Washing a dirty LP record using soap and water - cheap and safe method!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 พ.ค. 2013
- I have used this technique to clean very dirty records that I have bought from thrift stores, yard sales, and antique stores. It works very well. If you don't have reverse osmosis water on hand to rinse the washed record, you can use distilled water. Be sure to join us on our blog at vhfse dot com and if you collect vinyl records, check out our blog at thevinylrecordcollector dot com.
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That's the cleanest sink I've ever seen in my life. It looks brand new.
+ldchappell1 you should see his sink cleaning videos!
Kieran Grayken He would probably go into convulsions if he saw my sink. lol
ldchappell1 seriously. Made me feel ashamed of my own.
Ha ha...my sink was brand new when I made this vid...it doesa look a bit OCD I admit!
cleans it in a sink full of grease lol..
Back in the late 70's, an audiophile at Pacific Stereo in Milwaukee WI told me to gently wash my LP's like this. I've been cleaning my 1700 LP's like this for over 40 years and haven't lost a patient yet...
I've always used alcohol and soft cloth always got the dirt] out of the grooves and cleaned well. Have I've been doing bad all these years ,?
@@twocosmic2982 you should use isopropyl alcohol and only 10% mixed with 90% of destilled water and a few drops of neutral dishwashing detergent.
WARNING! Yes this almost always works great (been doing it for 20 years) however BE CAREFUL with the labels! Most are basically water proof, but some flat/matte/stamped etc labels can get ruined/smeared. I try to avoid submerging entire disc. Also 78s are not vinyl and break easily especially if you use warm water!
Yeah, Shellac records are very brittle, I had a Shellac 78 break once with just handling it.
i agree with everyone below you dont need some ridiculously expensive machine to clean a record just good old soap and water
+Anthony Lawrence that will in turn pit your records grooves with the chlorine,floride and bromide spitting out of your faucets tap water..another genious
ive cleaned thousands of records with this method, slightly more complicated than this guy but basically same idea. with much success.
i saw a few cleaning videos today and to my surprise, everyone gets the dirty record wet and then starts wiping and brushing around with the preferred cleaning solution... that's unnecessary scratching, in fact it's a wet sanding operation.
out of curiosity i looked today under a microscope at a record. under 10x magnification the dust particles looked like little rock fragments.. under 40x, the dust looked like sharp boulders in a ditch. why would anyone drag all that around a record multiple turns?!
i would use a compressor to blow all that out of the groves, then use running water to wash away the hard and heavy particles and only then proceed to degrease and decontaminate the record's surface by applying pressure with a brush or whatever.. cheers everyone!
ps: that's a proper clean sink right there!
fun fact: even tap water with high calcium doesn't leave marks (residue) on dark paint if dried by blowing it off with a compressor or a drying cloth...
@@duroxkilo you know when i buy a lot of records i bring them home to my garage first. and i open every one and use my compressor to blow out the inside of the jacket. its usually the hardest to wipe during cleaning. and while im at it i blow of the records too. but then the go back into the jacket until its time to clean. no system is flawless but with the results i get i must be doing lots of good before any bad.
@@wrenchaholic that's in fact a proper procedure... it's funny to me how people debate what kind of cleaning solutions to use and then go ahead and swirl around all that abrasive material for 2min... :}
question: do people ever lubricate the records? a dry lubricant that doesn't trap dust would help with the wear and cleanness, wouldn't it?
Dude I thought you said “clean your sink”. Not “buy a new one”
Haha. I know it's a little bit OCD
I've been doing this for over 40 years now, works perfect. Been collecting since i was 12.
Do not run them through the dishwasher. They come out like plastic meatballs. This guys method works fine.
+House Of Dead Dolls Putting records in a dishwasher sounds like the kind of dumb stuff I used to do when I was a kid in the 60s. My 16 year old sister got hysterical when I borrowed her Beatles 45s and took them out on the patio on a hot day. I didn't know that records melted in the sun.
Ha ha. i was just kidding. I did sometimes wash them carefully with diluted dish soap. It seemed to work pretty good.
