Deep Cleaning Records With Steam?

I'm not Sonofjim, but I think that there probably is some paranoia / OCD over water purity. Straight tap water will more than likely cake up the steamer depending upon your water hardness, but yes, I think reagent grade water is OTT when you consider the amount of time the water actually spends on a record.

I myself use softened / RO water straight from my own filter.

I think that the possibility of contaminants reaching the surface of records due to a hose attachment of the Perfection Steamer is minimal, concern that it is misplaced. The chances of water breaking down the elements of composite fixtures are slim at best in our lifetime, regardless of their smell. The real risk is the waters reaction the various metals in the steaming path, especially where dis-simmilar metals are in contact with water and electrons (electricity) are excited by the heat/energy. You will do no physical harm to your records by adding an attachment to your steamer. Come on, where are you science teachers that drummed this useless fact into my head over the years?

T: I certianly agree that a video is a good way to express steaming & I shall do one when my I.T. friends have the time & equipment to assist.

Readers: From the "paranoia" response I see that there is no concensus regarding leaching chemicals. I agree that maybe over-the-top for folks whom I suspect have limited collections (500 LPs or so), having little or no interest beyond the moment. But what about folks like me with 5,000 + LPs or friends that own 15,000 or more of the rarest LPs in the world. How about them? I have several friends (including me) that pay for music advisors to search the world for only the most significant recordings. The cost ranges $35 to $120 per LP to $1,100 per set US for certian recordings. Gosh, for the insidental collector paying 25 cents to a dollar per LP, frankly I would drop the thread & do what you please. But for the record collectors that oun & pay the big bucks for recordings, paying out $100,000 or more on playback equipment they express strongly to me any reservation on chemicals.

I would also suggest that if your Turntable performace is in the Mid-fi land , forget the thread and do what you want. Who cares with the exception of the fact that steaming with or without attachments is going to make a big impact on the listening experience. For the insidental record owner with a couple hundred , I understand your view. But, please understand that institutional collectors around the world have more of a stake in this because of the numbers game (100,000 + LPs).

Forgive me, but I have noticed a real gulf of opinion between Europeans who are "Green-Green" and State-Siders who are oh hum on chemical issues. I understand that I hope some posters understand they are on the oh hum side of the conversation.

I only hope that those of us that want to push the SOTA forward as far as steam cleaning regardless of numbers of LPs appreciates steaming is not for everyone, as is record care generally.

OK, for the small minority left my question remains " How do we get the chemicals removed/lowered in profile from Chinese made steaming units ?" Or do you throw caution to the wind become Oh Hum and steam w/o regard of the longer-term consequences ? Now that's the $64,000 question, pun intended. All the best.