Distilled Water for Cleaning Records

Posted by: Wazza69 on 27 February 2009

Hi All,

I can't seem to find any distilled water, can anyone recommend a UK high street store that sells it at a good price? Alternatively, a specialist store in West London if people are out this way?

Thanks,
Waz
Posted on: 28 February 2009 by Steve2701
That will be because 'distilled' water hardly exists these days.
Now if you ask for DE-IONISED water you may well get a different result.
If you have a de-humidifier in your house you can get pure water from it's tank for free.
Posted on: 28 February 2009 by AS332
Waz ,
I use purified water to clean my vinyl which you can get at most chemists ( they may have to order it in ) . Usually it comes in 5 litre containers .
I hope this helps ,

Ed
Posted on: 28 February 2009 by BigH47
I think I got my last lot of de-ionised water from Halfords as battery top up water.
Posted on: 03 March 2009 by Wazza69
Would filtered water from my office water cooler suffice? Its the normal type.
Posted on: 03 March 2009 by Wazza69
I was just going to use fairy liquid and some cloths with distilled/filtered water as the last step...
Posted on: 04 March 2009 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Originally posted by Wazza69:
Hi All,

I can't seem to find any distilled water ..

Thanks,
Waz
Do you have a tumble dryer? The water that comes out of it is distilled. Just stick it in your Keith Monks record cleaning machine and you're in business.
Posted on: 25 March 2009 by naim_nymph
quote:
Originally posted by BigH47:
I think I got my last lot of de-ionised water from Halfords as battery top up water.


I did just that today, Howard! : )

Halfords Battery Top-Up Water
De-ionised for use in Leaed-acid batteries
Use in engine cooling systems to help reduce scaling and corrosion
Also suitable for irons, lava lamps and air-conditioning units

(only costs £3.49)

Can anyone reasure me that using this 'battery top-up water' is okay for use in my RCM?
My okki nokki RCM comes with two little bottles of record cleaning concentrate, each label states; Add contents to 1 litre of purified water and mix well.

What's the best solution to use in my RCM?
I could always reserve this Halfords water for my steam iron, or car engine cooling system, or washer-wiper.
In this area of the UK the water out the tap is the hardest i've ever come across! : )

nymph
Posted on: 25 March 2009 by naim_nymph
I've got a pair of these ready! Big Grin

Posted on: 26 March 2009 by Analogue
Hi nymph,

Have you got a "Pound Stretcher" type shop in your neck of the woods?
My local one does 5ltrs of de-ionised water for just £2.10

Regards

Chris N
Posted on: 26 March 2009 by naim_nymph
Hi Chris,

£2.10 is not bad!

For that price i could afford to use it in the car screen washer-wiper reservoir! : )
...the water from the tap really is quite hard and can scale the kettle up just in 3 days!
(I have to use a BRITA filta jug)

nymph

I just thought - shouldn't this thread be in Hi-Fi Corner ?
Posted on: 26 March 2009 by Wazza69
Deioninsed isnt the same as destilled though is it? Not sure if it is appropriate for a RCM

Thanks
Posted on: 27 March 2009 by count.d
Distilled water is ..... distilled water. Pure, clean water.

Deionised water can mean anything and usually is. Do not use deionised water where you need clean water. It's full of chemicals.
Posted on: 27 March 2009 by naim_nymph
I've decided to wait for my 5 litre supply of Moth cleaning fluid. Should arrive anyday now : )

nymph
Posted on: 29 March 2009 by DeltaSigma
Not sure if this applies to the UK as well but supermarkets in the US sell distilled water (at least, the local one does).
Posted on: 29 March 2009 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Originally posted by ROTF:
quote:
Originally posted by Wazza69:
Hi All,

I can't seem to find any distilled water ..

Thanks,
Waz
Do you have a tumble dryer? The water that comes out of it is distilled. Just stick it in your Keith Monks record cleaning machine and you're in business.


This isn't a flippant comment: it is true - the stuff that comes out of your tumble dryer is distilled water. The water in your clothes has been evaporated and then is condensed = this process is distillation - mix with isopropyl alcohol (absolute vodka): 25%/75% mixture - and you have a cleaning fluid.

Then simply use a device like the Knosti Disco Antistat Record Cleaning Kit to distribute the mixture on your record and then put it on ye olde Keith Monks Record Cleaning Machine, Loricraft or similar and it'll clean and dry it.