I had an anti static gun that seemed to work but they seem to be expensive now. maybe try one of the antistatic cloths specifically for records. i've seen them on Amazon. I used to be aprinter in custom photo lab. We used them on the negatives. They work. Also if your humidity is too low you will get static.
+House Of Dead Dolls you could..... modify an extension cord. Cut the female connector off. Screw a marette on EACH of the two conducting wires....and... leave the ground long to touch the records with (plugged into the wall)... that should de-static just about anything. Your just grounding it.
You could also cut off the two prongs that go into the wall for safety.
+ldchappell1 What if you rig it to only use cold water?
I used this method today to clean an lp by the band Chicago. Had a skip in it. After cleaning and drying, the skip is gone and the record plays perfectly, Thanks for sharing!
Great result! Thanks for sharing.
Just did this to some of my really old Cher/Beatles etc albums..and they sound brand new again! No static or pops!! Thank you so much!
Matt Thompson Which Cher albums?😍
I did it to an original Elvis record from 1957, thing sounded horrible before I did this now it sounds really good.
Did this to some old UK Pye Kinks albums but now how do I know which record is which? The labels bubbled and peeled off
Cleaning mine like this for 30 odd years, works fine, cheap and easy.
Worked great! I took 50 year old Christmas records I found at the thrift store, grimy, dirty, and it looked like there were even scratches on these 0.99 cent vinyls, nothing to lose, washed them with dish soap, and a wash cloth...worked perfectly! I was amazed! Thanks again!
i use tap water whithout any soap if record has just dust or static if there are other spots or finger prints i use dish soap...i dry them with kitchen paper...my records where stored not used for 30 years...this method is working great...no needle jumping...no problem with the labels
Thanks for sharing this! I am going through my late uncle’s collection, and I’m finding a lot of water damage, dirt, mold, etc. I am using this method in the records themselves (with great success) and using disposable bleach wipes on the covers/sleeves that can be salvaged. So thankful to be able to keep his collection of about 125 records alive and making music!
Well I just washed an LP which was full of static, and every track had jumps on it. I used luke warm water, in the kitchen sink. Used a brand new bath sponge. Bog standard water from the top. Rinsed it with water. Allowed to dry off naturally in the plate rack. No noticeable static. And as yet, ZERO jumps. That was on a 30 year old album...
Did you replace the inner sleeve afterwards? The best thing is to keep the record in a brand new inner sleeve, preferably anti-static.
Mayne your problem was static. Nit dirt.
FFS .all you idiots who say this doesn't work ...have you tried it?? it DOES work...
i have just done a load of mine and after drying completely play brilliantly .. records have been around since 1948..how do you think they were cleaned then?Auto cleaner from Amazon? errm no i dont think so...
+Jon Brook You've hit it straight to the point. People did it the traditional way and it had worked for decades and now all this gimmick craps are here which are absolutely waste of money. I would still stick to the traditional way to secure and clean my record, Thank you.
+Jon Brook Though to be fair, traditional ways may not always be the best way. A lot of new technologies remove/minimize human error.
+Mark B. Stone Hi Mark ..unintentional mate ...someone i used to work with spotted the likeness ..and it is pretty scary sometimes depending how long or short my hair is !!
+Mark B. Stone well someone at work dared mw to get a uniform and go to the red carpet do at Leicester Square ..i cant do a good tash .would need to be a stick on one!!
+Mark B. Stone LOL!!!
This is the way I have been cleaning my records for decades and it works fine. People have a tendency to overcomplicate things when it comes to vinyl these days; for many years, this is how almost everyone cleaned their records (if they did it at all). It was only later that expensive machines and unnecessary techniques like wood glue started popping up. Thanks for showing others how to do it in this video.
basscadet75 please just call it a record or LP 😂
@@lauraramos4026 Or he can call it whatever he wants because who cares
Laura Ramos i mean youre cleaning a material thats made of vinyl, you dont listen to vinyl but you are cleaning vinyl lol
@@lauraramos4026 record, vinyl, LP are fine. Stop being pompous
@@thirstyfajita4115 What do you call old 78s?
