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Cleaning Your Records


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I'd avoid the spin clean/spin clean like products. I just got one and hate it. If you have records that are not smooth on the edges, the spindles catch on them and come out. It gets really annoying to try to clean a record when you can't spin it. I'm looking to upgrade to a vaccum machine here soon.

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I'd avoid the spin clean/spin clean like products. I just got one and hate it. If you have records that are not smooth on the edges, the spindles catch on them and come out. It gets really annoying to try to clean a record when you can't spin it. I'm looking to upgrade to a vaccum machine here soon.

Did you try flipping the spindles around? I've cleaned 400+ records with a Spin Clean and maybe had this happen once. It sounds like you might be doing something wrong.

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  • 3 months later...

Yeah, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Maybe I have defective rollers.

I had the same issue at first.

Quick tip: When using a Spin Clean, fill the water up about 1/4" past the water line mark. The rollers are further into the water and won't pop out, it also makes less noise with the water lubing up the rollers.

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I've only recently started cleaning my records, and have been wet cleaning as a start (Cleaning solution applied with a microfiber cloth -> Wash off -> Distilled Water -> Air dry then polish with a dry microfiber cloth). Some suggest wiping with iso alcohol to finish, but I haven't been doing this. 

 

After I play a record I have just cleaned, I am finding a build up of gunk on the stylus.

 

Is this most likely left over dirt, or residue from the cleaning solution? (or something else)

 

Is this standard?

 

Is it bad for either the record or stylus? 

 

Cheers! 

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I don't think that micro fiber cloth is doing you any favors.

 

Yeah, if anything, it's probably just cleaning the surface and pushing the wet stuff deeper into the grooves. Which is probably why gunk is getting picked up by the stylus.

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I bought a used Smiths record once, took it home and it sounded like absolute shit. I "cleaned" it with some store bought solution and microfiber cloth - it did nothing. Brought it back to the store and they popped it onto their VPI machine. Plays like it's new. 

 

So from my experience cleaning with a cloth only gets rid of the surface dust and such. Does absolutely nothing for in the grooves. 

 

Also, this one record store I go to the owner cleans records with Windex and an old shirt so there's that lol idk how good it does tho

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lmao, one time I was buying a record and Bob was like "let me just put it on the VPI machine real quick"....I continued browsing but I know for damn sure there's no VPI machine in there

 

I swear they could have their own TV show and it would be 10x better than any reality show

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lmao, one time I was buying a record and Bob was like "let me just put it on the VPI machine real quick"....I continued browsing but I know for damn sure there's no VPI machine in there

I swear they could have their own TV show and it would be 10x better than any reality show

No doubt about it. Every time I go in there with my wife, all 3 of those pervs walk right past me and go get a big hug from her. Then tell me how lucky I am...then Bob asks us if we have more records for him.

I feel bad for anyone who brings their TV in for repairs. Those same dismantled TVs have been on the floor for years.

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