Shout out to SPIN-CLEAN. Very very good American made record washer. Basically two velvet brushes sandwiched in a big yellow trough/washboard. You manually rotate the record between the wet brushes to clean both sides at once.

For everyday cleaning, I use the wet solution and a Discwasher brush. I highly recommend the wood glue method. I have had many great results with the wood glue. I don't use a card to spread the glue, I use my fingers and really work the glue into the grooves. I don't mind the wait time, if it's a hot day, the glue is dry enough within 2-3 hours.

Been using standard products for more than 40 years to clean my vinyl. Cleaning discs with serious value, that's one thing....but let's face it.....we're not saving the world here, we're cleaning records. 😀

I like the idea of using flour for a better visual representation. Doesn't flour get like super sticky when it gets wet, though? That might prevent a wet cleaning from being as effective. Just a thought. Plus we do know rekkids often have some foul gunk on them!

I've been using the wood glue method for years, using the brand Titebond II (blue label). The mask with Titebond II is thicker than what was in the video, peels similar to removing plastic from a new phone, and it even is thick enough to play on a (cheap) turntable (albiet, backwards). I've seen a REMARKABLE sound improvement, keeping in mind, damaged records don't get better, just pops and dust type noises are eliminated. The success I've had is unmatched, however, I always follow up with my 1980s Discwasher cleaning brush and fluid.

In the 70’s, my friends and I had The Discwasher. Good size pad that rested in a wooden handle. Used it before playing EVERY record.

Been selling (and cleaning) records full time for 17 years - I did buy a heavy expensive machine that acts like a vacuum cleaner, incredibly noisy and didn't perform as expected. It's (ironically) gathering dust in the shed. My go to method for everyday cleaning is cleaning fluid and a soft cloth, usually one wet clean and a dry 2nd pass does the job.

I panicked when I saw you pouring glue all over an album. I had NO idea that this was a "thing"! :)

A record cleaning video from Andrew, unexpected but welcome just the same. My method to clean my vinyl LPs is two stage. First, I wash the dirty record in the sink with dish soap and warmish water. Step two is putting the record in a Spin Clean with distilled water and Spin Clean fluid. I let the record dry in a plastic dish rack and finally wipe it off with a micro fiber towel. If the record is seriously dirty, I have used the wood glue technique with good results. After that, the record is subjected to the dish soap and Spin Clean to cure the static charge.

I am sure a lot of us were cringing during this video ! I had to laugh at your choice of record to try these cleaning experiments with Andrew - the same kind that all of us use all round the world - classical & schlager 😉

Ugh, these gels are usually sold as a PC keyboard cleaning product. And from what I remember they are basically a one-time use affair. Way to expensive for what it's worth imo.

I made my own wet cleaning machine for less than $100. A mini wet/dry vac, lazy Susan & PVC pipe. Works great. I also made a cordless handheld vac with a modified nozzle to accept velvet strips on it. This is what I use just before playing a record. Picks up all the dust.Sticky rollers are also great.

If you're going to throw flour on records, it's a dry sweep or two first (no more), then the wet clean. Flour's got gummy gluten that can muck up the groove trench. Severe dust can gum up under wet cleaning, too.

I will treat older records with wood glue, but not the white stuff - the yellow product (carpenter’s glue) is much better. Since it is a PVC base, its makeup is very similar to vinyl, and if you do happen to get some left behind, you can alway re-apply and try again without issue. It is very good at getting embedded dirt out that a brush will not. Then do a wet clean to reduce static. For a wet clean, I use a homemade solution of distilled water, 99% isopropyl alcohol and a couple of drops of Kodak Photo Flo 200 as a surfactant, put in a generic spray bottle and applied to a microfibre cloth. This does very well, and there several videos on how to make an appropriate mixture, which is pretty much what you get with wet cleaning solutions like Discwasher, etc.

