push dirt around the record - kind of like mopping the floor with dirty water. Now, 40+ years later, after trying several record cleaning solutions and brushes, I have found what works: Audio Intelligent Record Cleaning solutions, using MOFI Record Cleaning brushes on a vacuum cleaning machine. Finish with a Zerostat gun and slip the record into a MOFI Master Sleeves. The only thing I do when I play a record is re-shoot it again with the Zerostat gun and DRY brush the record with only the rather stiff bristled, VPI dry brush., dragging the brush off the record on a 45 degree angle. Works flawlessly, every time. Oh yeah....clean the stylus before playing every side of a record and dry brush it - your records will thank you as well as your stylus will last quite a bit longer. Use the Onzow Zerodust for cleaning the stylus. Use stylus cleaning solutions very sparingly and occasionally as I believe over doing that solution (they are solvents) may mess with the glue holding the stylus in place, IMO.
I've been using the original Discwasher D4 since the late '70's and my albums sound as excellent as they did then. The D4 solution always cleans and leaves a quiet surface. Some people just don't know how to use these things properly. Everyone has their own opinion about cleaning vinyl. The thing is to take care of you vinyl in the first place. I also used distilled water on some recordings.
I have the same exact record brush. What's awesome about that brush that you didn't mention is that the metal house body is electrically conductive to the carbon bristles( you can test with a multimeter) and removes static electricity through your hand. Not a lot of record brushes have that particular feature. I also have the spin clean and I think it's awesome, really does make a difference
I love Rush Signals. I have a spin clean too. I spilled a little too much of the cleaner in. It made the records noisy. So be careful with the fluid. I had some records I was going to get rid of but now after using the spin clean, I'm keeping them.
Another video from such a fantastic channel - cheers mate!
Great video, as always! Greetings from Sweden!
Nemen tjena ;^)
@@leon9021 tjena tjena :P
Thanx for your advise, found to be very useful
I was afraid when you started this video you were going to bring out the Spin Clean! Everything up to this point was spot on. Spin Clean should be banned. Why would you want to rotate your record through dirty water...and it is dirty after the first 2 or 3 spins.
Get a Squeaky Clean from your countryman. Spend about an hour and thoroughly clean a dozen or more albums, put in clean inner sleeves and your ready to R&R. Use your micro fiber carbon brush just before playing.
I have no vested interest in the SC but just watch his video and many other reviews by others. Call Nick in Canada. Great guy.
I digitize LPs and most of my rips will have a higher DR (Dynamic Range) than the CD version. Measured by the DR meter in FooBar.
The brushes are made of velour (probably synthetic) not felt. Placing a cleaned album in a dish drying rack seems like just asking for a good way to add scratches. Instead, try cutting small 3"x3" squares of soft 1/2" rubber foam (JoAnn Fabrics or some such) and using placing them over the labels and then stacking your albums one on top of another. This keeps the records from touching one another and provides an "air space" between the albums for air to circulate to dry the albums. Total cost for a dozen or so of these squares should be less than $3-5. My Spin Clean is 30+ years old and still works like a charm. Nothing to break and you can buy a new set of replacement "brushes" for around $30 to replace the old ones maybe every 7-10 years.
I have a couple thousand albums that I have slowly acquired since I was a kid WAAAY back in the 70's. I bought a Spin Clean three years ago and spent 4 months gradually cleaning them all. Holy SH*T has it made a difference. The dirty water left in the tub after 15 or so record cleanings was astounding!
Hey Gregory. You sound the same as me except I haven't cleaned mine. I might do that. How much is a Spin Clean unit?
spinclean.com/store/Spin-Clean%C2%AE-Record-Washer-MKII-Complete-Kit-p14190723
I bought me one and i love it
Got new life in some oldies
Spin Clean works better when used with distilled water and records are left to air dry instead of wiped dry. Add an audio-technica style record cleaning brush, Onzow, and audio-technica 607 liquid brush-on stylus cleaner to complete your kit. If your cleaned record and stylus does not produce snap, crackle, and pop free sound your record is defective or damaged.
I have been testing ways of deep cleaning really dirty records since a bunch were just given to me. I have a Label Saver, rinse the record, scrub with a makeup brush and dilute degreaser, rinse well, rinse again with distilled water, and dry with an air compressor on low.
spin clean works for me well too. for the severe polluted records i use wood-glue. its really improving the records.
I'm surprised Craig doesn't mention the wood glue (Titebond II) method. I've been experimenting with the process and have found that it works pretty good. I started with .99 cent thrift store records, and got a noticeable positive result. I did learn that pre cleaning helps the process work.
My experience is that vacuuming leads to best results. Not sure about the subsonic cleaners, which seem very aggressive. I don't play a record unless it's been cleaned though. The antistatic brushes are useful to superficially clean random dust, not for deep cleaning.
Window cleaner WINDEX does a great job.
Groovmaster. Dawn. Tap water(distilled if your tap water sucks). Paint brush. That's all ya need. By the way, many times pops and crackles are caused by static, not dirt.