Excellent! This is pretty much how I clean all my records.One thing I discovered though is that some older albums have dye in the labels that will run when exposed to water. For these you really have to be extra careful not to get the labels wet.
I usually use a washing machine and dryer. The fabric softener gets rid of the static and gives the music a warmer sound.
I like to staple mine to the side of the shed and power wash them.
@@joelbrown6411 you're gonna end up damaging the side of the shed. Place it on the pavement and secure it by placing bricks on the record's edge. Always think first!
@@tiborosz1825 Awesome advice! After I replace my shed, I'll start doing that. I have also found that if you use a light cleaner like gas or diesel will help a lot.
@@joelbrown6411 my go to is paint thinner. Really gets in the grooves.
I have never seen so many snobs when it comes to vinyls. Some of us do not have a record store within 100 miles, I do have a water softner, and have been doing it the same way since I was a kid (40+ years). Still playing my same records. Its plastic, its tougher than we think. Keep clean with a good stylus.
Frank Mehrtens *records
Does it matter?
Mike G it’s actually an album of music (songs,voices and/or instrumentals) recorded to vinyl/wax. A collection=album of melodies=instrumentals and harmonized voice or voices=singing (number of songs/tracks do not matter). So if you correct someone then be correct yourself (snob).
Frank Mehrtens The plural of vinyl is not vinyls its vinyl. Or records or LPs
Frank, if you've been doing it for 40 years why are you using a term that was only invented this century? I've been doing it for _60_ years and I've never called them anything but albums or records or LPs.
I've been working with a guy who was a photographer for my local newspaper in the 60s on a documentary kind of project, and occasionally we talk about random hobby stuff, including record collecting. He helped me clean a few of my records with this technique!
Yep, I've been doing this since the 80s! Works a treat. I clean it as you do (only with cold water) but then I rinse it under a strong running tap to 'dig out' all the murk and suck out any residual rubbish and water using a record cleaning machine. Dries in seconds. And LP is like better than new again.
That's pretty cool, I might try this! Would be great if you did a sound test before and after cleaning :-)
Fine method. Just keep in mind that during the first play after the washing there will be some surface noise. Don't panic. It will be gone with the second play.
Accurate 👌
At 1st I thought I’d made my vinyl worse haha.
@@outsidemayor2098 Hi ! It worked 100% every time I had to do this, which is not very often because i take care to keep my records spotlesly clean. But many people don't know that the noise will be gone by the second after washing, play.
Most Labels are actually plastic coated and therefore water does them no damage. However, several labels, mostly from the 60s are matte, with water soluble ink. Be extra careful. I've had a bad experience with an original CBS Brubeck record, that also left part of my towels bright orange!
Exactly. Great advice for those of us that have lots of older records as I do
.
That was my first thought when I saw this video. I've collected for 55 years, since 1958. And I was a record mechanic for Capitol.
The label he used is one of a very few of the 80s or pre-80s that would not be damaged by his process. This fellow should be accomplished enough to recognize that his process will destroy any Blue Note or other label of the 50s and 60s - even the best of them. He didn't even do a credible job of drying the labels! And the cheap washer made in Pittsburgh will do far more to really remove the embedded whatever from the grooves while retaining the label from destruction.
I rarely write negatively, but if anyone does their collection like this, they risk losing it ....
sounds a bit flash eh????????????????????????
How do you make the difference between plastic and paper labels?
@@Max-ro7sz You can feel it with your fingers usually. If it's smooth, it's usually plastic. If it's rough, it's paper.
I just ran out of the solution that my kit had...I'm sticking with this method, Thanks a lot!
