This is good advice, the goal is to clean records without damaging / scratching them and without leaving any residue behind. The combination of products he shares are perfect for this and way cheaper than any off the shelf product. Nice job 👍

@scientificaudiophile

8 ай бұрын

Thanks

@studio_filo

4 ай бұрын

You're right! I did not notice :) thanks again @@scientificaudiophile

Reason: If they told you what the ingredients are you would realize you could buy the ingredient(s) much cheaper without their label on it.

I get the part where you say "Don't trust a product that doesn't tell you, what's in it". But honestly, I'm a broke kid who just wants his records to live a little longer and listen to them every once in a while. I'm just trying to figure out the basics, on how to keep my records clean. But after watching this video, I became very reluctant to even try it out of fear to "destroy" my records (how exactly? mechaninal damage to the grooves, damage to the chemical composition of the vinyl ?) But I guess not cleaning my records is the abolute worst possible cleaning advice I could follow. Also, WHY am I to use 99% pure alcohol, WHY is Isopropol not enough? As a channel who has the word "scientific" in the channel's name, you leave a lot to be desired in terms of the "science". No explanation, no reasoning, only "don't do this, this is wrong" and "onyl do that, that is the onyl wright way to do it" WHERE'S YOUR EVIDENCE? Why should I believe YOU instead of someone else, who makes a similar video with the same type of arguments, but with opposite opninions? Lastly, there are ways to adress and deal with false advice, misinformation and the like. Hostility i.e. the way you're doing it ISN'T one of them. Directly calling out the people themselves instead of only adressing the things they say is a major red flag. (Not even a single mention of how you don't intend to target anyone directly) Congrats, you made me avoid your channel alltogether and I doubt I will be the only one.

@youngbuckster

Жыл бұрын

I'm young as well and in the last half year I've been digitizing my collection with the Vinyl Vac. You would buy a 40-60 dollar shop vac and hook it up to this, altogether roughly 100 dollars. And let me tell you it has been the best cleaning setup I've ever had, I used to use the glue method and it worked but the vac sucks up everything so you should have a perfectly clean record when all said and done. I also use alcohol along with the Vinyl Vac solution on the records. I think if you just keep the amount of alcohol down you should be fine, and your vinyl will be preserved. I have also heard good things about enzymatic solutions instead of using alcohol if your worried.

@bevo65

Жыл бұрын

Nailed it!

@tilasole3252

Жыл бұрын

He was trying to help. I agree he did seem to attack, but it was also informative. Although why this and not that he did not explain, it should be obvious. If it is not regulated or explained what is in a product, don't use it. It's snake oil or worse. US tap water at least has all sorts of chemicals in it, drugs, etc. Probably worst of all, hard water depending where you are at. Distilled on the other hand should not. The one thing I would have liked him to explain was why 99% alcohol. But I digress. He is also probably thinking long term, like his children or grand children and great grand children inheriting his records. Not the common person who, as a child, I never remember a record ever being cleaned. Maybe a light dusting of a feather duster and just because it happened to be in the way. Haha!

@gomey70

Жыл бұрын

As someone who has been buying and listening to vinyl for over 40 years, my advice would be don't worry about it. Just play your records and enjoy them. All these youtube videos have turned people into OCD lunatics. Your records will be fine and will likely outlive you.

@PeacefulPariah

Жыл бұрын

I will say that I try this combination and it's actually pretty cheap. Most expensive thing is a 99% alcohol but then everything else is just a few bucks. I recommend it because you can actually save a lot of money and you do know exactly what you're using. It's been working really well for me. Also think the microfiber cloth is pretty crucial instead of just some brush.

If I had a $50,000 sound system with a stylus that cost $500 I might be as fussy as this guy is about cleaning my records. But I don't. I agree that records should be handled carefully and cleaned if they can be improved by doing so. But, in my opinion, there is such a thing as overkill. I'm not saying that what this guy is telling you is wrong. He hits on some very good points. I just don't think that the average collector has to be this cautious. My method works fine for me and probably does for most collectors. I don't use distilled water. I use tap water. And the water in my area is pretty hard. The trick is not to let it dry on the record. And I only clean the record once. Just once. Maybe if I cleaned them 50 times they could accumulate enough minerals to cause damage to the grooves and the stylus playing them. I use a sponge dipped in a bowl filled with tap water and a couple of drops of unscented Dawn dish washing fluid. If it's safe enough to clean oil covered birds then it's safe enough to put on my records! I carefully rinse them off by spinning them under running water without getting the labels wet. Then I immediately pat them dry with a soft, lint free towel. If I have a very dirty record I will use a soft toothbrush on the bad spots. You know what I mean. The spots that people leave on them after touching them with chicken wing sauce on their fingers! After I clean them the grooves are amazingly quiet. Good enough, I say. If had to clean hundreds of records regularly (like dealers do) then I would buy an ultrasonic system. I buy mostly used records that have been enjoyed by previous owners. I'm not afraid to run my $40 stylus over a few light scratches. If I'm playing a very old record from the '50's or 60's I kind of enjoy a few pops and clicks. The secret to a happy life is to eliminate as much stress as possible. So do yourself a favor and just chill out and enjoy the music! Your opinions are welcome! Your personal insults are not. LOL.

Thank you for the informative video. I recently bought a water distiller so I can make large quantities of my own pure water which has been distilled at least three times. I never start with plain tap water, it’s either demineralised or multi stage filtered to reduce scale buildup in the distiller. My wife is going out for the day, so this will be an ideal time to try out my new cleaning system for the first time using the Pro-ject VC-S2 and a cheap ultrasonic cleaner from Vevor. The cleaning formula I intend to use is triple distilled water, 1% IPA (99.8% pure), and 0.1% surfactant (Triton X-100 lab grade). Then rinsed in a clean bath of triple distilled water in my Spin Clean without the brushes then drip dry and a final wipe with a clean micro fibre cloth. The manual handling of the vinyl will be done using powder free food grade rubber gloves. The liquids will be measured using digital scales and decanted into a new spritzer bottle.

@bobsbiggestfan6281

Жыл бұрын

What’s sad is he doesn’t even know you’re being sarcastic

@paulboyce8537

9 ай бұрын

HaHaHa.)))