B - side, what you said about static causing "pops, and crackles" is certainly true. It is mostly a mistaken thing to suppose that it is always a matter of dust, and dirt; it is actually static electricity.
Okay, on your (and other vinyl people's) recommendations, I bought a SpinClean Vinyl Washer, and I am extremely happy with it. I had just bought about two dozen used records that were
in fairly decent shape, but not really playable on my new Audio Technica turntable. After washing them (and, of course, air drying them), I played them all and was amazed at how good the
sound was. No pops, clicks or any unnecessary noise. Unpaid commercial!
waiting for mine to come in..i dont know what took me so long to check it out,,cannot wait!
I bought 2 spin cleans one for cleaning the other one for rinsing off 😉👍
i clean my vinyl records like cleaning a dish accept no soap just water, and just try not to get water on the label. than dry it off with a clean towel after washing, ive played them almost immidiately after washing and never had any problems just make sure they're dry. simple as that. i also have soft water so that might make a difference than just regular tap water.
great video and Vinyl is Final lol. Peace
I use the sticky rubber bubble thing. Brand is momoa or something because I didn't want to pay $80 for the one you have onzwow or whatever. Mine was like $20 or so. May not be as "soft" as the one you got but it's sticky and works, just maybe have to excercise more caution when using it.
A trick I use to make sure I'm not pushing too hard is have my system on so I hear when I'm doing it and if it knocks loud I know I need to be easier on it
As a plus you just rinse it to clean the stuff off and let it dry ( at least with mine) and it's clean and sticky again
I've used "Tri-Flow" lubricant for localized scratches and embedded dirt. Just drip a few drops on a q-tip and rub the q-tip over the dirty area. I also use it to "deep" clean the stylus in a similar way, but only about once every 10 or 20 records, else I use stylus cleaning fluid.
Thanks for the video. Besides the carbon fiber and other brush dust removers, my dealer in Guangzhou uses WD40. He has over $100,000 worth of equipment including a Clear Audio turntable with a $1000 MC cartridge, so its a good bet that he knows what's doing :) Cheers, Mario, Shenyang (equipment: Amari LP 10MK turntable/AT95e cart )
This channel was Awesome. Where did it go?
My way is i use a product called clear groove and i clean it with a velvet record brush i then use a spin clean with just distilled water to rinse it and leave it in a record cleaning rack to air dry i then buff it with a micro fibre cloth and put in a new anti static inner sleeve, thanks for a great channel craig but wished you posted more, very influanced by your advice and brought a black rt81 on your advice also my youtube name is influenced by your other channel name lol, hoping to post some vinyl, cd and gear videos myself once i pluck up the courage, cheers mate
Thank you.back in 1969 ,70s we used water on our Wax and dry them like you said
cool thoughts.
I was a backer for the fluence RT81. Back when I received it I built my own vacuum machine with an old sears special TT I found and a shop vac. with special felt arm {Vac. reach attachment plugged then covered in felt.}. MOFI makes a brush far better than that RCA. I too mistakenly got one of those RCA kits. Keep the fluid and scraper brush. If you can find one the mobile fidelity is way better, flat nice thick felt pads and replaceable to boot.
You said in a reply that you would do a needle drop for the motor noise on the lp129 and help with our turntable choices. What about that? And if you do that please be sure to use your DMM records.
This video has amazing quality sound!
I found if you slightly "hook" the "magic eraser" on the stylus (depends on the stylus shape) what I'm talking about here is a standard "conical" stylus! If you notice carefully, they are slightly "hooked shaped" ! So I "hook" the eraser from the back (very, very lightly as not to pull off the diamond), then slide it back "unhook" it three times, it stays clean with full fidelity! I do it for each side! But if I notice it left some of the material from the eraser on it, I'll use a brush (homemade I made from a baby toothbrush)!
Craig, I respect your opinions, of course. But, I've been using the RCA brush cleaner system for over 50+ years. And it works. The way to use it is to slowly rotate the brush, from edge to edge, as the record spins. Some place the fluid directly on the brush, me...I squirt small drops over three places on the vinyl itself and 60 degree spacing from each other (very dirty records from Goodwill or such) or just one place (my own already maintained vinyls). My records are very clean and are very well maintained by the Disc Washer system (RCA) BUT, that is with the brush system sold back in the 1970's. Today's brush may be inferior, I don't know.
Mic - when RCA bought DisWasher they changed the material that the cleaning formula. The RCA version is terrible. It just as easy to get a, great condition, 70-80's era, disc washer on eBay.
Oh, well mine is the original Disc Washer, bought new in 1975. Didn't know RCA had cheapend the original Disc Washer but I guess I'm not surprised. The original D-3 fluid has been replaced with D-4 and what the difference is I can't tell. It still works good. I like this washer Craig is demonstrating but the price on it is (imo) entirely unjustified by what it is, a plastic box with two brushes and some fluid. If the price ever comes down I might bite - or maybe I'll try making my own version at home. Until then, Disc Washer all the way, for me. Thanks!
My understanding of the DiscWasher type brush being curved is that you rotate it as you clean, just as you do the carbon fiber brush.
