getting things clean

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FISH_MAN

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I just used oxiclean liquid dish soap a sock and bottled water to clean an old madonna record I figured the material girl would not mind. this thing was dirty and it really seemed to help do you guys not advise this? I was watching videos on cleaning your records and figured that it could not hurt. would any leftover residue damage your needle? I got it pretty clean
 
I just used oxiclean liquid dish soap a sock and bottled water to clean an old madonna record...


When I get old or used vinyl that is very dirty, I use Dawn dish soap. In about 2 cups of lukewarm water, I'll put hal a dozen drops of Dawn (it doesn't take much!). I apply it to the record by wiping it on with a microfiber cloth, and let it sit for a few minutes, then I'll use a LAST brush to run around the groves several times to really get the cruddy grime off. Then I'll rinse the soapy water off with cool water from the tap, and then a quick splash with distilled water to get rid of any residue. I usually let them air-dry for 24 hours before treating them with LAST preservative, and then a another 2 or 3 hours drying before playing them...

I don't know if you want to use something liek Oxyclean. That is an a oxygenator type cleaner--REALLY good for cleaning durable clothes but it might cause some unpredictable chemical reactions with vinyl--I don't know. I use stuf called "One Step" (which is essentially industrial-grade OxyClean) for cleaning my beer-brewing equipment--it will get dried fermentation foam off the inside of glass or poly carboys in about an hours worth of soaking. Ive never heard if it's reactive with vinyl though--someone needs to look into that...

--Richard
 
Why not just use one of the many vinyl washing solutions that have been specifically developed to clean and preserve your vinyl rather than taking a chance? The problem with dishwashing soaps is that they are , well, soap. Usually that translates to a residue being left behind, and residue can end up gumming up your stylus.

I use and can recommend the Disk Doctor products, but there are a plethora of others manufactured by folks who have developed it specifically for this task. It's not very expensive.

Richard, your process is very similar to what I do, except that I then follow up with another cleaning cycle and a good vacuum on my VPI HR 19.5 cleaning machine. The VPI isn't very expensive and it's a good machine to have if you are going to be a serious collector Fish.
 
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Oxyclean above a certain concentration could etch the vinyl.
Here's what I do for really dirty records:
I use a 1" sable paintbrush, wetted with lukewarm water, then sprayed lightly with Endust for Electronics, which is a mild water-based cleaner. I then lightly work the brush along the direction of the grooves from the outside to the inside. Then I rinse carefully in just barely warm water. After the record is mostly dry, I toss it onto the platter and use my Discwasher kit on both sides. I've found I can get dirty records sounding almost brand new this way. Probably not as good as a proper record cleaner, but it does work well.
HTH!:D
 
I wouldn't use any household cleaner undiluted. For really foul records I use Spray & Wash diluted 20:1 with distilled water, the GrooveMaster label protector (pic) and a brush with which I scrub the record in the sink. I rinse the album with the sprayer and towel dry. I then go and clean it with a great cleaner I got from a guy in Australia that cleans as well as the MOFi fluids at about 1/4 the price and last a long time. I reserve this process for those albums that are really dirty.
 

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Contact William Sargent at [email protected]. He used to list them on E-Bay from time to time but I haven't seen them on there lately. IIRC I paid about $47 for mine.
 
Hey, have any of you guys tried the enzyme tablets used for contact lens in distilled water with your record cleaning machine?:rocker:
 
Hey, have any of you guys tried the enzyme tablets used for contact lens in distilled water with your record cleaning machine?:rocker:

No, I haven't but I will now. I'll report back.
 
Use one tablet in about 1 oz of distilled water applied to the vinyl (one tablet can do several disks). Rinse with either distilled water or your favorite cleaning solution all vacuumed off the vinyl as usual.
 
Use one tablet in about 1 oz of distilled water applied to the vinyl (one tablet can do several disks). Rinse with either distilled water or your favorite cleaning solution all vacuumed off the vinyl as usual.

Once made does the solution have a limited shelf life?
 

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