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Best Record Cleaning Fluid

Greetings All,

I’ve spend the last few days searching and reading about record cleaning fluids for my cleaning machine (Okki Nikki).  Wow - there are a lot of options out there.  Many more than I originally thought.  Some real esoteric stuff that costs a pretty penny.  I’m currently going through my entire collection, cleaning it, listening to it and adding it to a Discogs DB.  Want to finally know how many I have and have a list of them.  But doing this has resulted in me going through cleaning fluid rather quickly.

So many options, so many perspectives on what are the best fluids.  What do you all say.  I understand that alcohol is a no-no for fluids, but I can’t find out if some of them include alcohol or not.  Currently using up the fluid that came with the machine, but no where can I read it if has bad ingredients.

The 2-stage or 3-stage cleaning systems are not going to happen.  I did get a bottle of Revolv that I was told was good, and use if for new high quality pressings (as opposed to those I bought in high school).

Anyway, would appreciate some perspectives on good quality record cleaning fluids that don’t bust the bank.  Thanks for keeping the sarcasm in check.

Happy Listening,

pgaulke60
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voiceofvinyl's avatar
voiceofvinyl
93 posts
 

Sorry, but there are many additives used when formulating the pvc resin pellets for molding vinyl records, including plasticizers. These are not applied to the stampers, they are formulated when making the pellets for vinyl records.


Read here: https://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?t=99579


Quote: “Most of the added (non-polymer) plasticizers are solvent soluble. Studies by preservationists on PVC artifacts has shown plasticizer extraction with solvents, including alcohol (at concentrations 60% and higher) *6. Hence, it is reasonable to keep alcohol (and other solvent) concentrations as low as possible in cleaning solutions.”


mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,462 posts
 
voiceofvinyl, that is exactly the thread I commented on before. It is quoting old patent applications. None of that stuff is used in the commercial industry. Look at the comments below in that thread. It is all a big joke.
The only stuff in PVC pellets is PVC and Carbon Black. If there were other additives you would be able to find 1000 threads on line about what that stuff is and you can't because I just spent an hour looking to make sure I was not FOS. You also did not read my comment on the Tergitol.
Tergitol is an alcohol! All the record cleaning companies want you to know alcohol is bad for your records so you will buy their stuff. Don't fall for it. 
Cleeds, It is Mr Kirmuss who says that not me. Ultrasound is perfectly safe. Look at your stylus carefully from the side. If you have not bent your cantilever and your tonearm is parallel to the record your stylus vertical axis will be angled around 20 degrees with the tip pointed back towards the tonearm bearing. If it is not I would send it back and ask for a refund.
It is angled like that because that is the angle the cutting chisel makes. 
As for the pressure a stylus exerts on the record that is simple math. You just have to know the combined area of the two contact patches. Use a weight of 2 grams then just convert the whole mess into pounds per square inch. Why don't you figure it out for us. As to whether of not vinyl goes liquid at that pressure I sort of doubt it. As you suggest friction and pressure generate heat. But I know of no infrared thermometer with resolution high enough to read the contact patch of a phonograph stylus.
At any rate the vinyl recovers and the wear rate under clean conditions is pretty slow all things considered. 
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pgaulke60 OP
294 posts
 
LOL - I searched MelodyMate and received a bunch of Porn weblinks!

Back to the point...  Lots of discussion about rinsing.  It seems that rinsing is cleaning product dependent - would you agree?  Maybe it is a good idea for all cleaning, but I'm quite lazy and really don't want to go through a three step process, or having to do a rinse.

Confirmed with the Okki Nokki people that their cleaning fluid is 4% alcohol.  I'm going back to ask what kind of alcohol.  I assume that is is Isopropyl, which sounds fine from all the counsel in this post.  Then we get into splitting hairs on what the potency of the alcohol is.

You can tell I still haven't made up my mind what to purchase next.  I figure at the rate that I am spinning LPs that I need something in bulk, not the 4oz bottle product.  

Thanks to everyone chiming in!
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