Andrew, I found this video to be very amusing and informative. It certainly reinforced my personal view on dry carbon-fiber brushes and cheap wet cleaning solutions. I've long since concluded that a quick pass with a dry brush is sufficient with an already properly cleaned record. These carbon fiber brushes work great in removing tiny bits of surface dust that might've recently clung to the record between deep cleaning. As for more thorough cleaning of my records, I've always wanted a high-end solution like your Loricraft or Audio Desk Ultrasonic, but haven't been able to swing the nearly $4k on those toys :). That said, I'm quite happy with the results I get from using my Record Doctor V vacuum cleaning machine. I start off with a manual scrubbing of the record by laying it flat on a very large microfiber cloth. I apply a liberal amount of Nitty Gritty Pure 2 solution and scrub it in a circular motion with a goat hair brush. I flip it over and repeat this step. Next I set the record on my Record Doctor and spray the record with a fine mist of purified water that contains the prescribed amount of Tergikleen surfactant. After working that into the grooves with the velvet brush that comes with the Record Doctor, I flip it over and apply the vacuum. After treating the other side in this manner, I'm all done. Seems to work wonderfully for me. I know that some folks complain that these vacuum systems leave a static charge, but I don't seem to have issues. That said, my Milty Zerostat is always close by if I notice any serious issues with static cling.

Nothing beats a VPI 16.5 machine. Which, unfortunately I no longer have. Other than that, I’ve had wonderful results with Winyl cleaning gel and Record Revirginizer. Basically, it’s the same principle as wood glue, but they dry much faster and produce far less static. Of the two, I prefer Winyl because it dries faster than Revirginizer.

You basically gave me a half hour video of why I prefer to have CDs

Great video, Andrew! I've personally tried the wood glue method in the past with some of my thrift store finds, but did not have good results. Even though I used the correct brand and type of glue, I found that some records would sometimes skip afterwards (though they didn't before). This I attributed to some glue being left in the grooves. Eventually I acquired an ultrasonic cleaner. Your video has reminded me that I need to run those records through the ultrasonic to see if they still skip.

Having tape players & a Turntable I have a little air compressor from a hobby shop next to my hi fi set up which I use a small nozzle to blow the dirt out of the grooves and off the record.. Very quick and effective

I use a record cleaning (vacuum) machine. First pass with tergikleen and second with a rinse of distilled water. Works great!

Love my spin clean. Does a fantastic job. When i play an lp i use a discwasher brush. If really dirty ill use the liquid on the brush. Both cleaners do a great job. Any lp new or used goes through the spin clean before hitting my turntable. So i never have anything serious for the brush to handle besides light dust.

I've found a special Green Gel that really DOES CLEAN right into the grooves. You apply the gel. Completely around the record. Then apply a piece of card. Leave it overnight. The gel 'sets' then take hold of the card Slowly lift off the gel. It pulls everything along with it. Problem is leave it over night. And you can only do one side at a time. The product is called. WINYL ADVANCED CLEANING GEL It's made in Spain And ordered it on-line I don't work for the company Just saw it and read about it And I was really happy with it GREAT TESTING VIDEO

I've had records that I bought in the 1960's as a kid and played the heck out of them without ever cleaning except with whatever dust brushes were offered at the time. The last ten years I've pulled them out of storage and with some tried every method at my disposal to clean that white hazy crud deeply in the groves with absolutely no success. I eventually tried the wood glue method and was amazed how new-clean they looked. I was also amazed how well the playback sound had improved on most of them. There were a few however that were too far gone for much if any improvement.

I've been using the Discwasher I bought in the '70's (I didn't play many records for a couple decades between then and now). When the special fluid ran out, I refilled the container with water. If a record is really dirty, I rinse it off in the sink, and dry it with a paper towel. Then I use the aforementioned Discwasher. This seems to work pretty well.

I once actually improved an original copy of The Beatles Rarities Capitol lp with wood glue, but today my go-to method, especially when I buy used vinyl, is a carbon brush, a Bug Fudge velvet brush for wet cleaning with home brewed cleaner, and a Vevor ultrasonic machine for deep cleaning. It won’t save everything, but it has had miraculous results in enough cases to make it work for me.