The Moth RCM is a good machine - if you have any Phil C records play them while using the Moth to clean a different record - it is only time you should ever play them.

ATB Rotf
Posted on: 29 March 2009 by Tarquin Maynard - Portly
You can usually buy distilled water from shops that sell tropical fish.
Posted on: 29 March 2009 by naim_nymph
The water that comes out of my condenser type tumble dryer is not clean water, held up to the light one can see tiny bits of fluff, dust, particals of cotton, and wool etc...

I use it in the steam iron though, cheap old tesco's thing that : )

nymph
Posted on: 30 March 2009 by Analogue
quote:
Originally posted by Mike Lacey:
You can usually buy distilled water from shops that sell tropical fish.



At a price???
Posted on: 30 March 2009 by Analogue
quote:
Originally posted by naim_nymph:
The water that comes out of my condenser type tumble dryer is not clean water, held up to the light one can see tiny bits of fluff, dust, particals of cotton, and wool etc...

I use it in the steam iron though, cheap old tesco's thing that : )

nymph,

Leave the water for 24hours to settle or filter it through a coffee filter bag - it should work.

ATB

Chris N

nymph
Posted on: 30 March 2009 by Guido Fawkes
The AEG tumble dryer manual specifically states that the distilled water it produces is ideal for use in car cooling systems, irons etc (it doesn't specifically say Keith Monks Record Cleaning Machines I must admit). The distillation process through the pump and condenser gets rid of all of impurities giving colourless, odourless and tasteless water - shame I've now got a Zannusi, but it looks very clean to me. Of course you could try this



Heat the dirty tap water to the boiling point so it vapourises and becomes steam, while other substances remain in solid state in the flask. Steam is then directed into a cooler, where it cools down and returns to liquid water and the end result is a water, purified of additional substances found in it before distillation.



Oh yeah, gimme dat ole Liebig condenser with its inner tube enclosed in a jacket full of cool water. The cool water cools the outer surface of the inner tube and causes the steam within to condense.

Good luck - ATB Rotf
Posted on: 30 March 2009 by JWM
quote:
Originally posted by naim_nymph:
...Can anyone reasure me that using this 'battery top-up water' is okay for use in my RCM?
My okki nokki RCM comes with two little bottles of record cleaning concentrate, each label states; Add contents to 1 litre of purified water and mix well.


I know you have in fact decided to go for the Moth liquid, but with my Okki Nokki I quite happily use:



I know it's a bit more expensive than buying in the bulk size, but I buy the 1l bottle for about £1. This size makes it very convenient for making up the Okki Nokki concentrate, as no measuring is required! I simply pour concentrate and water into a robust Disco AntiStat 1l bottle, and decant diluted liquid back into the empty concentrate 'squeezy' bottle for easy use.

I also thought I'd try the ClearAudio brush over the Okki Nokki. Don't bother. Lots of packaging, but the velvet strip's exactly the same as the Okki Nokki (just as a ClearAudio Smart Matrix is an Okki Nokki in fancy clothing).

James
Posted on: 30 March 2009 by count.d
Now I remember why I've never felt guilty about not buying second hand records.
Posted on: 30 March 2009 by naim_nymph
count.d,
It's been said to me by people who know lots more about vinyl than i... that new records benefit from cleaning too, and i can believe it, remembering many of those pippy-poppy brand new LP's i've purchased in the past! Roll Eyes

What James said:
quote:
I also thought I'd try the ClearAudio brush over the Okki Nokki. Don't bother. Lots of packaging, but the velvet strip's exactly the same as the Okki Nokki (just as a ClearAudio Smart Matrix is an Okki Nokki in fancy clothing).


Yes James, apparently the Okki Nokki is a ClearAudio Smart Matrix but without the lid, a couple of quotes i had for a new ClearAudio machine are over £700! Eek

So at £325 the Okki Nokki is a very good buy, you have to pay and extra £400 if you want that fancy lid!
(prices of new VPI (made in USA) and ClearAudio RCM's (made in Germany) are affected by the exchange rate ~ weak pound vs foreign currency making the new imports very expensive all of a sudden).
I expect the Okki Nokki's (also made in Germany) will go up in price too when stocks deplete and more need importing.

nymph

ps... i have it on good authority that if cleaning vinyl of spiritual musik... Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven Masses etc then holy water must be used.