I just use a new clean polishing cloth (The one time use variant you use on cars) and soak it in 99% isopropyl. Then put the record down on the turntable and gently apply the cloth to the record while it spins.. I find that this gets rid of most if not all gunk and crackles on the record.. One other nice thing about it is that it will evaporate on its own within minutes so there no need for drying the records afterwards.. Something tells me it will not be "audiophile approved" or something stupid like that but it has worked for me.
I've been trying to decide if the Spin Clean is worth buying for a while now. Your endorsement has sold me on it. Thanks!
Deep cleaning for a visibly dirty used record (thrift store purchase, etc.) --- use a makeup removing pad that does NOT contain alcohol or residuals (aloe vera, for example), then rinse with distilled water, then completely air dry, bone dry. When dry, sweep over surface very lightly with a clean, unused Swiffer dusting product, like their fluffy duster. If you still have dust, you need to use the electrostatic brush to release that clinging dust. The brand of makeup removing pad I use is a Kroger brand called REMOVE. It copies the formula in Pond's, but costs less. I've used it on very grungy, moldy old 45 rpm records with stunning results.
nice to see you back craig :D
What a great voice!
A kneaded eraser works well for the stylus. Dab it gently a few times. I confirmed it using a dissection microscope. All the dirt was removed and the eraser didn't grab the stylus.
3:40 that's neat how there's diffrent perspectives with how to use the brush. I read on the packaging of mine in straight line away from the record label
I like the idea of spin clean but it worries me to get the label wet.
good advice about distilled water.
I simply use 90%distilled water and 10% ammonia sprayed onto a microfiber glasses cloth. I let one side dry, then I spin it and if I notice any residual dust I will lightly brush it off with a technica brush and play it. it works very good most of the time especially if it is a vg+ nm record.
I use a cleaning. Liquid and a lint brush. And after drying a carbin fiber brush. And to clean my stylus a makeup brush
The fluid for the spin clean was invented by a scientist that researches detergent. It was originally created to extend filter life in water filtration plants in 3rd world countries. If you can get the biger (bigger is a relative term here) particles of dirt to become more dense and sink they don't end up clogging the filter so fast. Now the compound is used everywhere including improving our sound 😊. I let the records dry overnight in the dish washer (turn off the circuit breaker to be safe 😂 lol) built in dish rack and it keeps the dust off. Leave the door cracked.
My wifes name and pic. Mark here.Hey Craig, that's funny about the rock but maybe I haven't checked out your site in a bit so I've missed some stuff. Show people this products and methods anyways as I've never seen Spin Clean or these other items. I know you want to help people like me who dont do the research as we have such a Cool source as You man!
Just came from the video where guy just loved the RCA thing :)
I spot a Pink Floyd Relics album from 50 paces! 😀 I use a "magic eraser" occasionally and it does work. It does become a bit of a bug bear this cleaning issue. I've got vinyl I've had for 35 years and it's never had any of these expensive and fiddly cleaning regimes applied to them and all I've done is look after them and put them away, properly, in their covers after use. I don't have cloth ears. I own a reasonably decent system & deck. All my records sound great. Much better than some I've bought that are claimed to be "excellent and cleaned on a professional machine". It's like shampoo. To double the sales of shampoo all they had to do was add one word to the users instructions....repeat. It's the same with any product. If they can find some expensive after sales stuff to flog to the "discerning owner" they will and some will fall for it, hook, line & sinker. Find what you think works for you and if that means doing nothing more than playing music, then so be it. Just enjoy it.
I use a the Vinyl Styl Deep Groove cleaner which is similar to the Spin Clean with the exception that it covers the label so you don't risk getting it wet, and it also comes with a drying rack. Plus I found it on sale for about $40 which was great.
www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0LRLM5/ref=sspa_dk_detail_4?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B01M0LRLM5
I usually only use it if I have several records to clean though. If I get an album or two I have a spray bottle with distilled water and a drop of Dawn liquid soap and I use a paint pad. Someone else on RUclips mentioned using it and it works great. Just place it on the record and push it. The brushes are in the grooves and it forces it to go around in a circle. Works really well.
Thanks for that review. I do enjoy your reviews. Personally I have a Knosti record cleaner, which does a very good job.
Have been using a super sticky insect 🐜🕷trap pad to clean the stylus. Very cheap and effective.
Got the idea of using wood glue from you works great for good deep clean. Be careful when removing thx
I found a new liquid cleaner on amazon called record friend and it comes with a built in stand that holds 10 albums and it works great and its about 15 bucks cheaper than spin clean, i also found a cheaper version of the onzo zero dust and its half the cost and now its so convienient to have it sit on my turn table that i clean the stylus after each side of a record.
For me, tried and true, use 70% isopropyl alcohol with a microfibre cloth. For really dirty records, a good scrub with Dawn dish soap (BLUE ONLY!) with a microfibre cloth does the trick 95% of the time. For those really subborn ones, I will play the record forwards and backwards after cleaning. Restored a 1978 Blondie Heart of Glass record from Italy with 5 passes. Each time, a white strip would come out of the groove.