srafi, the possible solutions to your problem with surface noise have been mentioned in previous posts but I think were lost in the bickering that ensued. Here are my thoughts on things to try...
First off, I'm going to assume that your Clearaudio Smart Matrix is doing a good job of actually washing an LP and not just wicking the cleaning solution around the LP surface. And, the brush is clean and not contaminated with gunk and merely re-depositing it on the LP surface.
That said, I'd try using a cleaning solution and rinse that are specifically formulated for a vacuum record cleaner and abandon using the Spin Clean solution. It's formulated for more of a one-step approach to record cleaning. There are many fine products available (not sure about your Clearaudio mix) but I have been using Mobile Fidelity (MoFi) cleaning and rinsing solutions for years and they work very well, specifically, Super Record Wash and Pure Record Rinse. A quart bottle of each solution will clean hundreds of records if the solutions are used judiciously. An amount equal to a small pool of solution about the size of a dime is sufficient to clean/rinse each side. You could use standard distilled water for the rinse but I've found that the Pure Record Rinse works to remove (nearly) all traces of solution so the result is a very quiet record.
Secondly, if the Smart Matrix isn't doing a good job of vacuuming up the cleaning solution and the rinse, you'll hear residual deposits of groove gunk when you play a record. Make sure you're getting a good seal between the vacuum wand and the record and that there's sufficient vacuum suction to completely dry the surface of the LP with no more than two rotations. I twice vacuum each side of an LP with my RCM; once clockwise and once counter-clockwise. No problems with static charge build-up.
Thirdly, for really dirty used albums I first brush off the worst of the dirt using a felt brush and a mix of Super Record Wash, distilled water, and alcohol. Then I use MoFi Super Deep Cleaner solution and sometimes the MoFi Plus Enzyme Cleaner for stubborn grease and gunk. And I may rinse twice just to be sure I get all the residual gunk off the record.
Good luck and may you find a method that works. You shouldn't be hearing lots of surface noise using a vacuum RCM. The results should be "dead" quiet if everything is working as it should.
Regards,
Tom