I use Kodak Photo-flo or FPP Foto Flow which is the same thing in a smaller bottle. So basically I use what you use. Now, if I’m dealing with a very dirty old 78, it’s gotta be something more potent like plain Dawn dish washing liquid or something similar. Distilled water is a must of course. Very good video and it’s good to call out these misleading channels.

Sigh. This must be one of the main things killing the vinyl hobby. Everyone on the internet saying a different thing, everyone acting like the one and only who knows. I've been OCD:ing over my wet cleaning option for a while, and I just said fuck it and ordered the GrooveWasher G2. I know, "it leaves crud and a film on your records, the sponge is shit, don't ever use it, you should listen to Guy #145" - at this point I'm not going to trust any one party on the internet, I want to start listening to the goddamn records...

@nokowaiera

Жыл бұрын

He’s a audio file he cares all about the quality of the music so he’s obviously gonna be complaining about the solutions which isn’t his own I don’t really care about solutions it’s just about how you like to music and that’s what vinyl is about listening to music your way

@johns8377

Жыл бұрын

Same as you, I ended up with the G2 also. Starting to think Vinyl is more stress than worthwhile for someone prone to OCD and anxiety 😁

@tilasole3252

Жыл бұрын

Is that what OCD will do to you? ... Damn...

@ThomasL

2 ай бұрын

PursuitPerfectSystem channel made a video much better than this one with microscope check before and after with various techniques. This one is clickb*it.

@KozmicTunes

Ай бұрын

I'm having a full on anxiety attack about it. I use the spincare set and I was happy but now everyone is telling me I wasn't eben supposed to use a microfiber cloth... I can't afford a cleaning machine now...

Very enlightening! Enough to make me subscribe, as I'm about to buy a new turntable and want to clean up my old records. Thanks!

I just put my records in the cat's litter box. Right after I put a fresh load of litter in there, I wait until there are at least three cat turds and then I know the process is complete. They come out like new, and sound amazing!

@tsukabull1650

Жыл бұрын

@yambo59

10 ай бұрын

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

@drmidnight680-kz2le

9 ай бұрын

It's because the cats are cleaning the records for you😸

@dulls8475

4 ай бұрын

How many cats do i need to buy?

@jamesgiedt5682

Ай бұрын

Retard???😮

dish soap and warm water will not ruin records (it hasn't ruined mine). After the 'deep clean' I spray with distilled water, isopropanol & surfactant with micro fibre cloths. The first round gets the bad stuff out. The second treatment I use every time before I play the record. Full agreement with your recommendation: Either it states what's in the cleaning solution, then you decide. Or it doesn't, and you make your own.

@PeacefulPariah

Жыл бұрын

You're ruining your labels

@TatamiDisco

Жыл бұрын

@@PeacefulPariah Use a label clamp when cleaning so no moisture gets on them.

@zapwatt

Жыл бұрын

I too have been using mild, unscented dish soap and tepid tapwater to clean records for years and have had NO ILL effects whatsoever. I own about 1500 records and have never had a problem with my cleaning method. Also, I clean my records without submerging them and I do not saturate the labels, so calm down about "ruining" the labels. But for what it is worth, most labels can take a lot of water exposure with no problem. They do not disbond, do not discolor and will usually be just fine unless the labels are the mattte types of the 1950s and early 60s.

@bikdav

9 ай бұрын

When I get a used record and it appears filthy dirty, I use cool soapy water and a cheap unused brush (such as a chefs basting brush). I brush a generous amount of the soapy water on the playing surface in a circular motion back and forth a couple of times. Try not to get the record label seriously soaked. After that, I rinse the record with cold water. I dry the record with a regular clean towel (or one of the many good microfibre towels) and let it air dry the rest of the way. So far, I’ve had great success with this method. I rest my case.

@bikdav

9 ай бұрын

@@PeacefulPariahI never ruined any of mine. But, I try to avoid letting the label get seriously soaked.

The last one D4 record cleaning fluid has been around since the 60's and was the go to cleaning fluid of the 60- 90's and did a pretty decent job with the velour brush that came with the fluid. It will NOT hurt your records .

@ThePuffGD

Жыл бұрын

This is a slight misconception. The brush you're thinking is the *original* dishwasher brush that actually *was* from the pre 2000s. They made the brush and cleaner in a completely different way that no company since has replicated. They went out of business in the early 2000s (guess why?), but had their brand name bought by someone else. What you see in this video is that new stuff. The brush and cleaner are completely different and kinda garbage. I recommend looking up a video of the Original Discwasher D4 System. It's pretty cool! I love mine.

@tomhill4003

Жыл бұрын

...but it doesn't get them clean enough either

@yambo59

10 ай бұрын

My thought is that the Original discwasher co. went out of business when records started being overtaken by CD's, sales went way down since the seventies so they sold the name for big money

@TheAgeOfAnalog

10 ай бұрын

@@tomhill4003 it was never designed for deep cleaning, even though it's all most of us had available at the time.

@bryede

9 ай бұрын

The brush just redeposits the dirt from one record onto the next unless you thoroughly wash it which would probably destroy it in short order. The D4 fluid has changed over time and some variations left a milky residue.

490ml distilled water 5ml ilford ilfotol 5ml 99% ISO alcohol You do not need much alcohol. You will likely not hear a difference between a 25% and a .5% solution.

@PeacefulPariah

Жыл бұрын

Thank you.

@MysteronLunaris

Ай бұрын

Question, do you add in the reagents and then use a vortex mixer or use a magnetic stirrer and continually blend them? (I'm not being serious)

I have just repair an Audio Desk vinyl cleaner and I am in love with that machine, it cleans excellent

@scientificaudiophile

2 ай бұрын

Good to know!

Fantastic advice….very thorough, thank you 👍

Hi, glad I found this video and channel today! Totally agree about the quality control of going the DIY route. But do we need to rinse this solution, or just wiping it up is fine? Thnx

A few weeks ago I got a hold of 3 records for €3 each. They were filthy. I tried the tap water + dish soap + dunk in the sink but instead of a brush like he had I used a soft-bristle toothbrush. This method worked mint for me.. It did remove a lot of the cracks & pops it had before.. A few weeks later the record is still fine with no apparent side effects to it or the stylus.

I’m glad I found this vid. Thanks!