My definite go-to cleaning method involves four items: - KNOSTI Disco Antistat washing machine - Distilled water - Isopropyl alcohol (a few splashes) - Dishwashing liquid with non-ionic surfactants (a tiny drop) Works splendidly for me! Also, I avoid purchasing records whose condition is below VG+. Works even better! 😉

The Spin-Clean Record Washer is my go to for cleaning records. After a proper cleaning maintain by keeping records in rice paper sleeves and using anti-static brush this gives me fantastic results.

Interesting and informative Andrew. I use and find Grovewasher cleaning products excellent for cleaning my discs. They do the job well. I also have a fibre brush and velvet pad which I use before playing the records.

Warm soapy Dawn water and a soft cloth! Vinyl is plastic and it can withstand a light scrubbing in the direction of the grooves. Rinse under cool water avoiding paper label. Dry in circular motion with soft dry cloth. A must for those neglected dollar bin finds.

I clean my records by first running them under luke warm water. Then wipe dry. Next, I add a product available here (Australia) called Mr. Sheen. It's an aerosol based cleaning product which can be used on most surfaces, including vinyl. Spray the record with Mr. Sheen & then wipe off before running again under luke warm water.Then wipe dry. You will have a clean record with all ingrained dirt and dust removed.

A very informative and useful video, Andrew! Thanks for demonstrating the different types of products that are available. I'm drawn to the wet cleaning product. Years ago I used to use a Dust Bug on my records. Who remembers that nifty little device?!!

When i'm cleaning my records, i dry clean my records first with a velvet brush until there's no visible dust. And after that, i wet clean the record with a homemade record cleaning solution. Which is a spray bottle filled with distiled water, 2 drops of dish washing liquid, and a drop of alchohol. After wet cleaning, i dried the record with the dry side of my microfiber cloth, and finish it of with another round of my velvet brush.

Since 1975, I have been using the DECCA Record Cleaning brush for all of my vinyl. It does the job for me.

I digitize lots of Jamaican vinyl, especially 45s from the 70s, which seemed to have been pressed while the maid was dusting nearby. The most effective thing I found, is first cleaning conventionally with the velvet brush/anti-static liquid method, followed by completely saturating the surface with water while I do the rip to the computer. This is very effective against even really bad condition vinyl. Third step is running the file through a de-noise/pop/click program. The problem with this last step is the guy who wrote the software has since died and it's based on Java which is a pain in the ass to keep running with modern OSes. It is what it is...

Great video, Andrew. I'd always wondered about that "wood glue" method. I bought a cleaning kit on Amazon several months ago called "Big Fudge". Silly name but it seems to do the job.

I use a tonar sticky roller (like a lint brush for clothing) and my trusted discwasher brush. If I'm wet cleaning a simple mix of isopropyl alcohol and distilled water works well.

I have a Discwasher D4 that I've been using for 40 years. When the liquid ran out I replaced it with methyl alcohol. Works a treat.

One very fun thing I used to do with the wood glue method was play the mask that the glue set into! Don't worry, the only thing I tried it on was a 2012 Sgt. Pepper's Remastered pressing.

My hubby uses the 2-step product, the velvet brush with cleaing liquid. It works really well & cleans our records nicely. Sometimes it takes a couple of rounds but most times, only once. Watching you wrangle that slime was just about the death of me! I can't stand anything gooey or messy on my hands, & that demonstration was horrifying! 😂The glue was fascinating but I sure wouldn't have the nerve to try that!

Hi Andrew. I use an ultrasonic tank and motor drive to clean my records. It involves a bit of expense, but once the parts are bought and assembled, it offers a relatively inexpensive method to clean and restore your records. I have cleaned all my Beatles vinyl collection, especially original 60's Mono pressings with some really exceptional results. Static is also killled practically dead. Re-sleeve the records and with careful handling you may not need to deep clean them ever again. My first cleaning results were so good I started my own Facebook group, and now our group is nearly topping 3000 happy members! I could not tell you how many thousands of records we have saved or restored between us all. Just about every record cleaned improves up a grade. Some records can be cleaned up to a nearly mint condition provided the record isn't physically damaged or playworn.

That was a fun and educational video! Thanks for making the video!

