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Record Cleaning Fluid

ostost Montreal 1,375 Posts
edited January 2008 in Strut Central
Does anybody know what the record cleaning fluid proportions are?? O know it's made of rubbing alcohol and some other ish.... how could you make your own??
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  • ariel_calmerariel_calmer 3,762 Posts
    I use:

    3 parts distilled water
    1 part denatured alcohol
    few drops detergent

    I've asked people over the last few days, cuz I just got a VPI, and all I can say is everybody has their own little recipe.

    Last night a friend told me he uses high % ethyl alcohol in his mix. Literally, everclear.
  • Options
    Unknown
    windex and water to suit.
    cheap and effective.
    use the solution in a basin and dont stop washing until the water needs changed.

    am i wrong? if so I am sorry and/or my bad
  • ariel_calmerariel_calmer 3,762 Posts
    windex and water to suit.

    Dude you're cleaning a piece of music, not a car window...
  • JRootJRoot 861 Posts
    I use:

    3 parts distilled water
    1 part denatured alcohol
    few drops detergent

    I've asked people over the last few days, cuz I just got a VPI, and all I can say is everybody has their own little recipe.

    Last night a friend told me he uses high % ethyl alcohol in his mix. Literally, everclear.

    Is "denatured alcohol" a.k.a. rubbing alcohol? Or is it some high end nobel prize alcohol?

    And congrats on the VPI. A very nice christmas/kwanzaa/hanukkah gift. If you figure out how better to use it on your 45s let me know. I've even got the 45 arm, but water is still always getting on my labels.
  • HairyBelafonteHairyBelafonte 1,202 Posts


    And congrats on the VPI. A very nice christmas/kwanzaa/hanukkah gift. If you figure out how better to use it on your 45s let me know. I've even got the 45 arm, but water is still always getting on my labels.


    from what cool chris and p-ro showed/told me, slide a penny (dime) tube (what you stacks your coins in when you'd go to the bank with change before coin star) over the cleaning arm. keeps the fluid from getinng all over the place


    this:



    jus not crumpled.
  • ostost Montreal 1,375 Posts
    windex and water to suit.

    Dude you're cleaning a piece of music, not a car window...
    hahaha....I knew that one was gonna come up....
    actually he might be right cuz that has grease dissolver in it so that can be good for sticky ness on records...
    but the first mix that was given seems best cuz the alcohol will keepthe solution sanitary and it can be reused....any other ideas/tips?
  • HAZHAZ 3,376 Posts
    Here is a good article on the subject:

    http://www.musicangle.com/feat.php?id=54&page=2
  • FatbackFatback 6,746 Posts
    detergent


    NO[/b]
  • FlomotionFlomotion 2,391 Posts
    I use:

    3 parts distilled water
    1 part denatured alcohol
    few drops detergent

    I've asked people over the last few days, cuz I just got a VPI, and all I can say is everybody has their own little recipe.

    Last night a friend told me he uses high % ethyl alcohol in his mix. Literally, everclear.

    I do pretty much the same: 4 parts distilled water to one part Isopropyl[/b] plus a couple of drops of washing up liquid.

    Lighter fluid to get stickers off and a dry board marker to go over permanent marker.
  • nzshadownzshadow 5,518 Posts
    a dry board marker to go over permanent marker.

    plaese to explaen?
  • knewjakknewjak 1,231 Posts
    I used the following with my Nitty Gritty...

    4 parts Distilled Water.
    1 part Isopropyl Alcohol.
    1 drop of dish soap.
  • FlomotionFlomotion 2,391 Posts
    Just write over the permanent marker with the dry board marker - leave it on for a few seconds then wipe it off. Repeat as needed. The older the permanent marker, the harder it is to shift completely but most times you get a magically restored cover beaming gratefully up at you.
  • HAZHAZ 3,376 Posts
    Anyone ever try Photo-Flo in your record cleaner brew?
  • sabadabadasabadabada 5,966 Posts
    how about a drying agent to speed up drying? is their a retail product available?
  • FatbackFatback 6,746 Posts
    Jonny Payczex is gonna flip out when he sees this crap.
  • FlomotionFlomotion 2,391 Posts
    how about a drying agent to speed up drying? is their a retail product available?

    Air is a cheap and readily available agent. For a faster drying time invest in some wind. Anything up to hurricane force for 45s, LPs require no more than a stiff breeze. Or you could get hold of a VPI wind tunnel.
  • knewjakknewjak 1,231 Posts
    Jonny Payczex is gonna flip out when he sees this crap.

    Im curious myself what is the best method. What are the ingredients in the formulas which VPI and Nitty Gritty sell? Its not like they have access to special chemicals. Id bet its simply a certain ratio of regular household items with a 'secret record cleaning formula' sticker on the bottle.
  • sabadabadasabadabada 5,966 Posts
    Does anybody add anything to keep the records smelling fresh? Pine, Potpourri?
  • FlomotionFlomotion 2,391 Posts
    Tears.
  • sabadabadasabadabada 5,966 Posts
    arent records made out of the same PVC material that the plastic bottles that hold drain-o are made out of? I mean, they're pretty impervious to chemicals, no?
  • FatbackFatback 6,746 Posts
    arent records made out of the same PVC material that the plastic bottles that hold drain-o are made out of? I mean, they're pretty impervious to chemicals, no?

    i am relieved that you are genuinely retarted and your whole web persona isn't some doloesque game.
  • sabadabadasabadabada 5,966 Posts
    just because im retarded, doesnt mean i dont have feelings.
  • sabadabadasabadabada 5,966 Posts
    this looks useful.

    http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byform/mailing-lists/arsclist/2003/12/threads.html#00083
  • HAZHAZ 3,376 Posts
    Here's a useful link:

    http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/fluids.html

    I use a drop of dish soap in my cleaner, but I'll only use Ivory. Distilled water is a must, along with lab grade alcohol.
  • iron_monkeyiron_monkey 985 Posts
    I use spring water, a dash of rubbing alcohol and a drop of dish soap. After I clean the disc, I rinse it off till it shines. Then play it through and watch all the gunk come up off the grooves. Works for me...

    At least till I get enough scratch together for one of those serious ultrasonic joints with the lego/tinkertoys contraption to hold the records in place and rotate.
  • FatbackFatback 6,746 Posts
    use distilled, not spring water.
  • iron_monkeyiron_monkey 985 Posts
    why? what's the difference? Seems clean enough to me....
  • FatbackFatback 6,746 Posts
    detergents are not good. if your record is so damn filthy that you need detergent, you should vacuum clean it. otherwise you are replacing the dust, dirt or poo-poo in the grooves with a layer of petroleum and/or wax residue. it might look better to you, but does not equal a clean record.
  • sabadabadasabadabada 5,966 Posts
    spring water is loaded with mineral deposits that end up in the record.
  • FatbackFatback 6,746 Posts
    why? what's the difference? Seems clean enough to me....

    spring water can (usually does) have lots of minerals that will settle into your grooves. distilled water does not and is also cheaper.
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