So I did an experiment. I live in a dusty environment. I have to clean my records quite often. So I made a solution of distilled water with 70% alcohol. And I noticed after wiping with a microfiber cloth Mike once clean Records now had the bacon sizzling sound. I suppose the contaminants in the 70% alcohol caused scratches and contamination to the records. Then I tried 91% alcohol and distilled water and a microfiber cloth and it made a huge difference in the surface noise. so I agree with you the higher percentage alcohol you use the less contaminants will be on your records and please use vinyl gloves when cleaning. The only problem with 99% alcohol is that it smells awful and I feel so toxic when I use it from smelling it. But it does do a good job. I guess I'll wear a facemask as well.

Thumbs up for this video. This guy knows what he's talking about. I've been using these exact ingredients for many years. There are a few YT videos that offer this same method, but not many - because as this guy says in this video - these other people do not have the knowledge. Distilled water with 99% Isopropanol (20% mixed of desired volume), Ilford agent (5% mixed of the desired volume).

@scientificaudiophile

3 ай бұрын

I appreciate that!

thanks for your advice! People like you are the real friends of Vinyl

The water where I live has very little chloride so I do clean records under lukewarm tap water with a clean microfiber spunge. Use regular soap for cleaning plates and spoons Etc. Hold the record with a glove so I can touch all areas. Clean thoroughly. Dunce off all soap then dry with clean micro fiber cloth before letting it air dry another 5 minutes. Then I play record and bever clean it ever again.

@yambo59

10 ай бұрын

Its not just chlorine thats a concern but mainly a buildup of hard minerals from tap water, in some parts of the country tap water has such a high content of hard minerals and purifying chemicals it can harden like concrete in the grooves and grind away at your stylus - its the same reason they use distilled water in eye drops and such, so you dont get mineral deposits scratching at your eyes every time you blink.

@UFO_computers

9 ай бұрын

Microfibre cloths can leave microfibres/lints in the grooves.

First of all, thank you for taking the time to do the research and putting together this video. You already knew the haters and the doubters were gonna jump all over you and you posted it anyways so hats off to you. Second of all you are questioning the industry that provides their magical tonics in a bottle and majority without explanation. This is absolutely unprofessional and frustrating when we eventually find out that not only were we not cleaning the record, we were making it worse. I think your solution is sound and makes complete sense. Plus, you have no motivation for deception except to uncover one. Could you have been more diplomatic and pass less judgement on those who are only assuming the industry is doing right is completely up for debate. I personally do not care so long as the ending justifies the concerns you identified. Also there are those who are watching this video who remember a time before the internet where knowledge of record care was word of mouth. Now, we all have the chance to share knowledge via this amazing platform and it has helped some of is fast forward are knowledge and debunk myths. This is another video that weighs in on the proper way to take of vinyl and the best on to date to my knowledge. Thanks again for your contribution!

@tilasole3252

Жыл бұрын

Well others found it off putting. He could have done better I regards to that. In fact he could have skipped that whole segment of calling people out and just said what to use, what not to use and why. Won and done. So if he has haters, there might be a real reason for that. Although it helped me. However, they said on game cartridges not to use alcohol, now all the retro stores use it to clean their old games. Just a drop or two, slightly moist, not soaking wet on a q-tip, a little rub in the prongs and the game will play.

I've use at least 10 cleaning solutions over the years. Many differences, many similarities but always based on distilled water. For me the key is rinsing. I don't care if the product used says it needn't be rinsed. All do in my experience. I use a Degritter for my last step. In my view it is a brilliant way of rinsing. I can take an LP that was thoroughly cleaned on another machine, which does a good job with a quality fluid, play it, then come back later and run it on a pure distilled water rinse and it sounds better. Some solution are VERY difficult to thoroughly rinse. My last rinse is lab grade I pure water. Distilled water still has a fair amount of particulate matter in it. A small amount follows a distilled water rinse. That's as good as I've come up with using many products, both solutions and machines, including Kirmuss VPI, Pro-Ject, and Degritter, not to mention various brushes. When a record is properly cleaned and rinsed with the pure water at the end there is very little drying needed. It's almost completely dry by the end.

@CookieCurls

Жыл бұрын

How do you rinse?

@rickmilam413

Жыл бұрын

@@CookieCurls It depends on the type of music and how far I'm willing to go for a specific album. At a minimum a distilled water rinse in the Degritter. On prized stuff and in particular classical, where there are so many very quiet passages, I do a final rinse on my vacuum machine with laboratory grade Type I ultra pure water. I do the rinse, vacuum and then place in the Degritter for about 30 seconds (1 revolution) on a low fan speed to insure it's totally dry before putting it into a new sleeve.

@Later2u

8 ай бұрын

If only I had a spare $3500 laying around.

I have another question. I am planning on buying the mofi super record wash. But i dont have a record cleaning machine Would you suggest me using it for a manual hand cleaning system? Using the groovewasher brush I have mentioned before?

@scientificaudiophile

Жыл бұрын

Nothing wrong with either, or a clean microfiber cloth. Good luck.

I use washingmachine soap and an old Knosti device and after 20 turns i clean it with the knosti filled with normal water..make the record a little dry .than i put the record on a paper and make it dry with soft toiletpaper >>> than i use a anti-static fibre recordcleaner and i'm satisfied with the endresult. I have a question, records are loosened from the motherrecord by using grease or oil..in the beginning the substance is thin but after years /decades it gets thicker almost solid or even solid with dirt in it?. After i started playing records again i noticed my old records had more clicks and thicks than i can remember from the old days. Am i right?

thank you for this!

There was a fluid spray sold on Amazon a few years back that left a sheen on the Records that made them shine, and I swear it had some kind of lubricant in it. After a while, it turned to cook on my records, and when I wipe them off with alcohol and water. All of this brown residue came off. I forgot what it was called, slick or slide some thing in a tiny orange spray can? You're right, sir I agree with you all D's cleaning fluids that you can buy are awful and a waste of money.

This is the best info on recording cleaning I could find, but it only covers the ingredients, not the process or technique. FYI, 99% is about the max, since it immediately absorbs water out of the air the instant you open it.

@scientificaudiophile

8 ай бұрын

Thanks for the info!

Hi, thanks for posting this video. I was using the spin clean on new records and am getting lots of static. Would you recommend using the homemade liquid on new records?