I use a tried and true setup that's inexpensive. Start with a Nosound Record Label Saver Waterproof Clamp. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner Concentrate Spray Bottle. A Spin-Clean Record Washer Mkii Replacement Brush. Spray bottle with distilled water. Lint free Viva paper towels. Compressed air duster. A rack to air dry any remaining moisture. You will be amazed.

I prefer manual cleaning - I do own a ultrasonic cleaner I mostly use for 45s - sometimes LPs depends. One of the most important things to have is a general SURFACTANT no matter how you're cleaning vinyl records . I use something that is very in-expensive and one can mix up at home for pennies for gallons ... . You don't need expensive photo-chemicals for surfactants. I've used all the vacuum based machines as well.. they usually work awesome as well.. but the upkeep is real - it's almost like running a lathe :) I'll leave it up to people interested in either asking me directly what I use or to do a bit of research. hint - It's not a dish detergent and it's on the periodic table. It's a great topic as everyone can benefit from clean vinyl records.. especially that diamond tip - you can literally extend the life of your diamond untold times by keeping your records clean.

I used a Spin Clean for years for a nice basic wet clean, but got the Humminguru ultrasonic cleaner with the Kickstarter campaign. I am completely thrilled with the results I get from it, especially for the price and ease of use. I use a vintage Discwasher brush with D3 fluid for occasional upkeep as needed which can be obtained easily and cheaply enough at thrift stores or online. I’ve found two with full bottles of fluid for $1 each in the past couple years and have plenty of fluid left. I’ve heard the newer Discwasher brushes use a different fabric and aren’t quite as effective, but as I have had such good luck finding cheap “like new” vintage ones, I haven’t needed to compare. Also, a stylus cleaner is extremely important and I use a MoFi stylus brush before every spin, but only using the fluid about once a week. 😊

My favourite is PVA wood glue, which I happily use on rare ‘northern soul’ records that are frequently worth well over £1,000 ($1,200) each.

My process is a bit labor intensive but worth it. I use one of two similar cleaners; the Vinyl Style Deep Groove or Spin Clean wet bath system. The difference is Deep Groove has an axle and clamp and seals the label off which is helpful.Spin Clean rests on the sides so you need to be careful of the label. Rotate them in the bath and let them sit wet for a few seconds. This loosens the junk. Then rotate again. Remove from bath and rinse the groove area off with a household sink sprayer. Put on vertical rack to drip off. ALWAYS PROTECT LABEL...This is why Deep Groove is great...it also has a built in rack. After a few minutes drying, finish with a clean, soft, lint free cloth. This method works for all vinyl and 78s. Keep an eye on the "bath" of the cleaning device. When it gets cloudy, replace the fluid. Also, using a white cloth you can note when it gets dull. Replace as necessary. I'm aways amazed how just a few seemingly "clean" looking records can turn the washer fluid cloudy gray with this method. A word of caution. Be very careful using any cleaner with alcohol in it, especially with old shellac records! With vinyl, high alcohol concentrations will remove natural oils from the vinylite record which can make the material more prone to wear. With shellac records it will destroy them. Alcohol is a solvent to shellac and will soften and ruin the record. Even products with a small percentage of alcohol in the total solution can be detrimental.

I just bought a Pro-Ject VC-E and it's made so much of a difference it isn't funny. I'm largely into archiving somewhat rare Kiwi and Aussie discs, and it's made some pretty rough ones sound almost mint!

Splendid stuff for everyone who goes routinely dropping flour on their records. Not much use to anyone wanting to clean an old mildewed decades old LP or one with stubborn dirt in the grooves. Still a bit of a fun diversion even though the product placement is getting a bit much. I wouldn't let anything in this video anywhere near a rare record and have yet to find a record cleaning solution that doesn't leave an audible residue on the records.

I have cleaned my records with Loctite 2 wood glue for 30 years and it is also got Nicks and scratches out of some of the albums as well.

