record cleaning findings/puzzle


Hello Gentlemen,

I have been experimenting today with steam cleaning my records. I am looking for support of my findings.

I used 2 identical records ( as well as others ) one I cleaned with the vpi 16.5 and my homebrew 25% isopropyl(99%), 75% distilled water (pharmacy)

Steps

1.Mo-fi brush one 2-3 cycle with cleaner, vacuum 2 cycle
2.audioquest brush, distilled water rinse 2 cycle, vacuum
3.Play

(The brushes were just ones I had around, I did not pick these for any particular reason)

The other record was cleaned with the same brushes, same method, but I also used the hand held steamer during steps 1 and 2. I kept the steam on the record 2-4 inches away, for duration of scrubbing.

I assume there is a sonic print to my solution, is achohol typically bright/harsh sounding?

Between the 2, at first I found the steamed ones to sound more organic, maybe slightly rolled off in the highs, but just warmer and more detailed everywhere else except the highs.

When I play the Alcohol only, cleaned record the highs are more present/forward, and noticeable, but upon further listening I notice a lack of depth because of it. trick details.

Here's the good part:

I then switched the cleaning methods for both records ( and others as well) and the sonic footprints followed each method onto each record. I did this back and forth 3 times with this pair and four times on another single record.

I am assuming I am hearing my solution, but could the steam somehow be reacting with my brushes and maybe melting them, or leaving something I am hearing on the surface which is damping the highs. At first I thought I wrecked the records, then I started to notice the inner details in the rest of the spectrum other then the highs, and when I added my solution again, the highs came back, now sounding to strong and glaring.

Which is the real sound of this record?
Has anyone else found this too?

Thanks,
Mike
hanaleimike
Ehaller, I have birds chirping 24/7, probably not the Dawn.
Elinor, What solution are you using for your cleaning? When you steam cleaned were you using a RCM? Interesting that I am finding the opposite with the steam cleaning. What I am trying to find out is, maybe you weren't reversing the effects of the heat, but you were adding something to the surface of the record which changed the sound?
Using alcohol could leach out the plasticizers that keep a record flexible. That might be why people that use a lot of alcohol say that the records sound bright after that type of cleaning.They maybe getting harder.Google (gcaudio record cleaning)They give their opinion.[http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/recordcleaning.html]
There are no small-molecule plasticisers in the vinyl mix that "keep a record flexible" and which would be leached out by organic solvents like alcohols. This does not necessarily apply to PVC products in general, but I've never heard of such plasticisers being used in LP manufacture, and neither have any of the former fabricators I know.
Sorry Hanaleimike, I don't remember at this point what I was using to clean my records. I think it was Lloyd Walker's Prelude Cleaning System with a VPI 16.5 RCM. The Walker Prelude did not include Step 4 at the time so there was no alcohol in the regimin.