How do YOU clean your vinyl ?

Red Sleeping Beauty

I've got some of the cleaning liquid from Tower Records but it's very expensive (about 7 bob). I overheard in a record shop that all the stuff is is some sort of mixture of alcohol and something else (couldn't quite make out what he was saying as he was speaking in a Glasgow accent!)

Are there any home mixtures/recipes for a vinyl cleaning solution that won't leave a dent in the wallet ?

How do you clean yours ?

Scubadevils

An old light cotton t-shirt - run one corner under a cold tap and wring out till damp. Wipe around the vinyl along the grooves several times and then repeat with a dry section. Works wonders, used that method now for maybe 15 years or so.

Red Sleeping Beauty

But will that work for really filthy grimey vinyl that's been sitting gathering dust for 20years ?

Scubadevils

Don't know about 20 year old vinyl! I have bought though a lot of second hand vinyl that looked and played terribly and then cleaned up perfectly with this method. For very dirty & marked vinyl I have just applied more water and used a larger chunk of the t-shirt.

Music4life

I'm gunna go to the chemist and get Isopropyl alcohol.I was told that Radio Stations used this stuff back in the day.Shouldn't be too expensive:D

John

I'd also recommend buying a carbon fibre brush and give your vinyl a quick (dry) clean every time you play them. Takes the surface dust off and stops it building up and becoming a problem.

And I use a commercial fluid that gives me mixed results.

11811

Music4life wrote: »

I'm gunna go to the chemist and get Isopropyl alcohol.I was told that Radio Stations used this stuff back in the day.Shouldn't be too expensive:D

Not the easiest thing to get in any sort of "large" amount anymore,
I used to use a cloth dampened with a very very mild solution of water a washing up liquid, always worked a treat.

Rigsby

I use cotton wool or a cotton cloth moistened with methylated spirit. It's great for removing grease and grime....... and it's cheap.

Red Sleeping Beauty

John wrote: »

I'd also recommend buying a carbon fibre brush and give your vinyl a quick (dry) clean every time you play them. Takes the surface dust off and stops it building up and becoming a problem.

And I use a commercial fluid that gives me mixed results.

YEah, tower records have one of them anti-static brushes , I might get one. Got one for my girlfriend, it sort of pushes the dust around the vinyl and gathers it all together.

Cuddleworthy wrote: »

Not the easiest thing to get in any sort of "large" amount anymore,
I used to use a cloth dampened with a very very mild solution of water a washing up liquid, always worked a treat.

Does the washing up liquid not leave a residue ?

Rigsby wrote: »

I use cotton wool or a cotton cloth moistened with methylated spirit. It's great for removing grease and grime....... and it's cheap.

:eek: Meth spirits ? I'd be afraid of putting that near the vinyl to be honest, that stuff is very powerful

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alan dunne 27 wrote: »

Does the washing up liquid not leave a residue ?

Not if you use a really small amount of it..
Alcohol while it may seem good for cleaning records, I can't imagine it being very good for them over a extended period of time...

Rigsby

alan dunne 27 wrote: »

:eek: Meth spirits ? I'd be afraid of putting that near the vinyl to be honest, that stuff is very powerful

You are probably right if you were to use it every day on the same disc. If I get a really dirty disc I use meths as a once off clean up. I've being doing this for twenty years with no problems.