See most of these comments, it’s really crazy how many carry out crazy “cleaning” techniques. These clearly work for them, especially if they are using basic equipment with £20 or $20 cartridges, then that might not be such a big thing. I started with a basic wet cleaning system in the mid ‘80s, then moved to a simple vacuum cleaner & then onto a much better vacuum cleaner. These I found to be really good. Then I came across ultrasonic cleaners & bought a simple setup. These were another step up the ladder. I then upgraded to the outstanding Audio Desk System Pro cleaner. That proved even better again. But, this year after some research, I bought the new Degritter MKII Ultrasonic cleaner. It’s by far the best I’ve used by a long way. As I buy mostly LPs from ‘65 to ‘72, & are high value first pressings, that are at least VG++ or better, I know they require cleaning. For me, playing LPs on a turntable setup costing close to £20K, it’s vital that they are clean. People would be surprised if they saw how much stuff the filter catches, even from NM LPs. After reading many of these comments, of people’s methods, I’m so glad I do have the luxury of this cleaner. Well worth checking out. Thanks again for taking the time to do the video Andrew.

I've forwarded this video through to a lifelong friend who inquired. He lives in the US, but he works as a musician on cruise ships. Maybe your video will work for him. It's worth a shot.

My method is to first brush with a carbon brush, then rinse with clean water, then wipe the surface of the record with a good quality soft "Paint Pad" impregnated with liquid sugar soap. Then rinse with filtered water and dry with a laundered microfibre cloth which has anti-static fluid in it. Works a treat and have brought back to life many grubby records.

"No Beatles LPs were harmed in the making of this video" :D Great demonstration and valuable information!

I have one brush identical to #1, but mine is branded as Hunt EDA Mark 6 Brush by music hall. Does an excellent job for cleaning records that don't need deep washing. That Magic Gel looks like children slime, or as we call it in Brazil, geleca. Wood glue is also former Skid Row's frontman Sebastian Bach's favourite cleaning method.

My father used to have the vinyl cleaning set (the one with a cleaning solution). It was slightly larger than the one in the video and there were two holes at the top of the brush beside the handle. That is where you place a few drops of the liquid. Not very effective though. Our default mode here in our country if the records are not very valuable is bath soap and water or dishwashing liquid and water.

Vinyl-Vac is what I use. It is a wet system and works great for me.

Well in my experience I used 3 different methods ultrasound machine, washed with a groovemaster and wood glue I used Wood Glue on Beatles 60s records a little different with a little help from Groovemaster label saver I do both sides with great results once you peeled the glue in both sides you have to give to your record a little rinse, great video

For now 46 years I have played my Vinyl with a second arm (with a small brush at the end) filled with Isoprop alcohol and aqua dest. It leaves a wet line of ca. 1 cm on the record and moves along from beginning to end. The records sound extremely clear without any noise. No damages at all to the vinyl and the pickup for nearly 50 years! In the 70s and 80s everyone used it, called „Lenco“. No idea why it went out of fashion. My old vinyl sounds as clear as CDs - just better of course. Greetings from Berlin, Harry

When I worked in Radio in the USA, we had a device called a "Discwasher"'. I have one at home as well. It's similar to the one you demonstrated, but the handle is made of WOOD, which can create no static electricity, unlike most plastics. It has a directional velvet pad, with the velvet attached over foam rubber. By "directional", I mean all the tiny "bristles", if you will, point in one direction. I'll explain that momentarily. This device also comes with a bottle of Discwasher solution, the bottle of which lives in a cutout in the wooden handle. It has no odor, and as far as I can tell, it's largely polyvinyl alcohol with other mystery ingredients. To use it, you place your finger on the record label and spin the record in the regular playing direction, after putting a bead of the liquid on the leading edge of the pad. The "Leading Edge" of the pad is determined by pointing the "bristles" INTO the direction the record is coming FROM (and manually turning the record provides much more torque than the turntable motor). You then use the pad in a similar fashion to what you did with the "wet" cleaner you demonstrated. It seemed to do a very good job, left no static, and the records (which naturally got a LOT of use at a Radio station) were left sounding great. By the way, what you're calling "wood glue" is plain old polyvinyl glue. In the USA, "Carpenter's Wood Glue" actually has tiny pieces of WOOD IN IT, and would be completely unsuitable for this purpose. But if you told an American to use "Elmer's Glue" (a brand of plain polyvinyl glue), it would be exactly what you used. When I worked in Theatre some 50 years ago, I ordered the plain polyvinyl stuff by the case, in GALLON bottles! We used it for building "flats", from which the walls of theatrical sets were made. In the USA, what Brits call a "FLAT", we call an "apartment".

