Cheap and effective way of cleaning vinyl...

[oldleodensian]

...anyone able to recommend one??

I have recently bought an album that was in excellent condition but that crackled a bit too much during the quiet opening minute of 1st track of an album. So, somewhat unwisely (isn't hindsight great) I decided to clean it with a good old cloth and vinyl cleaning fluid. Now it sounds worse. And so does the 1st track of side 2 as I treated that one first by mistake.

I live in South Yorkshire, so any professional cleaning services that anyone may be aware of would also be useful.

 

[chebby]

http://www.audiodestination.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=49

 

[oldleodensian]

Thanks for the swift reply chebby. Assuming you have used this yourself, how long does it take to clean an LP, and how long before it is dry enough to play?

 

[matthewpiano]

I usually spend about 5 minutes cleaning one LP and it takes 30-60 minutes for it to dry.

Its an excellentproduct.

 

[SteveR750]

From experience, home cleaners are a waste of time. I have got 200 or so water damaged LP's and the only solution is ketih monks cleaning services, which was recommended to me by a couple of analogie specialists and a friend. I am assured they will restore vinyl to as new condition, I have yet to try out a couple of LP's first to test this.

http://www.vinylrecords.co.uk/Cleaning.html

 

[Anonymous]

Hi there,

takes a couple of mins to setup the cleaner and a couple of mins to clean the record and between 10 - 30 mins to dry (depends on temp, ventilation etc)

does a good job as well.

 

[chebby]

I have never used the Knosti as I live 10 minutes walk from a record shop who have a Keith Monks machine.

I have any used LP that I buy from them cleaned before purchase. (And I take in used LPs I have bought elsewhere for cleaning before playing them.)

 

[oldleodensian]

chebby:

live 10 minutes walk from a record shop who have a Keith Monks machine.

I have any used LP that I buy from them cleaned before purchase. (And I take in used LPs I have bought elsewhere for cleaning before playing them.)

stever750 kindly posted a web address of a shop in Portsmouth that provides a similar service but, living in South Yorkshire, it becomes quite costly in p&p. A shop like that within reasonable travelling distance would be very handy indeed!

 

[Anonymous]

Just ordered a Knosti, so will report back as to its efficacity. Much cheaper in non-UK Europe, by the way.

 

[chebby]

oldleodensian:stever750 kindly posted a web address of a shop in Portsmouth that provides a similar service but, living in South Yorkshire, it becomes quite costly in p&p. A shop like that within reasonable travelling distance would be very handy indeed!

The link stever750 posted IS the shop 10 mins walk away that I referred to

 

[John Duncan]

I use a Knosti (I may have mentioned this) and it's genius. I do a dozen rotaions clockwise and a dozen anticlockwise, then let dry overnight usually.

Make your own solution after the supplied one runs out though, is much cheaper. Plenty of recipes on t'internet.

 

[oldleodensian]

JohnDuncan:I use a Knosti (I may have mentioned this) and it's genius.

Now that's an encouraging response! Put Knosti into a google search and there are links to threads from forums that I have never used where some users have not had good results, so I am a bit wary of buying a Knosti just yet. And I can just imagine my wife's response when one arrives in the post...she already thinks I'm mad for even considering playing vinyl...

 

[oldleodensian]

Tarquinh:Just ordered a Knosti, so will report back as to its efficacity. Much cheaper in non-UK Europe, by the way.

Look forward to hearing your verdict.

 

[John Duncan]

oldleodensian:
JohnDuncan:I use a Knosti (I may have mentioned this) and it's genius.

Now that's an encouraging response! Put Knosti into a google search and there are links to threads from forums that I have never used where some users have not had good results, so I am a bit wary of buying a Knosti just yet. And I can just imagine my wife's response when one arrives in the post...she already thinks I'm mad for even considering playing vinyl...

I suspect there are links to forums where users have not had as good results as a VPI or a Keith Monks or a Clearaudio, but unless you want to spend hundreds, if not thousands, on one of those, a Knosti is the next best thing, and a hundred times better than any dry method you care to mention.

The trick is to keep your solution clean (which means only a few records per bath), and having lots of solution to hand - hence my recommendation to make your own (I use 80% distilled water, 20% isopropyl alcohol, teaspoon of Ilfotol photographic wetting agent or similar).

Once they're dry, put them in Nagaoka inner sleeves.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I came across a "GEM DANDY RECORD CLEANING MACHINE" ($150) a while back. Could this be any good? Its got a good write up.ÿ