@scientificaudiophile

Жыл бұрын

No. New records just need to be dusted with a microfiber cloth.

I've been collecting Jamaican singles for 30 years and some of us including myself use an ultrasonic cleaner, it's absolutely the best way to clean vinyl . Period. A couple of drops of dish soap in lukewarm water slowly rotate by hand up to the label, you can see the dirt lift from the grooves even super dirty records. Then rinse in a separate bowl of the same temp distilled water. Shake, dry the label off with paper towel, set on a coffee cup or glass to dry and it will play as good as brand new I guarantee you. I've cleaned records 30 years ago this way and they still play perfect.✌ edit to add this is the only way that doesn't "wipe" the record which is simply pushing impurities into the groove and dragging them. Ultrasonic Cleaner vibrates the dirt loose and into suspension.

I’m making my own! I’ve got that surfactant and 99% pure isopropyl from a photography store! Just need my distilled water and I will be ready to clean!

@scientificaudiophile

9 ай бұрын

Good luck!

Excellent Video, Quality, Accurate information.... This is the video that needs 500k views and not dish soap dude !!

@scientificaudiophile

9 ай бұрын

Dish soap! Ha!

@paulboyce8537

9 ай бұрын

And yet this is the same selling rubbish.

While the 99% is a slight PITA to get a hold of, this concoction cleans like nothing else I've ever used. Thanks for posting!

@scientificaudiophile

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@carlodelysid

11 ай бұрын

A good place, depending on where you live, to get 99+% alcohol is Marijuana grow shops. It's used throughout that industry.

@hurkamur1

9 ай бұрын

It's not the alcohol, it's the wetting agent that makes the cleaner. 91% ipa is fine, and you can buy it anywhere

I do not doubt your cleaning recipe works but it is possible your own recipe might damage records. I am just getting back into vinyl after losing my entire record collection last year and since I am literally starting over I wanted to do a better job protecting my vinyl so I have been researching cleaning fluids and techniques. One thing that has come up more than once in my reading is Isopropyl alcohol decreases a records shine i.e. increases microporosity which can accelerate wear. I have no idea if methanol or ethanol have this same effect on records. I have not read anything about glycols harming records. You are technically correct since glycols contain an “OH” group they are considered alcohols in organic chemistry nomenclature. However to a non chemist consumer alcohol means at most ethanol, isopropyl, and to a very few methanol. If your average consumer is looking for an alcohol free cleaner they are probably looking for a cleaner without ethanol, isopropyl, and/or methanol. Consequently I think you might be miss understanding why a manufacturer says their fluid is alcohol free when it contains a glycol. Distilled/di-ionized water is definitely preferred over plain water but not every company lists the water they used as distilled even when that is what they are using. Some manufactures that do not list distilled water on their ingredients also sell concentrated versions of their cleaners, and the instructions for their concentrates explicitly say to mix the concentrate with distilled water. I definitely understand your frustration with the lack of ingredients being listed. After all there are probably still companies that still sell PVC record sleeves as a way to protect your records. If you buy these mystery ingredient record cleaners you are basically trusting that the company you are buying it from has truly studied the effects of their product. I’m having a hard time trusting any of these companies. It seems all of the truly old companies were sold years ago and underwent recipe changes after they changed hands. I keep reading the original formula worked great but this newer recipe does not work. By modern standards hand washing records with dish soap is not considered the best cleaning method but it will not ruin your records if you use good technique and choose a good soap without lotions and perfumes. Dawn Ultra or Dawn regular (blue colored) are good choices but I would probably avoid the Platinum version since it has water softeners in it. I may end up adopting this method. There are plenty of people that have been doing this for decades with good results so at least we know what the long term effects are on the vinyl. Happy Listening and enjoy your vinyl!

Thanks for your video and insight! Would you be able to share the ratios you normally use when mixing distilled water, Isopropyl alcohol and Ilfotol? I want to give it a go.

@scientificaudiophile

4 ай бұрын

It's in the timeline. I think 2:53

What do you think about tergikleen? I’m doing budget cleaning. I have an old, unused turntable, so I bought a vinyl vac and I’m combining it with a 1.75 hp shop vac, and just to be careful, I’m using the second smallest suction reducer that comes with the vinyl vac. I plan on going a tergikleen cycle, and then a distilled water cycle. I’m using the mofi wet cleaning brush, which I’ve had good experiences with in the past. I’m also cleaning the platter with one of those sticky blue rollers in between cleans, and brushing the velvet strip with the brush the vinyl vac comes with. I know I probably sound insane, I’m just trying to be safe and effective.

@scientificaudiophile

4 ай бұрын

Never heard of it. Good luck.

I just tried the cleaning very crackly 1970s Twiggy album with a few drops of dish soap (in about 250 ml of luke warm water) and record cleaning brush, and it's actually very good. But then I tried it on a crackly Genesis album, and it made no difference.

This custom recipe with distilled water, 99% alcohol and wetting agent could work for clean the stylus ??? Thanks

So, to clarify, I can use the Super Record Wash on both vinyl and my 78s? Besides apparently alcohol, what are other do-nots for 78s that might be acceptable for vinyl?

@handrewmillan4293

Жыл бұрын

yes, 78s have an oil in the vintl that will be removed by the alcohol making it brittle

Very interesting. I am sold on this but have question. At approx. the 2:48 mark, you list the required ingredients and the volumes. Do you simply mix these ingredients all together and apply with a typical home sprayer?

@scientificaudiophile

11 ай бұрын

That is correct

@robertalker652

11 ай бұрын

I thank you for the video, and your speedy reply. Best regards.

TY but I tried brand new Micro fiber cloths and part of the material from the cloth came off onto the record. I have had bad luck with this. A thick clean cotton towel seems to work well for me

@-elijahriggs-

Жыл бұрын

You have to wash them well. There's no way a clean microfiber will leave more behind that terry cloth.

@UFO_computers

9 ай бұрын

Or why not then just a clean paper towel?

I have to say the guy dunking his record in the sink made me laugh, I hope it was just a joke! It reminded me of a video some of my photography friends sent me a couple years ago of a great way to clean your camera, pull off the lens, dunk your camera in water, scrub the sensor with whatever and rinse with a water hose 😁 If someone has to be told NOT to do these types of things they most likely have more important things to worry about than simply running a record. Having said that…please DONT wash your records in the sink!