I’ve used a Knosti manual cleaner for a number of years with my own cleaning fluid made from 95% distilled water 5% Isopropyl Alcohol with a couple of drops of Ilfotol water dispersant and finally for dirty records a drop or two of Ecover washing up liquid it doesn’t have any harsh chemicals or perfumes in it. I know collectors get a bit jumpy about any alcohol on their records but I have had nothing but clean better sounding vinyl for years with no problems.

I have gone down this rabbit hole! Glue, chemicals, the kitchen sink, VPI, you name it. What worked the best? An ultrasonic basin with a rotating attachment. Results were a 10 out of 10.

This video brought to mind a method of cleaning harpsichord soundboards with decades (centuries) of dirt. White bread. My grandmother's AM and 78 player (vintage tube) which had a round brush with a "deep purple" which appeared to be velvet.

I just use warm water and washing up liquid and a microfibre cloth. Keeping water away from the label and drying properly. Easy , cheap and effective.

I use 20 drops of Tergikleen in a gallon of distilled water. I empty some into a very well cleaned plastic ketchup bottle, label it, and use it to squirt the solution onto the record while it's laying on a Record Doctor VI vacuum machine. I use a felt brush (labeled: "Tergikleen") to distribute the solution over the record's surface. I then clean from top to bottom one half of the record by moving the felt brush back and forth about 20 times (top to bottom - bottom to top). Then I rotate the record one half turn and clean the other half the same way. Then I flip it over and vacuum the record, turning slowly; one revolution in each direction. I do the next side the same way. How dirty the record is determines how many times I'll repeat the procedure. When I'm sure it's good and clean, I rinse the record with distilled water from a second well cleaned, labeled plastic ketchup bottle, using a separate, labeled felt brush to distribute the water over the record's surface. Again, I do one half at a time from top to bottom - bottom to top about 20 times, and then vacuum. It takes me about 20 to 30 minutes to properly clean a record, but taking that necessary time certainly pays off when you listen to it. You find it's time and effort well spent!

I have the first brush you showed off and, for me, it works pretty well! It also lefts some hairs on the record, but these you won't hear when you play it. But non the less: your video is very informative and I'm a beginner in vinyl collecting and still am building my setup.

no matter what type of video, its always a entertaining watch

I use a Spin Clean. Then a goat hair brush after the record is washed and rinsed. After that I use the Vinyl Vac to remove any excess water and remove any residue. It’s time consuming but very effective!

If you have a completely useless and heavily scratched disc but is rare and unavailable on CD, clean the disc as best you can, then douse it in record cleaning fluid and play it wet ... recording at the same time so that you can have a playing copy. If while the disc is playing, it starts to dry out, keep applying more fluid. You'll get a perfect CD playing copy with no clicks, pops or scuffs.

Very interesting experiments, Andrew. For me, I use a carbon fibre brush before every playing, and if there is a build up of dirt (indicated by audible noise), I use a spray with a small percentage of Isopropyl Alcohol which works wonders. I know, some folk get hysterical about the use of IPA on vinyl, but I use it infrequently and haven't noticed any harm done. Something else well worth checking is for dirt on the stylus. I have a few times gone mad trying to clean a record several times before realising there was something on the stylus. As well as a stylus brush, there are various sticky pads which work well - again used infrequently. I also have one of those anti-static guns. I don't doubt it does what it says on the box, but whether squirting the records with ions actually reduces the amount of dust they collect I am not at all sure.

Meanwhile, CD users are using baby wipes they found at the dollar store to make their discs look brand new.