Thank you for this, I used this advice today on a record I had bought to sell on that was very noisy and the difference is incredible. I think I will give it one more quick wash tomorrow though but the first wash made a massive difference :)
I just watched someone else clean a record but I think that this might be the way my dad used to clean them. That other person played them wet and I know that my dad didn't do that at all. Now after 15 years I can finally play the record I bought from the thrift store. Thanks 👍
I made my own label protector using two rubber sewing machine drive belts with inside diameter slightly bigger than the label, two 4mm thick perspex discs with diameter slightly bigger than the outside diameter of the belts (cut on bandsaw and centre holes drilled), a suitable length machine bolt plus wingnut and a couple of tap washers to seal the bolt at both ends. This works great at protecting the label. Then wash the record with lukewarm water with a bit of washing-up liquid applied with a fine bristle paintbrush. Rinse under tap and dry with lint-free towel. Washing does make a huge difference to even slightly dirty records and can make them sound almost new again.
That’s what I do now 👍 had one of those vacuum cleaning machines for a while that was recommended to me by an audiophile friend but never did like the thing was very noisy and heavy to move around and one day just tried this method and never looked back and sold my machine for almost what I had paid for it 😂
Thank you for showing this! Im recently getting more into records etc. Ive recently graduated and this has always intereted me but all the tutorials only use expensive items they you need to buy, thank you for showing that we can use everyday objects😁
Works a treat! Just cleaned a load of oldies from the record shop. Good as new!
thank you very much sir! I have some records which I bought, but now I see I don't need them so I wanted to sell them. this will be useful for all my records, because it is sad how dirty they are
I just tried this for the first time. I was terrified! 😁 My albums had been in storage for about 30 years and recently I had my ancient HiFi restored so got them out. Billy Joel's Innocent Man was stupidly noisy, clicks and pops galore, although the record looked clean. So I washed it. I'm gobsmacked. What a difference! Still scary though 😁
I have been using this method for years, I use a paint pad as a cleaning brush it's soft and has a sponge backing .
Amazing, My Bruce Springsteen Darkness album was virtually unplayable due to crackling, tried your video and amazing results, like brand new..
i’m gonna attempt this method rn. i’m glad i found a cheap and easy method. all i found on Google involves buying record cleaning brushes and fluid but i knew there was an easier way. thank you for sharing!
Great! Remember to use very clean equipment and not to allow the water to soak into the labels. Practice on your least important/ valuable record first.
Excellent advise my thrift store finds that had mold and dirt all over them now sound almost new. Thanks again!
Hey folks, this is great advice. As a vinyl collector of over 50 thousand records, I have used rubbing alcohol for many many years. I spin the tt with my hand and pour just a little while it is spinning. I take a soft terry towel and wipe the grooves while it is spinning. It has worked wonders for me and I have NO scratched or skipping records.
you are dissolving the protective coating of the vinyl if you use a strong solvent like alcohol or acetone
Most of the clicks and pops are produced by static electricity. As long as you return the record to it's sleeve when done, it usually stays pretty clean. I have owned records for over 40 years that still looked and played like new. I used to sell the Discwasher line in my store and used the Zerostat to remove static build up. It really worked well, but I noticed that cleaning a used, dirty record with plain water also removed the static build up just as well. I think cleaning the record with a brush or cloth promotes static build-up.
Thanks for sharing this tip my dirty records now sound like new.
After watching more"how to clean records" than I care to admit, I find your method the easiest and fastest of the bunch. That is the way I did it 50 years ago. Now that I've got back into the hobby again, I thought I should find a better method. No need unless you want to spend a bunch of money. Thanks so much. I hope many people pay attention to this. Only thing I do different now is use micro fiber towels instead of a bath towel.
Paint pads are perfect for the job. i was fortuate to enough to get a 'groovmaster' clam shell label saver from the guy in New York who used to make them, it allows complete immersion of the disc to 'float' the crud out of the grooves. I used to use photographic detergent but it's now hard to find, so often unperfumed dish detergent like 'Sure' (in the UK).
Thanks for this video, I followed these steps on a noisy vinyl and it took a huge portion of the crackles and pops out of the record.
hey! :) thank you so much for doing this video.
i thought my beatles record was ruined until i tried this method and its working so good now!
