how to clean a record

[al mcguire]

http://thereifixedit.failblog.org/2011/09/12/white-trash-repairs-how-to-clean-a-record/

nb: I have not tried this

[Marc Wielage]

There are some audiophiles who are nutty on this issue (hard to believe, I know).

The big issue with using wood glue on vinyl is a) there's always a risk of leaving some residue, and you have to leave the record covered with glue to sit for about 4-5 hours to let it dry. Households with cats, crawling pets, or small children won't work with this method.

Me personally, I say get a vacuum record wet-cleaning system like the Nitty Gritty or the VPI:

http://www.nittygrittyinc.com

http://www.vpiindustries.com

They cost more money, but clean records in about :30 seconds. I've used them and they work great.

--Marc W.

[Olle Sjostrom]

There's another one of those crazy cleaning tips for CDs; whitening toothpaste. But it works all the time though, in my experience!

[stacysound]

what's a record?

[snd.waves]

say no more ...

http://recordrevirginizer.com/

[Izen Ears]

Just saw this thread and I'm amazed someone would even think to glue their records... I have always wanted to invest in a vacuum but I heard they weren't all that, maybe I should reconsider. Actually I forgot I wanted one until just now ha ha.

I do know, that once a particle gets passed over by your stylus, the impact of the stylus hitting the vinyl just beyond the particle causes a tiny break in the vinyl. So even after you clean the dust you'll still hear clicks. And of course the longer you play the dirty record and pass over that particle the deeper that break gets, which is why no matter how many times you clean them old records still have clicks and pops. Sometimes on a really dirty records I'll load on the "1/2 90% isopropyl 1/2 water" solution over the entire record as it plays, essentially bathing the grooves as their played to avoid any buildup of particles on the stylus, and also to perhaps wash away the particles as the stylus passes so it never has to hit em. It's messy but the records do play better. I try to avoid records that are that worn. I also just remembered how I wanted to get a "beater" turntable for those old records.

And what about the static charge that can draw floating particles onto your record while it's playing? I once got a crazy "static gun" called Zerostat 3 that fires negative ions or something to negatively charge the vinyl so floating particles are repelled. Seemed crazy but it also seemed to work, and since I live in a "dust bowl" house with 3 indoor cats and lots of New Orleans dust around maybe I should go use that again...

So Mr. Wielage do you have an opinion on which vacuum is better? That VPI Typhoon HW-27 looks awesome but so does the Nitty Gritty 2.5XP. Thank you for the "revirginizer" link! It looks pretty cool and they address the static thing.

So hey, record fans, where in the country (or world) are your favorite record stores? It would be cool to do a record store road trip... Shout out to Domino Record Shack here (N Broad & Esplanade) a true godsend; only vinyl & cassettes and this store smokes any record store I've ever been to up North. There's a couple in Austin I liked and also of course Amoeba in Hollywood (Berkeley one sux) is great...

Dan Izen

[Scott Aitken]

I like this stuff groovy cleaner. Cheap and effective for all but the most stubborn grit. i use a carbon fibre brush to destatic stuff. I remember my Dad having one of those ZeroStat guns that i was NOT allowed to touch or play with

@ Dan...as for record stores...Shout outs in Vancouver, Canada go and visit:

Neptoon records

(our city's oldest record store! Has an amazing poster collection from the 60's right up to modern artists from america and europe...truly an amazing art form!)

Red Cat Records (musician owned and run!)

they get all my money that doesn't go to location sound gear or crazy effects pedals.

[Glen Trew]

Someone should re-package Revirginizer as a product for assembling wooden furniture.

gt