Could you use the alcohol/wetting agent/distilled water mix in an ultrasonic cleaner?

@crazyprayingmantis5596

Жыл бұрын

Yes

These companies don’t tell you their ingredients because you can get the ingredients yourself and not buy their product. I use the Spinclean and have for 10 or so years. Very happy with it. I pre clean my records then use the Spinclean

Vinyl is an incredibly delicate material. It's not like they made siding for houses from it, or something.

@scientificaudiophile

10 ай бұрын

I sprayed distilled water, not 4x distilled, onto the vinyl siding of my parents house, 3x a day for 3 months. My Dad is repairing the damage now.

@dbsean

5 ай бұрын

@@scientificaudiophile your reply here implies distilled water is NOT good for vinyl, yet it's the main ingredient in your vinyl cleaning solution. I'm confused by your response.

@photoslum

4 ай бұрын

The vinyl siding on a house is not the same as for a record and the siding does not have thousands of microscopic grooves that come into contact with another object to re-create sound.

@photoslum

4 ай бұрын

@@dbsean he's saying he used distilled water, but not water that has been distilled 4 times as many spirits are. Its a bit of an tongue in cheek comment

Do you use a specific ratio for your homemade solution?

@-elijahriggs-

Жыл бұрын

490ml distilled water 5ml ilford ilfotol 5ml 99% ISO alcohol You do not need much alcohol. You will likely not hear a difference between a 25% and a .5% solution. I use the HDPE squeeze bottles that are 500ml. With the curved straw that goes to the bottom of the bottle.

I use Fairy Liquid and warm water, the discs sound great when dried, no idea why you'd use distilled water

finally a channel that is objective on their opinion and based on facts, thanks for your awesome content

One thing some people do, which I don't feel is necessary, and that is wet clean brand new records before they even listen to them. Fair enough if a new record looks dirty as some do, but if a record has no surface noise when you play it then best left well alone. Just make sure you take care with handling and use a carbon fibre brush to remove any dust while the record is spinning.

@paulboyce8537

9 ай бұрын

Next time when you get a new record play it and then ultrasonic wash it. Often the difference is huge. Sometimes there are lot of stuff left behind from the pressing. And if you have a good stylus you will hear the change like night and day. Sometimes even so well that you hear instruments that you didn't even know were there. Only thing you need is 6L industrial ultrasonic cleaner and attachment for records motor that spins. About $300 all up. Clean filtered city tab water works just as well. No need for distilled water and no solutions or cocktails or rubbish in the water. ONLY WATER. Hard well water is a different thing. That I can't recommend using.

I always used vehicle traffic film remover neat, and a bit of sandpaper.

As I clean 50-100 records, almost daily at my store, I've been thinking of making a similar video. While I agree with most of what you've said here, it seems to be as much of an assumption on your part, as to the quality or poor sourcing of the water and or chemicals used in various products, as it is to assume otherwise. Also, most cleaners are concentrated, and only require a few drops or capful in bottle or basin of water. That said, a final rinse with true distilled or lab grade water is always best.

@scientificaudiophile

10 ай бұрын

There are cities and towns with shockingly hard water - people need water softeners installed at the intake to keep their faucets from clogging after only a year or so of unfiltered water. To put that level of mineral content onto such fine grooves, and do it over and over again, doesn't seem a risk I think anyone should take when distilled water is so cheap and plentiful (and can even be made at home). That's my 2¢. Thanks for the comment.

@TheAgeOfAnalog

10 ай бұрын

@@scientificaudiophile true, it's easy enough, and cheap, but were talking a few drops in maybe a gallon of water. I was literally a water processing technician for Culligan for a decade. That would likely be an actually unmeasurable amount of mineral content if added to otherwise pure water. You're here to dispel other people's BS, and there's plenty of it around this topic on KZread, but you don't need to add more.

how do you feel about the vinyl vaccuum

This is how I do it for really dirty records - Squirt a little dawn onto a flat paint trim pad with water., give the record a quick rinse, place record on towel, scrub in groove pattern with trim pad. It rides the grooves. For extra dirty stuff I scrub it good. Rinse in tap water and let dry. For this method I use my At LP120 USB to spin them during brushing after spraying them because that has a 78 speed and ridiculously high torque (it's DD). This is for goodwill finds, etc. I even got 80 or so records from a friend that had been in a flooded basement completely submerged, about 20 years ago. the records along with their jackets had been "glued" together in bricks of records. They had to be peeled apart and there were even trails of mold "root systems" on some of them. When I finished my method, they were as good as they were before they were flooded. And that means some of them sounded brand new, because most of them had never been played or only played once. FWIW, my friend owned a Jazz music production company back in the 70's. Oh, and yeah, the labels were shot and I had to use Shazam to find out what was on each one. Also, because of how they had set for decades, they were all perfectly flat. I actually created a thread on this with photos on Audiokarma.org. I got a roll of 3" circular adhesive labels to make new "hand printed" labels for the records. Note: This won't fix wear or scratches. It also won't make bad recordings sound good. It assumes a very good record under a lot of dirt, mold, oils, etc. Also: Yes, the label is exposed directly to water. I don't care. The exposure is VERY brief and I do dry the label before air drying the record. No problem.

Thank you !

@scientificaudiophile

3 ай бұрын

You're welcome!

ive seen a lot of vinyl oldheads/elders do the wash in the sink thing. perfectly fine for really dirty records imo. for the record i use 99% iso and distilled water for my solution.. but vinyl is tough, it wont be damaged so easily as you claim

Thankk you sir. Can you please give me the ratio of water to Isopropal? I assume you only use about a teasoon o the photo agent?

@twohandsandaradio

Жыл бұрын

It's in the video.

What are your thoughts on the spinclean? And I saw the big fudge record friend which is a bit cheaper and comes with a drying rack, thoughts?

@scientificaudiophile

10 ай бұрын

I don’t really care for them unless you’re in need to clean dozens of albums regularly. You need to change the solution regularly or you’ll be giving a dirty bath to the latter records you put into it.