I found some LPs by Rose Royce and The J. Giels Band that were caked with dirt. Thank you so much for the tutorial.
just tried, absolutely perfect!
i can finally enjoy that donna summer!
Great! Happy you found it useful!
Donna Disco??? Eeeeeuuuuwwwww..........
I've been washing my LPs in the kitchen sink, similar to the technique seen here, for years. The soap takes care of the greasy fingerprints that attract even more grime, and the water floats away the bits of dust, lint and dirt. I'd go with the air-dry (dish rack) option, though. The towel only offers a chance for lint to get on your records.
This method DOES in fact work and YES you can get the labels wet but just make sure the water doesn't sit on there for a long amount of time like the video says. I just did this with some old records and I'm playing them as I type this. They work and sound great!
I've used a soft damp sponge and lint-less dry towel for years. Doesn't seem to damage a thing and my records sound great..
+White Noise that's all that matters!
WASHING RECORDS IS THE WAY TO CLEAN THEM. And probably the best one to know yet.
You can use distilled water, dish soap and a bit of Jet Dry. Dry with microfiber towels and you're good to go! Worked like magic for me on dozens of old albums from 70s and 80s.
This method works great! Was going to buy one of those expensive 'yellow' American record cleaners for 90 quid off amazon, but just resurrected my 40 year old Simon and Garfunkle vinyl collection, and playing before and after cleaning was pretty different. I couldn't stand listening to the muffled sound before I cleaned them, but now they sound really clear and fresh! I did clean mine slightly differently to you though, I used anti bacterial hand wash instead of washing up liquid, and the velvet brush I used is 40 years old made by 'Selecta'. Proud to say I got my labels completely wet and they dried out just fine without any damage whatsoever! Great video, KTF in vinyl - thanks!
I have 10,000 lp’s. My father was a concert pianist and I am still an Oboist to this day. Most is classical. I did get the “yellow thing“. I use the solution and distilled water and change it about every 25 to 30 records. It’s a wonderful solution because the brushes clean it all the dirt and grime sinks cleanly to the bottom and you can see how much grime there was even after thoroughly dusting the record first. Hard water leaves or can leave hard water deposits so I really do like the bathing solution using distilled water. It’s tedious but it works. Cheese cloth works very nicely for drying.
finally someone who does like me ive been washing my albums like this since the 70s and never had a bad one
That's basically how I wash my records. As long as the underlying vinyl is undamaged, and the culprit is dirt, dust, mould or sticky residue, washing the record will remove skips and pops and generally improve the sound. Even with records that look clean to start with, it is remarkable how skips and pops can be eliminated. I start by placing the record in a clean basin containing lukewarm water with dishwashing liquid (here in Melbourne I use Earth Choice). At first I wipe the record along the grooves with my fingers. In this way I can sometimes feel bad stuff adhering to the record which needs to be removed (cautionary note - I recently got a rash on my hands after washing a lot of records without gloves, so I have started to do this first stage without dishwashing liquid, before putting on clean gloves for the second stage). I then wipe the record along the grooves with a wet microfibre cloth. Lastly I take the record out of the soapy water and blast it under a cold water tap, first one side and then the other. I take care to support both sides of the record while doing this, as some records are flimsy and I don't want to bend them, though I've never had any warping issues. I have thought about rinsing the record afterward with deionised water, as some recommend, but I have never noticed any residue from using tap water. With that said, the water here in Melbourne is very soft. I then place the record on a handkerchief and put another handkerchief on top to gently dab it semi-dry, in particular the label. Lastly, I leave the record standing up to dry for an time before playing. They usually come up shining and clean looking. I don't want to play the record when it is wet, so I usually leave the records drying for longer than strictly necessary. Drops of water shouldn't be left standing on the label, but in my experience nearly all labels will be fine after contact with water so long as they are dried as soon as possible. However, check the label beforehand and if in doubt don't put water on it! I once stained the label on an African-pressed record (but with that said, I have washed many, many African records with no issues).
Problem here. First minerals in the water Second the water is going to loosen label if you repeatedly soak your records. Third the towel you are using is addig cotton fibers to the record and will create surface noise.