One of the biggest mistakes people make in trying to clean vinyl, is not realizing that the dirt will loosen easier after the record has soaked in distilled water( think how much easier it is to clean dishes after soaking) If you have a record that is really old, soaking it really makes a difference, you can safely do so with a spin clean, label protector and distilled water

Great video Andrew, and like anything in this world there's always going to be a certain amount of snake oil. I personally use a carbon fibre brush, for everyday day use. I also use the Spin-Clean system if I have bought a second hand album or single. The Spin-Clean definitely removes greasy fingermarks and built up dirt and dust but I'm not 100% convinced it can really do a deep groove clean. I think an ultrasonic machine is the way to go for that (as long as you have deep pockets). The best way to clean your records is to not let them get dirty in the first place...

I use a Pro-Ject VCE after faffing about with cheapo products and it’s very very effective, but a Lorricraft is where near perfection is for serious Record care and cleaning.. Cheers Andrew, another fine offering Sir 👍👍😎

Never trust anything that has “magic” in its name! I laughed out loud during that messy moment of the video. Thanks, Andrew. BTW I have a product called Spin Clean that I like. It’s not a full fledged super electric cleaner but it does work. Can’t really use it every time you want to play a record but coupled with a wet/dry solution before playing does well.

I use a Spin Clean machine with Tergikleen fluid. Works very nicely and it's relatively inexpensive

My friends and I take our records to our sink and use simple dish soap and water. Then dry with a smooth cloth. Easy and simple. Dont fall for all the money making products. --- Frank Taormina, former Beatles fan club member and radio D.J.

I have used Protected for many years as well. Shipping is not so hard for me as not only do I live in Denmark but shipping rates within Europe seem to be quite reasonable. I have never tried wood glue but would not mind getting into it, but I have never tried slime either and you just made me never want to try it. :)

I use a Spinclean, adding microfiber cloths for drying the records afterwards.

So much snake oil in record cleaning. I use a Spin Clean and it’s standard fluid/distilled water for day to day cleaning, and a Music Hall vacuum based cleaner with Record Time fluid for heavier jobs. For the really serious tasks and expensive rarities, I employ a friend who uses a multi-step ultrasonic and vacuum process.

Too many people over think this and spend far too much money on cleaning records. Get a label protector, wash the record with warm dish soapy water, then rinse with clean cold water, and dry with paper towel or a soft cloth. I've tried all of the above ways in the past, but with thousands of 45's and LP's, I go with what works, what is cheap and effective.

BEST EVER advert for digital music? 🤔

Fun test with all those record cleaning chachkies ! I liked the use of flour good idea for your demonstration.

I'd have loved you showed us your professional vinyl cleaning machine. This would have been the perfect video to do it, but, alas, it was just a cameo. 😪😪

This was worth watching simply to see inferior products fail. I do think the reason the "wet and dry" cleaning set was convex is that you are supposed to place one edge whetted, across the groves of the record, allow the record to spin, and rock it slowly to the opposing edge, then lift. This method is been around for a long time with the "Discwasher" product being very popular in the US.

I normally use my 80's discwasher brush, and fluid made up of distilled water and a small amount of alcohol. Some people don't understand how to use it, you just put several drops on the leading edge of the brush. Place it on the spinning record for a few revolutions, then tilt the brush so the dry portion of the "velvet" dries the record and picks up the dust. The velvet fibers are angled, so they pick up and hold the dust. Don't sweep it off the side of the record like Andrew was demonstrating, or you just smear all the dust you picked up, all over the record again! Then, use a small stiff brush (included with the Discwasher) to clean the dust out of the velvet. If I buy used discs, I wash them carefully in the sink using cool water and diluted dish liquid. After drying with a microfiber towel, I use the discwasher on both sides.

I have been buying records for 60 years and I have to say that there seems to be a current fetish about cleaning records. I only ever use a simple cleaning cloth or brush to clean just before playing. I used to use a dust bug too, but they seem out of fashion. By handling and storing records properly and a simple clean if necessary before playing has preserved my records for all those years. I do understand that cleaning second hand discs is a different question, but if I see a record which is filthy then I avoid it as you can count on it not being looked after and no amount of cleaning will help. I have also been caught out by seeming immaculate looking records sounding dreadful - they were clearly cleaned up just for sale but were worn out through poor care.