@commandertaco1762

10 ай бұрын

@scientificaudiophile appreciate the response. I'm trying to clean some old records and this seems like a good way to do it. Otherwise I just plan on using a brush before playing

The debate about alcohol vs non alcohol will be with us forever some saying it damages vinyl.But your basic recipe is correct but "wetting agent" should be explained tat it is to reduce the surface tension of the water and let's it flow across LP's an get into the grooves.I use this mix and then follow up with plain distilled water as a rinse on my VPI machine.Ultrasonic is another method and knowing folks who own both a vacuum and an ultrasonic say they do different cleaning but some say repeated ultrasonic does show wear under a microscope.

Dude...im old enough I grew up when records were common. We stacked em, we pulled em off turn tables and set them aside. I played Moving Pictures and 2112 everyday for roughly 2 yrs along with many others. We never washed em , bagged em and most of us never dreamed of having high dollar extreme stereo turn tables. Amazing the 2 I mentioned (and most others) still play ok to fine. I take better care now than then but still......really??

@yambo59

10 ай бұрын

Yeah, same here im 63 and maybe we could have done a better job then but one thing ive learned over the years is theres TONS of snake oil record products of all kinds, I could speak for hours on the many ludicrously overpriced record accessories that exist moreso today than ever.

@aphelps9196

10 ай бұрын

@jetyler3400 I'm new to this, how'd you clean yours then?

@paulboyce8537

9 ай бұрын

Sounds about right. My collection has been sitting for a very long time. Cleaning is a good thing but DO NOT USE any chemicals. I invested on an ultrasonic washer. 6L washer with record attachment that has a motor. Filtered city tab water is all you need. No cocktails of 2-5 different additives and crap people put in the washer as they don't know how the ultrasonic washer works. My 40 year old collections is like new. Plus if you wash new records like this you get lot more sound from them. Records always have veering amount of stuff left behind from the manufacturing process as much as it can hide lot of sound and even instruments that you didn't even know were in there.

@GaryHighFruit

3 ай бұрын

Hey... my Moving Pictures record brought me to this video! I came back to this LP last week. I bought it in 1984, and must have mistreated it, touched the groves, and played it on poor equipment 300 times. I'm not using good equipment (vintage) and I'm amazed at how good this record sounds. Yeah yeah, it's Moving Pictures, but still. But there were pops and skips that I want to fix. But I do believe the groves would be gunked up after 40 years like anything else, and that it lowers sound quality. IDK how noticable it would be.

@andrewhaines3259

2 ай бұрын

​@@aphelps9196 Don't. Just play them regularly, store them properly and occasionally give your stylus a clean with a stylus brush a d that should be enough. 40 plus years of listening to vinyl, I'm speaking from experience!

The great thing about MOFI products is how transparent and honest they are.

@99boardwalk

Жыл бұрын

🤣

@Sthunderrocker

Жыл бұрын

🤣

@Drivehead103

Жыл бұрын

I make my own with t e r g i t o l and distilled water. Still at the mercy of the manufacturers of t e r g i t o l and distilled water. When purchased, no way of telling what it really is without a Mass gas chromatography Spectrum analyzer!

@thebestoffools

Жыл бұрын

As transparent as distilled water.

@moodlefyful

Жыл бұрын

😄

Hello, So I was surfing thru various vids re: vinyl cleaning, products, how-to, etc, and found yours to be helpful, talking about the various cleaning fluids out there and that simply using distilled water, 99% isopropyl alcohol and wetting agent seems to be the best and safest way to go. What I wanted to know though, is your thoughts on how to safely use this mixture and how to apply and clean vinyl. I’ve seen various vids of the “vinyl vac” and though it seems effective with its vacuum method, it also seems a little cumbersome and I’m not totally sure I would feel safe and confident using such method, so let me know your thoughts on this and again what you suggest. Thanks

@scientificaudiophile

10 ай бұрын

I squirt a little on a dry microfiber cloth and apply in a circular motion. Using a vinyl cleaning brush works as well. Dries very quickly, no need to dry afterwards.

@surgeman

10 ай бұрын

@@scientificaudiophile much appreciated!

It's just a vinyl record - have been cleaning them for 40 years with over the counter stuff or a soft brush. No issues.

Thanks for the ingredient list. What is the ratio for the solution?

@scientificaudiophile

11 ай бұрын

At the 3:56 mark the ingredients and ratios are detailed.

@andrewgunter6534

11 ай бұрын

@@scientificaudiophile Thanks man. I usually miss the things right in front of my face, SMH. Appreciate the video.

Wait. Would you recommend the Groovewasher Walnut Record Cleaning Kit? I've heard very good things about this kit and the bottle that comes with the kit tells you what is in it. It is 100% distilled water with no iso alchohol.

@scientificaudiophile

Жыл бұрын

Reading their website it says “Laboratory grade, double deionized, carbon filtered & UV treated water”. I would definitely feel comfortable using this product. Thanks for letting me know it exists.

@VX_XI

Жыл бұрын

@@scientificaudiophile wow thanks for the quick response!

So I made your solution, and it seems as though there is a bit of residue after letting them dry; however, it if there is, it is very minimal. Should I be using pure distilled AFTER the solution as well?

@scientificaudiophile

Жыл бұрын

No. If you’re using 99% isopropyl alcohol, a photo quality wetting agent and distilled water, the only issue could be the water. You may need to het triple or better distilled water. Good luck.

@joryoberg9943

Жыл бұрын

@@scientificaudiophile thank you for the reply. I will do another test and see. Your videos are the best. Please keep doing what you do :)

I agree about the dangerous KZread videos. Some are appalling. I use both a vacuum machine and a Degritter ultrasonic. I've used/test at least a dozen cleaning fluids. I thought Tergikleen would be the solution but there were some issues. If a record is truly dirty or used I start with the vacuum then use plain distilled water for a thorough rinse in the Degritter. I follow that with a lab grade Type I pure water rinse on the vacuum machine. I'm a rinse freak and as a largely classical listener, it's beneficial. Last, I quit using microfiber cloths last year. Someone in the industry with a very serious microscope convinced me that they are not, in fact, lint free and that the lint is, of course, microfiber, small enough to lodge in the grooves. He recommends cloth diapers but I actually prefer old undershirts cut into piece or "antique" hand towels so worn you can almost see through them. Does a better job of drying as well.

@TheAgeOfAnalog

10 ай бұрын

yep, "microfiber" cloths leave micro fibers.