Hi. Few days ago I bought old Oscar Peterson record. To my huge dissapointment it was impossible to listen through it as crackingand popping sounds were constant and loud. After listening to first song I gave up. Today I watched this video and thought to myself. What's the worst that could happened? The record is trash at this stage anyway. I used my fingers instead of brush. And I used hand wash soap. Just 2 drops in the sink filled with lukewarm water. THE RECORD IS LIKE BRAND NEW! I actually can't believe my own ears. Sure I won't be doing this often...no need as I take good care of my records. But those second hand records are sometimes in a horrible condition. Have few more from that sale, even worse then Peterson. After I heared the difference I washed Dire straits Love over gold. It's drying on a string now. Thank you so much for this vid!
Thank you! Tried this out on one of the rarer albums i have and it worked great! Not night and day but there is an absolute difference and no damage. Definitely stay away from the labels. They can get messed up easily if water gets under them but don't stress. Who the hell is trying to be a collector or reseller anyhow? I just want to listen to records.
This does work very well on older vinyl. I would never use this method on new stuff. But if you are going to do this, I highly suggest using a label saver.
Bravo! I've been using a similar method for 30+ years and works great!
I've been cleaning vinyl for 40 years with a variation of this method, using bare soapy hands under running water instead of a brush. Blue Dawn dish detergent is excellent, as it's a super grease-cutter (they use it to wash wild birds that have been thru oil spills). I would recommend a running water rinse - an extensive one - as any detergent can leave a residue in the grooves that will be audible during very quiet passages in the music.
I use a similar method which has been successful for years. Instead of the pad I use a very soft paint brush in a weak washing up liquid/water solution and dry using very soft kitchen roll. In my opinion, drying with a towel will introduce unwanted fibres to the vinyl.
Worked great for me. The water didn't seem to affect the label in any way, maybe after 100 washes. I had some London/Decca classical records that had lots of pops and whatnot when listening to the quiet sections. After doing this they sound fantastic and pretty much like new again!
soap and water is the best way to clean records. I totally agree.
No need to for fancy cleaning agents or some silly special mix some try to flog for 40 to 50 dollars a bottle. Ridiculous.
It's so simple and IT WORKS !!
If you are worried about the label, just tape it over with some painters tape to protect it. That's it.
You tube is full of other methods/opinions, but in all honesty, this is the best way.
This is a very good way to clean them because I have used this method sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't it depends on if the vinyl is scratched or not and how badly.
This method is mentioned in a book I ve read on record players. Totally legit.
Great! Can you recall the title of the book? We will happily share links.
Unfortunatelly the book is in hungarian, so I dont think it will be much help for the general public: "Degrell László: Lemezjátszók és hanglemezek"
Btw Peter Carl Goldmark, credited with developing the LP was also Hungarian ;)
I learned this method from my parents and have never had any issues. A lot of times they come out nearly new....and I consider myself a pretty casual "record snob."
The information at the end is incorrect. Wet playing a record actually creates a plasma, not just superheated steam. It will melt right through your record and damage your turntable. I knew a guy who wet played a record and the ball of plasma it created went right through the turntable and then through his entire stereo rack, through the floor and into the basement. Luckily his son was doing an experiment with ultra powerful electromagnets in a ring and they somehow captured the plasma. It's been years and that ball of plasma is still there. Hopefully the magnets never fail. It could burn a hole striaght through the earth. BTW- Nice sink.
Been there, done that. Sucks, yeah?
I used a cleaning sponge with a bit of detergent and wipe the record in a circular motion. One side then the other. I then run water over the surface to get rid of the detergent and use kitchen tissues to dry the record. This normally helps clean the record well with alot of reduced static. I am getting a label protector off ebay and once I start using it, I should be able to clean the record longer to make sure more dirt is brushed off. But do bear in mind that not all record labels are water proofed. Some I noticed will get wet upon contact with water while others I am able to run water over them. But best is still to get a label protector when doing the cleaning.
