Do I need a machine to clean ?

I think that making your own record cleaning machine is one of the most cost effective DIY tweaks you can do if you're a vinyl lover. A basic record cleaning machine is just a vacume. Application and spreading of fluid can be done just as effectively by hand. I was amazed at how effective my home-made record vac is for cleaning. Search the archives for "record cleaning" on this site and also audio asylum and the internet and you will find several descriptions of DIY record vacs that will cost next to nothing and clean with the best of the commercial models

Here is a DIY record cleaning machine...

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I tried lots of methods for cleaning LPs before I bought a SOTA LPC. The other methods worked okay, but the LPC is much better and easier to use.

The only other thing a true audiophile could want is a racoon!

If you don't mind the extra elbow grease and a bit more noise and you're handy, definitely build your own vaccum cleaner.

Now that we have central vaccum I cannibalized my wife's old Hoover upright. Then I used some scrap cabinet plywood and mounted the motor and hose outlet to a platform that is roughly 12" x 16". From there it was easy to build the sides and completely enclose everything. I used my bandsaw to spin some circles out of MDF for the platter and a label cover that is used to spin the record. A trip to Home Depot to get the lazy susan bearing and a dowel for the spindel. Then I modified one of the hose attachements with a slit down the length and lined both sides with velvet. The whole thing cost me about $40.

I do use a VPI replacement brush for a 16.5 cleaner to scrub with, Record Research cleaners and the little disposable VPI brushes as applicators.

I can't say that this works as good as a commercial cleaner but it has made a big improvement in my analog enjoyment.

Question: Are any of these machines practical or versatile anough so as to clean one record at a time or do they make sens, economiquelly or otherwise, only when a series of record need to be clean at one time ?