To effectively remove dust, I lightly spray distilled water on my carbon fibre brush and lift it off using a sweeping method. Removes 95% of dust, no print left and resolves static issue. no BS just Quick and easy

@scientificaudiophile

Жыл бұрын

Great tip!

When i was a kid in the 80s i loved music and loved collecting old records i loved boney M but in the 80s the group in the UK went out of fashion a DJ Shop opened in my town and i would go often to buy old singles and 12 inch singles i was only around 12 the guy liked me and would keep stuff for me i went in one day with a record cleaning kit i got from Woolworths and told showed him he said that is rubbish it will leave a residue on the records and when i went home i did clean some records and no matter how well a used the cloth you got with it the record had smudges before i left the shop he said the best way to clean your records is slightly warm water and washing up liquid he said that is what he did and so did i now i have a album from 1985 that i cleaned that way all the way through the 80s 90s and 2000s the record is still minty still plays no reduced sound qaulity so it cant be bad and trust me if it did make the record worse i would know i have great hearing anyway i only ever clean records as deeply as that if there dirty dusty with grit and finger smudges on them iv collected records all my life and cleaned them with the way the DJ told me in the 80s .. i still have that old 85 album and it still plays like a dream.

I've found many microfiber cloths are NOT lint-free and will leave your record dirtier than it was before you cleaned it. Any recommendations on specific microfiber cloths to use?

Would you recommend adding 99+% in the right proportion to the Super Record Wash to bring it up to your spec? Tx

@scientificaudiophile

11 ай бұрын

Absolutely, but not for 78 records where alcohol can damage them.

Can you demonstrate how you do it. The ratio of the water and alcohol?

@scientificaudiophile

4 ай бұрын

Ratio is in the timeline. Around the 2:30 second mark if I remember correctly.

What do you think about a Humin Guru? Is a device like this with the appropriate liquid like in the video recommended?

@scientificaudiophile

Ай бұрын

Unfortunately I’ve never heard of it.

couple drops of dawn works fine for a wetting agent .... lower % alcohol also works fine, just need more percentage of it to the water mixture if its lower. It's common sense mostly....

Whats the porpotion you use to make the solution ? Thank you

@scientificaudiophile

8 ай бұрын

At 3:40 is the recipe/ratios. Thanks for the view.

I’ve honestly had no issue with hot soapy water. It does the job and you can hear it.

A graphic came up appears to be a ratio Distilled water, 160 ml, 99% pure alcohol, 1 ml ilford ilfotol wetting agent Do you go into deeper on making and storing this. Is this the same mixture you would recomend using with my ultra sound spin machine? Please go into deeper...Thanks Super helpful so far

@scientificaudiophile

2 ай бұрын

That's about it. Make as much as you want with the 3 ingredients - and yes, you can use it anywhere, even a spin machine.

Always a quick wipe down with bleach and sandpaper before spinning. Much smoother experience!

@scientificaudiophile

4 ай бұрын

400 grit is best.

Wear can I get the microfiber cloths at?

Will filtering water or boiling it and allowing it to cool make the tap water safe for cleaning a record?

@scientificaudiophile

3 ай бұрын

Boiling won't filter out the minerals or contaminants. Honestly, the real issue with tap water is how often you use it. If you play a record once a year, even three times a year, it probably won't build up any residue. Distilled water is always best, but you would need dozens of washings with tap water to build up any deposits.

Thank you so much for your straight forward; no BS; about all these experts on youtube. I have watched a couple of these experts videos; it has been a while; that you have shown and fortunately have not done what they have advised to do to my records. I do have a spin doctor system and was surprised to find out that even their solution is not up to par. I have been building my record collection for quite some time and do not wish to damage them. I will be trying out this solution that you have recommended. Thanks again.

Would you recommend using this mixture in a "brush and bath" style cleaner like the spin clean?

@scientificaudiophile

3 ай бұрын

Yes, if you don't reuse the liquid more than four or five times.

@joost3732

3 ай бұрын

@@scientificaudiophile 4 or 5 records? thats like 100ml per record. Spin clean recommends replacing their own solution after 50 records. I guess your recommendation is on the safe side?

@scientificaudiophile

3 ай бұрын

@@joost3732 If your records are clean, 50 is ok, but if you just went to a used record shop or worse, a garage sale, 4 to 5 would be my max.

I've found that many microfiber cloths are NOT lint-free and will leave your records dirtier than they were before you cleaned them. Any advice on which microfiber cloths to use?

@scientificaudiophile

2 ай бұрын

I’ve found these to be great, but be aware the gray ones will darken the sound a bit. Blue is better. Puomue 8 Pack Microfiber Glass Cleaning Cloth, 12 Inch X 16 Inch, Lint Free Quickly Clean Window, Glasses, Windshields, Mirrors, and Stainless Steel, Blue a.co/d/dCWNXWX

Hmmm agree on the Mofi wash and rinse product but can't say I agree on just wiping the LP with a clean micro fiber cloth. I mean, we are dealing in a microscopic world here and a rag is just going to glide across the top of the grooves leaving cleaning fluids in those grooves to be eventually scraped out by ones stylus. (eventually gunking up the stylus. ) Personally I use a vacuum system arm to vacuum the wash out then a different arm to vacuum the rinse out while it all is still wet. But...that's just me...

What sort of cloth should I use to clean my wave files, should it be dry, should it be wet, maybe somewhere in the middle ?? I'm really confused, help please. The sooner the better.

@scientificaudiophile

11 ай бұрын

I’m glad you reached out. Cleaning wave files with the wrong cleaners can turn them into mp3 files, significantly reducing their resolution. Wave files must only be cleaned using Star Brite and a carnuba cloth. a.co/d/eSGkNlp

@simonirvine1628

11 ай бұрын

@@scientificaudiophile Many thanks S.A... I shall try this out later on....

@elmowedgewood

8 ай бұрын

Always vaccinate your wave files against viruses. Apart from that, give your computer or phone (wherever you store your wave files) a good soak in the ocean every full moon.

What about Groovewasher G2 Fluid?