Simple but very effective.I clean mine like this and it works great.
I've been a listener of records for 40 odd years. I've still got nearly all in my possession and never have I cleaned any. They sound just fine. I have washed a few I was given recently, as they had traces of mold on them from being poorly stored. They came up near mint. I have a copy of The Final Cut, purchased by me on release, which has developed a mystery dirty fingerprint that is audible on playback. I'm going to get some fresh microfibre cloths and give it a clean as I'm sure this will restore it to it's former glory! I have never been swayed by cleaning machines, special fluids or mixes etc and I've saved a fortune by not doing so. For those who are new to this, don't panic. You are NOT going ruin any of your records by not cleaning them. If you play them often, store them correctly, upright, with the inner sleeve opening facing up inside the cover, with a plastic sleeve protector, open end at the spine, dust cannot get in there! If you imagine the surface of the recoord as a ploughed field and the furrow tops fall in, to tidy up the furrows you run the plough through again. That's what you do when you play your records. The stylus is the plough, cleaning out the groove as it goes, Just give the stylus a quick check before the next side and clean any debris off as you go. Not expensive or difficult.
This method works great on your records of 'average personal value'. They play better afterwards, absolutely. Distilled water rinse is important! If it is a valuable collector's item, I wouldn't submerge the record because of potential label damage. But the labels are more resilient than you might think, and better to do this than to play a dusty record, driving particles deep into the groove with the stylus and potentially damaging both.
I have done it this way with over 100 albums so far and it works great! For those worried about the labels, I have not had any issues with a label peeling or lifting. For cleaning old albums that have not been stored correctly this is the way to go. Also I will use a wet magic eraser with stubborn stains or minor surface scratches and they come out a few grades higher and play fine
When he talks about the warm room, I wanted to touch my screen to get some kind of idea, as to what his room temperature might be....
I’ve been doing this for 50 years. I’ve even used abrasive on 78 s that we’re about to end up in the woodpile. And they became playable again.
ScrewyGrapes method using isopropanol and distilled water with a microfiber rubdown is the best and fastest way! I have used this method on 1000+ LPs with zero problems!
As an alternative to spending several hundred or even several thousand (ultrasonic) dollars for a record cleaner, this is a good way to go. Especially for really nasty thrift store LPs. But even being the cheapskate I am, and even though I do EXACTLY what you do (except I use microfiber for drying as well AND I try to keep the water off the label...some bubble up on contact with water!) I would still recommend getting something like a Spin Clean for those occasional Blue Backs. Great video!
OH FOR FUCK SAKE WHY DOES EVERY FUCKING RECORD CLEANING VIDEO HAVE A COMMENT SECTION FILLED WITH PEOPLE SAYING THEY'RE WRONG
I just did this to my Serato vinyl that I thought were done for and they came back to life.
Thats the method i used many times . It works great for very dirty records. or very old records. In the past i have restored loads of records using luke warm water washing up liquid and a VERY CLEAN, VERY SOFT CLOTH. ( maybe not the best method for rare or high value collectors items ) but seems to vastly improve old secondhand records .
wipe them dry with another very soft cloth. remember vinyl is a soft easily damaged item always handle carefully, hold by the label and edges, try not to touch the grooves. store in good sleeves, store vertically at all times. place back in sleeve immediately after playing to prevent dust and dirt build up.
the video showed just what the tile say it will show. great job
It would be very nice to hear a before and after applying these treatments to make a record better than new and reduce record noise.
You could just take advantage of the hole in the vinyl and put a string through there for it to hang on when you dry it.
This really works, use a microfiber cloth to clean them after
Worked well for me too - seen so much about how you should NEVER use tap water on records but so far the results for me have been pretty good to great
great video thanks.. just one question doesnt washing up liquid have salt and i could imagine that not being good for records maybe same metho but different solotion ? thanks
Thank you so much! Used this method on a gold press of Atom Heart Mother by Pink Floyd that I got on Etsy recently. Filled to the brim with crackles and even skips, this should solve that, at least for a little bit.
