[Jukebox-list] How to clean those records?

[David Breneman]

--- rodehond <rodehond at xs4all.nl> wrote:

> I usually
> wash them gently with a bit of distilled water and a drop of dish
> soap, 
> and they're fine again. Well, most of them anyway. But now now I've
> read some articles about some fancy high-tech vacuum cleaners that
> seem to do miracles on old records.

Those machines are nice if you are cleaning a lot of records,
or especially valuable ones where you do not want to get the
labels wet (although virtually all "consumer" records going 
back 100 years have labels impervious to a quick dunk in
water).  Since you seem to be mainly interested in 45s, you're
in luck as they are the easiest to clean.  Although you can
use dishwashing detergent in a pinch, I avoid it because of
all the additives.  Of course, some of those can be of
benefit if, say, you want your records to have a fresh 
lemony scent.  :-)

I use Kodak Photo-Flo 200, which an a wetting agent made
for use in photofinishing.  It's available at any good
camera store. 

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/health/tiDocs/ti0688.pdf

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/28195-REG/Kodak_1464510_Photo_Flo_200_Solution.html

You mix it in accordance with the instructions for photo
use, 200:1 with water.  Then I take a "paint pad" type
painting refill, the type that is flat and rectangular
and  about the size of a postcard, with all the little
vertically oriented bristles on it.  Holding the 45 in
one hand at the edges (or by the center hole and an
edge), dip the paint pad in the Photo-Fl0 solution, then
rub the race of the record with a rotating motion of your
hand so the bristles follow along the grooves (*not*
radially acorss the grooves).  Run around the surface of
the record several times, slowly rotating it in your
hand as you twist the paint pad back and forth with your
other hand.  Then re-dip the pad in the Photo-Flo solution
and repeat on the other side.  This will not hurt the
label.  When you've cleaned both sides, rinse the record
under a stream of water from a faucet (if you trust your
local water to be clean and reasonably free of minerals)
or dunk agitate it in a tray of distilled water to rinse
off the Photo-Flo.  Then pat it dry with a soft towell
and leave it standing so that air can circulate around it
to air dry.



David Breneman         david_breneman at yahoo.com


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