By  Tim NeelyCare and feeding of your vinyl critters is the subject of this issue’s column. Question: My husband told me when he was younger he used to clean his albums with rubbing alcohol because that was all they had and it didn’t damage them. We have some that haven’t been played in months, and I want the dust removed before I play them. Can I use rubbing alcohol? Answer: The short answer: Yes. But there are better ways.  And never, ever use alcohol on a 78. But I’m getting ahead of myself here. There’s no question that a clean record is a better-sounding record. A clean record also will help your equipment, especially the stylus on your turntable, last longer. And there’s some evidence to suggest that playing a dirty record also will hurt the record in the long run. Most commercial record-cleaning liquids contain some combination of water, alcohol and a surfactant. Because there is some belief (though it’s not proven) that long-term use of alcohol on records might have a negative effect on the vinyl, some newer solutions don’t use alcohol at all.

For short-term use, though, it shouldn’t be a problem. In the olden days, I used to use window cleaner on my 45s and albums, and it worked reasonably well. The process of cleaning a record isn’t as simple as deciding what liquid to use, however. It’s best to place the record on a clean surface; a couple lint-free towels on a countertop or table will work. Only clean one side of a record at a time. Apply the liquid liberally to the grooved area; never get it on the label, as liquids can leave residue or cause other damage. The best way to thoroughly saturate a record is to use a very gentle brush, one that won’t scratch the record; indeed, you might want to apply the liquid directly to the brush rather than to the record. As mentioned earlier, never, ever use an alcohol-based cleaner on a 78! Because of the way the records were manufactured, alcohol can loosen the bonds between the two sides of a 78 and cause them to separate, causing permanent damage. Gentle soapy water is the best non-commercial liquid to clean a 78.

Far more important than what liquid you use to clean the record, though, is how you then remove that liquid. All that gunk that the liquid has loosened is still there, only closer to the surface. Don’t let the wet record dry in the air! Only the liquid has evaporated; the dirt may not be visible, but it remains behind. The best way to dry a wet record by hand is to use a microfiber-based towel or cloth, an option that didn’t exist a few years ago but is becoming more common. (The best older solution is a chamois-based cloth.) These are better than ordinary bath towels or paper towels because they don’t leave lint or dust behind. If you have trouble finding microfiber towels in the bath section of a department store, try the car-care section, because they’ve become quite popular among car buffs. After you’ve thoroughly dried one side, repeat the process on the other side. If you grew up with a turntable in the 1970s and into the 1980s, you probably at some point either had, or knew someone who had, a Discwasher.

They consisted of a brush and a cleaning fluid; you applied the fluid to the brush, let the record spin, applied the liquid to the record using the brush, then rotated the brush to clean off the liquid with a dry part of the brush. Many people swore by them, but for some reason, my records often sounded worse after using the Discwasher system than before. But maybe that was just me. Over time, you may decide that hand-cleaning your records is a pain, especially if you have a large collection. cheap carpet cleaning derbyAt that point, investing in a record-cleaning machine becomes a good idea. price of a shark vacuum cleanerThe best ones — two well-known brands are Nitty Gritty and VPI — combine the wetting and drying the record into one continuous process.pool cleaning service lewisville

Better yet, the drying takes place with a vacuum that sucks the fluid off the record completely. A good cleaning machine, however, requires a significant monetary investment of at least in the hundreds of dollars. But if you have a large collection, it’s worth it.  I never felt that my records were really deep-down clean until I started using a machine a few years ago. Cleaning old 45 RPM records is necessary to maintain the quality of the record and the sound. price vacuum cleaner philippinesWhen kept free of dirt, dust and oils from your fingers the sound will not only be clearer, the record will last longer. carpet cleaning equipment auctionPurchasing a record cleaning machine is the quickest method but unless you have a large collection the cost factor may be prohibitive. best way to clean tile mildew

You can clean them at little or no cost by creating your own cleaning solution. Mix up a solution of one part 90 percent isopropyl alcohol, four parts distilled water and five drops of nonmoisturizing dishwashing soap.Apply the solution to a clean paper towel.Sweep the paper towel around the record following the grooves. Rinse off the record with plain distilled water being careful not to get the label wet. If you do get the label wet, blot, do not rub, to remove the moisture from the label.Dry the record with a clean, soft bath towel by rubbing gently, following the grooves.Set the records on a clean towel, propped up against something and allow to dry for a couple hours. The time will vary depending on the humidity in the air.Place in a clean paper sleeve once completely dry. Step 1: Gather the itemsShow All Itemsfinding a vinyl - 45 single title President President or The President is the title of a song I'm trying to find. It was on ... Hi, not dead, I'm new here :) is this group dead?