I was a little nervy with this at first so I tried it on a record that was all scratched and crackled and I didn’t really play. It was immediate change and sounded great. So then even with still a little nerve I did the record that I dropped on the floor and it sounded so much better, I went and cleaned all of my records like this so now I know I don’t have to buy an expensive record
There are so many expensive gadgets on the market now for cleaning records. But I don't recall ever cleaning mine in the 70s, unless something got spilled on them, and then it was in the sink just like you did.
Hello and Thank you for this video! Best regards from Sweden and 10 points of 10 points!
I did this for years and it was just fine.
Great honest video. The pretentious stuff I've seen claimed on YT is funny though. I use to do a lot of dj sets back in the day, and the vinyl took obvious abuse, but used this method back then and never let me down. Nice one 👍
All these people complaining about this method. Well I guarantee my method will make vinyl enthusiasts want to kill me. I use a combination of a very wet Magic Eraser and an original 1970s Discwasher. I start by slowly hand spinning the record with my fingers on the side of it and applying a VERY small amount of pressure on the magic eraser. I then use a towel to dry it off. After it's all dry I then go over it with the Discwaher to get as much dust out of the groves as I can. Believe me it works. I have a copy of The Wall that I got for practically a buck. It looked like hell. After using my method that I described, it sounded great. Apart from some warping and some scratching on the second disc it sounded fine and played through all the way fine. Both discs and all four sides. Don't be rough with the magic eraser or else it will cause hazing on your records. And if anyone doubts me then that's fine. I can show you proof if that's what you want. :)
Thanks for the video. Very well done.
I have had 60 yrs old records, most of them in impeccable, some pretty greasey. Spread a bath towel, lay the record add some destwater and some shaving foam , take an old toothbrush and spread the two groove wise several times over surface. After both sides flush under the tap and finish wifh them with dest water. Let them dry for a while. Play and feel in heaven. Good luck.
So many people are saying you should not use tap water only distilled water, I have a record washer I paid for £40 but it never got my brand new LP clean so I used a Mr Magic LCD screen cleaner and Anti static cloth for £1 from poundland and guess what? Yes it cleaned my record better and it stopped skipping. Goes to show you don't need to spend a fortune on cleaning.
Does he wash the label or the vinyl?
This is hands down the best and cheapest way to clean your vinyl, instead of tap water I use a 1 litre mist spray bottle with 3/4 distilled water and 1/4 rubbing alcohol 92% stuff, spray this on the record and do exactly the same with the same type felt brush, then dab dry with microfibre cloths then allow to dry out in a rack, I do 25 at a time and by the time I've done the last one the first one is completely dry and ready to be sleeved again! An Anti static brush before wet cleaning helps too, and before you sleeve it again! Mine sound brand new, mixes sound so good!
Beautiful sink! Mine is so old looking!
You may have wondered if you should make such a elementary level video on cleaning records. Well, just trying my first record player out I appreciate it. Your video helped me.
I once worked at the Peter Pan record Factory in Lakewood New Jersey. I've been washing my records with soap and water for a long time now. This is the best way. I spin dry them on a clean Terri cloth dry bath towel. Sometimes you might find solvent or mold stains on the lp., so I will use lighter fluid or alcohol on them, just on the area that is soiled, after I've washed it, or before, with with soap and water and I'll use a paper towel for the solvent stains; works fine! I always take a discwasher brush before every play, just to remove the surface dust. Keeps the stylus clean.
As far as the record label getting wet, I will dry that off with a paper towel before I spin dry the record on the terry cloth bath towel.
By the way, There's only two grooves to a record; side one & two, unless it's a double set.
I know you may not reply to this, but did you ever come across any issues when using tap water to clean the records?
No issues with the tap water I'm using
Michael Hance I just checked and my water is soft, so I will be fine. Cheers to not wasting money on gimicky clean supplies.
Thinking of using this on record that I have. The only thing is the water from my sink is hard so I may buy distilled water and use the same soap I use for my glassware (which has no smell, harsh chemicals, etc.)