I bought a brush and I use a solution of 20% 70% rubbing alcohol and 80% water. Works perfectly fine and I dont have to waste money on cleaning spray. Recipe comes directly from a guy I know who's owned a record store since the 80s.

So I've always wondered about my brush technique and have used two different methods over the years. A. Slowly drag the brush away from the label and off the edge of the record, as Andrew does here B. By quickly flicking my wrist, thus rotating the brush upwards and off the record without the horizontal drag across the record. Which method do you think is more effective at removing dust/dirt, and is there any consensus to the proper brush technique? Vote below for A or B if you would like to.

Hi Andrew. The only way to clean records properly is to use a distilled water based solution and then to vac it off afterwards. Many of the “bath” methods fall down as the dirt or cleaning agent simply dries back on the record. This can be a record cleaning machine, which are rather expensive or to utilise something like a Vinyl vac which is an attachment that goes onto any wet vac. You can get these attachments for about £30 and it’s so much quicker and effective than wood glue.

Well, my first weapon of choice is a rounded brush similar to the one that is used here with a cleaning fluid. But that's only for clean records that have some fresh dust on them. The cleaning solution is a German Knosti II (officially: Disco Antistat). It is good for 95% of all cases. I modified it with own devices for label protections, though. For more expensive/valuable records, I go to my favorite record shop where they clean records ultrasonically for 2€ per LP. Plus I have a nice chat and usually find something to buy there.

I bought an Okki Nokki in 2008 and it's been fantastic. It's a simple vacuum cleaning wet machine. I use L'Art du Son a couple of drops in a solution of distilled water. It has a wetting agent in it so it gets in the grooves properly and it really gets rid of stuff and reduces the pops as well. I can washa record and have it sound as good as new again. Frankly it was well worth the few hundred quid I spent. The using PVA glue always makes me cringe as I can imagine what a solvent in that would do to the vinyl.

Hi Andrew, I use the vinyl record cleaning set, and that works fine for me.

Great video, I think a good video would be reviewing the Beatles on coloured vinyl, ive recently begun collecting all the 1978 coloured vinyl realises from France and elsewhere theres some cool variations out there

Vinyl is made of chlorine and ethylene so I found using a clean medium toothbrush, a drop of dish soap and distilled water is perfectly safe and is a great and efficient way of cleaning dirty and used vinyl. I have checked with a small microscope after scrubbing and have seen no damage only cleaner grovers and surface. Use it all the time and has really brought back some records back to life. Highly recommended method.

There is no comparison to vacuum cleaning (from the manufacturer of your choice), as long as you have a proper fluid that's made correctly, and can actually break the surface tension and get INTO the microscopic grooves (never use tap water anyway). When done right, the record is dry as soon as you're done, and ready to go. I suppose ultra-sonic cleaning is probably the only thing better, but it's out of most people's price range!

It seems using a vacuum attachment would be the best way to get dust/dirt out of record grooves. None of those brushes were able to get all of the dust out, from what I’ve seen in the video. I’ve had occasions where the stylus has stirred up dust and dirt from the grooves after a cleaning with a velvet pad and cleaning solution. I also have a Spin Clean which definitely gets my records clean as evidenced by the dirty water in the vat, but it doesn’t really get in the grooves as there’s still pops and crackles as it plays.

I learned NOT to put flour on my records😄 I use an anti stat brush before playing. If there’s too much dust I use the round car wax applicator sponge with 1/4 or less 91-99 iso alcohol to 3/4 or more distilled water . That’s it ,simple.

Great video! Call me crazy, but I clean my records with flowing lukewarm water and then dry them with a very soft cloth. This method works very well for me and I was able to improve most records to NM condition with this process. P.S. Of course it‘s difficult to keep the water from the labels, but it‘s possible😀

I use and swear by The Vinyl Vac. It is a cheap solution that uses a similar method as an expensive record cleaning machine. It is inenexpensixe, very fast, and does an excellent job IMO. Take care...

I’ve certainly seen people utilize the wood glue method, so I was curious to see your end result. You’ve certainly made a good case for it!