Hello my friend, how are you? I hope that you can help me. I live on a smaller city and this is a place where i dont know another collector to exchance expiriences. I need to clean some of my old 50's cover discs that are to much dirty, like Nat King Cole and George Shearing , King Creole from Elvis and others. Could you help me with this? Sorry about my poor english, but i live in Brazil and i have learned from discs and video games. Thank you so much!

some people just enjoy playing records to play records, and might think tracking dirt into them is much worse than rubbing it with soft fabric brushes, or, god forbid, water that might leave some scaling after a few thousand washes.

Would you still recommend to mix 99%isopropol alcohol with the Mobile Fidelity - Super Deep Cleaner(16oz) ? PLease let me know, thanks

@scientificaudiophile

Ай бұрын

😎 why not

Hey Chris, great video again but as an audio engineer from the early 70s with high-end broadcast equipment and my own personal turntables, JVC, Pro-Ject Classic and an early 80’s Thorens, I am a staunch believer in wood glue that I have used for years, an old DJ trick still Works perfect going on 50 years …..that’s OK with me.

@scientificaudiophile

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing!

What do you think of the Kirmuss process for deep cleaning.

@scientificaudiophile

11 ай бұрын

I have no direct knowledge of the Kirmuss cleaning system. I will say, that I haven't seen a manual system outperformed, though if deep cleaning many albums, a automated system will save you a lot of time.

Everything said is true! Please tell me how many milliliters of Ilfotol are needed to wash 5 records in an ultrasonic bath with a capacity of 5 liters?

Can you use a drop or 2 of dawn dish soap

@scientificaudiophile

Жыл бұрын

I strongly recommend against that. Dawn has lots of chemicals and items that may get stuck in the grooves of the record.

I stopped cleaning vinyl in 2016 because AI sold my vinyl collection and gear. That being said, I used a pro-ject spin clean with distilled water and a drop of mild detergent. I was worried the alcohol would gradually leech from the vinyl like a solvent. Anyway, the pro-ject worked, because the spinning through a solution really got grit out of the grooves. I did have a nitty gritty lp vac at one point.

How necessary is the Wetting agent? Could it be remove without any attectation to my LPs?

@scientificaudiophile

9 ай бұрын

The wetting agent allows the solution to get into the grooves, so it is quite important especially if the record is dirty.

@AdibCanale

9 ай бұрын

Thanks so much!! already have isopropyl 99.7% and destilled water.. @@scientificaudiophile

@kurtw491

2 ай бұрын

The wetting agent is critical. What it does is chemically break the surface tension in the liquids so that the liquids relax and will spread out and form a thin coating that will penetrate into the grooves and actually wet them. An example of surface tension is the beading of a liquid on a surface. It just sits on top of the surface. The wetting agent "breaks" this tension allowing it to spread out. There are terms such as wetting angle that define how well a liquid will be able to spread onto a hydrophobic surface.

What is your take on Tergikleen one product you didn’t mention in this video.

@scientificaudiophile

3 ай бұрын

Never heard of it. Sorry.

@tonyvtc3

3 ай бұрын

Its is used by the USA Library of congress/ preservation of vinyl records in their archives, sold on Amazon one bottle yields 30 gallons ten to 20 drops per gallon of distilled water or RODI WATER. must must must rinse with fresh distilled water of after a cleaning with the solution. Posting a video only one the difference not my process.

You said something about making your own cleaner. Do you have a video on that? Or one that you would recommend? I looked on your page and didn’t see one?

@scientificaudiophile

2 ай бұрын

The recipe is at 3:30 in the video. Thanks.

I have zero problems using lab glassware soap or dish soap and rincing with dionized water.

@scientificaudiophile

4 ай бұрын

I can only bring the horse to water.

Of course, if all the record cleaning companies told you what was inside their cleaner, you could just make it yourself! Which is kind of the point. As to this particular video - fine if you have a $4k turntable and $10k speakers. For those of us mere mortals with a $500 turntable, just distilled water and Dawn work pretty well. Microfiber cloth for drying. Most of my Vinyl collection is thoroughly abused records from the 60s, 70s and 80s before CDs came out, along with a handful of newer releases. The new releases usually sound 100% better than old vinyl from the start, because they weren't played 100 times with a worn, dirty needle in the 70's when my parents played them.

Question: I’m noticing that after cleaning with the homemade solution, my records are sounding more crackley than before. 1) Does the mixed solution a have a degradation point where it should be tossed and a new batch made (I did try this and it didn’t sound like it made any difference.) 2) in the video you don’t mention cleaning method. There are all sorts of chuckleheads who want you to scrub for 5-10 minutes and let the records air dry for a couple hours. Not really practical in my view. Any advice will be appreciated.

@scientificaudiophile

7 ай бұрын

No degradation should be noticed even after years of the solution being shelved. I'd suggest getting some new cleaning towels and possibly taking a look at the needle on your cartridge to be sure it doesn't have dust on it.

@JimCooperVO

7 ай бұрын

@@scientificaudiophile I have a big box of towels - I grab a new one every 2nd or 3rd cleaning session. The stylus is 3 months old and gets cleaned after every play. I ran a test with a clean older album that I didn't mind trashing (who listens to Ted Nugent anymore?), playing the first 10-15 seconds of a side before treating it, and the same section after treating it. Looking at the wave forms side by side, the number and intensity of the clicks and pops increased. I can send you audio and visual proof if you are curious.

@rabarebra

3 ай бұрын

@@JimCooperVO I use the three ingredients this and many other videos recommend. I have had results that you witness, but I found out what went wrong. The water. You probably do not have distilled water. Also mixing the right amount is crucial of each part. Spray it on - lots of it. Distribute it out with clean finger tips. I clean it with my fingertips going in circles - you can feel the debris coming out. Do it gently. Do not rub. Then use the microfiber cloth in the end (remember to wash your cloths in 60 degrees first, and let them dry over night before using them). Do only 4 rounds with the microfiber cloth. I repeat this two times for each side. Let records dry for 24 hours.

I always use velvet brush or microfibre cloth soaked with 99% isopropyl alcohol then wipe it with dry microfibre and immediately wash record with soft foam rubber soaked with soap and use mineral water in 5 litre bottles. I wash very gently always trying not to get labels wet. Than I wipe record with terry towel. And record becomes like new - zero dirt, zero fingerprints and zero static. Just need to remember after washing and before storage record must be played at least once. I first tried this method for about 20 years ago and have been using it exclusively since then.