Record Cleaning Fluids

and by the way. If you think the VPI is expensive, check out the revived Keith Monks machine;

www.audio-restoration.com/monks5.htm

I was under the impression that "Distilled" water was "Pure", although a chemist could probably correct me. I've also heard that record cleaning solutions like to be diluted with "Deionized" water, which may be the same thing as Distilled, or possibly even better.

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

I use distilled water I get from the grocery store. The way I see it, the solution gets put on the record, stays on for about 30 seconds and then gets vaccuumed up. It seems like it wouldn't be on the record long enough to leave any residue. At any rate, I always make my cleaning solution at home and it has never done any thing dastardly to my LPs. My solution: 2/3 water, 1/3 alcohol, a few deops of Photoflow and a few drops of Windex.

Mike

Mike's cleaning solution is the same as mine. I've never encountered any problems with it in over 10 years of use.

Paul

Thanks, but what on earth is Windex?

a glass and surface cleaner.
Probably the most used in Canada / US

It has "ammonia-d" in it.... some form of ammonia as it has "that" smell

mykel

I have a VPI HW 16.5, and after some experimentation have settled on 75% distilled de-ionised water (specially ordered through the local chemist), 24% isopropyl alcohol, and 1% the surfactant available from the Cherised Record Company, along with VPI accessories.

Some pepole are sniffy about the alcohol (ho ho), but I find it is difficult to get the water & surfactant across all the grooves on their own.

I buy a lot of 2nd hand vinyl, and ex-DJ records can be absolutely filthy (drink cigarette ash, grease, fingerprints etc.), but the machine can get most of it off. I don't bother to clean new records like some people like to.

I hope this helps

David Slater

The VPI arrived very promptly from Cherished Records.
Sadly, I am underwhelmed by the results so far.
I bought most of my records new and they have not had too hard a life, but as many are 20 - 30 years old I thought a lot of that crackle could be dirt. No such luck, seems it must be crap 70's vinyl and pressing.
Nevermind, I've got enough truly dirty second-hand records to still make it worthwhile.

IME record cleaning doesn't usually do too much for the level of background noise. Most annoying surface noise is caused by hairline scratches which obviously can't be removed. Often loud pops are caused by debris in the grooves that is large enough to remove with a fingernail, but that wet cleaning won't necessarily remove.

However, cleaning does clean up the sound, making it more clear and less distorted sounding, presumably because the stylus mates better with the vinyl, having less in between. The difference to me can be quite substantial.

--Eri

Thanks, you are correct, further listening shows a definite improvement.
As for my original 50's Jazz records; bloody brilliant now post-cleaning.
Final word. Has anyone tried replacing the velvet strips on the VPI? Do the Moth strips fit/work?