Record Chart 1947 to 1971 I found a chart from a radio station in Toledo Ohio. I have posted it, even tho... friends me sherbaz, me single, looking for relationship, Dance music 7" singles Looking for any rare 7" dance music singles No LP pictures, please The many many picture of lps make this group more uninteresting for me. We do this on another group, and it's been interesting. Go into your MP3 player.... by BACKYard Woods Explorer Vinyl Factory @ Rome (Italy) - last call MondoPOP è lieta di invitarti a partecipare al VINYL FACTORY Group Show (VINILI... New US 45rpm group created Please join and add your pics! Everyone has an opinion! How do you clean the grooves? Search this group's discussions How do you clean tape residue? Any way of mending a hairline crack? I clean only with damp cloth using about 10% isopropyl acohol 90% water in the grooves. I leave stickers/tape residue. In my opinion, cracks can't be fixed, only popped back into a level playing surface.

Once I do this, I swap out my good/sharp needle for a slightly worn one in case it causes damage. If the recording is rare enough, I record it to a digital means for my collection and scrap it. 5:01AM, 4 April 2008 PST I've recently been sorting and cleaning all my 45's and the way I clean them is to use a bowl of warm clean water and use a quality handwash. Wet the record and dab a little of the handwash onto the record, rub into the grooves, rinse in the clean water and pat them dry on a clean lint free tea towel. I leave them to dry and then use a shop bought record cleaner to finish cleaning them. It does work as it brings the grot out of the grooves and they sound better. Obviously I don't clean my picture discs this way but I did get this tip years ago out of Record Collector after a similar question was asked.Anyone recommend a disc washer or something automatic? I recently got given a huge pile of records, and these were in absolute states. No covers, records dating from 1962, in a smokers house.

I discarded a selection where the owners dog had chewed through the pile. You get the type of condition. These were not good. I found a few in the collection I particularly wanted to play. Dull surface, fingerprints everywhere. They looked like they had been used as a coaster at some point in its life. I had tried a number of things, to help clean my records, with very little success. I tried the quality handwash as mentioned previously, sadly it left too much residue, and actually broke my needle. I don't remember what made me try this particular substance, but it worked a treat. Technically, I've probably broken every law when it comes to record cleaning, but hell, if it worked for me, it might work for someone else... Currently at home, I use a particular example which is very, very concentrated, bought in bulk, in a big 5-litre bottle. The tiniest squirt fills the sink full of foam. Costs £9 ($18ish) a bottle, but lasts a year. I experimented, and squirted a big gloop of this stuff onto the record surface, and used a combination of forefinger and thumb to rub the crap off.

The more I rubbed, the more came off. I've never seen anything like it. The orange syrup-like stuff turned dark brown as 40-odd years of crud escaped from the groove. The muck coming out was clear to see. Holding the record against the side of the sink, I'd rub off the excess, again with my finger, resulting in dark brown streaks going down the sink to the drain, flipping the record over and doing the B side too. I power-rinsed it, using the finger-over-the-tap technique, creating a tiny yet powerful little squirt, to clean the record, and remove as much soap as I could, and repeat the process until the excess going down the drain was clear. Just for completeness, I'd repeat the process, and rinse it again. If the water stuck to the record, this meant there was still a trace of detergent on there, and I'd give it another blast. If the water ran straight off, I'd dry it using kitchen roll / paper towels. The way to tell how successful the process has been (without playing it) is to hold the record up, at an angle to the light, so the light reflects off the inside of the groove.

If it is shiny, there's a good chance it will play, though the less scratches there are, the better it will play, naturally. If the reflection is dull, repeat the process. If it remains dull, there's permanent damage to the record. You don't have to have the super-thick stuff. I bought some cheap store-own-brand stuff. Much runnier, but just as effective at removing the dirt. I don't plan to play these records often. Probably just once or twice to be able to get a digital recording of them. I probably wouldn't recommend this technique for only lightly soiled records, but when it comes to neglect + nicotine + dog, this procedure worked remarkably well. Originally posted 105 months ago. mercuryvapour edited this topic 105 months ago. Isopropyl rubbing alcohol and an old, well washed tee shirt are the most effective method of cleaning the grooves of a 45 without damaging the label. Put the tee shirt in one hand, liberally soak a spot with the alcohol. Take the 45 in the other hand and place the record between the thumb and forefinger of the alcohol soaked teeshirt hand.

Gently squeeze down with the finger and thumb while turning the record with the other hand. (It is a lot less complicated than it sounds). No residue, dries quickly. Also works on LPs but DO NOT try it on 78s. Label tape stains, stickers and general gunk - some folks use lighter fluid effectively. I use a citrus based product called Goo Gone which cleans almost anything without damaging the label or leaving a stain. I've tried all these suggestions. Just today I tried the finest grit orange hand cleaner I could find. I applied, let it sit and gently rubbed off with the ole' white teeshirt. MAGIC, I couldn't believe how well it cleaned the grimeyest dirt from my dirtiest records. I would only use Isopropyl on my cleanest ones though. Thanks for all the help guys! I have tried loads of things, but the best ( and try it on an old rubbish 45 first, so i dont get clobbered) is this. Just rinse the record in lookwarm water, spray the foam on both sides, leave for 30 seconds and wipe care fully with a sponge then rinse and wipe with a clean cloth and leave to dry.