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stereo for the joy of it - can records be cleaned?

I came across a living stereo set of classical records called "Stereo for the joy of it".  It includes some very well known living stereo recordings.  The records are very dirty and it appearss as though the cellophane sleeves may have permanently damages the records.  Is their any way of cleaning these records and getting good results.  They look almost unplayed except for the dust and the cellophane damage.
tzh21y
tzh21y OP
1,654 posts
 
Can the cellphone residue or not sure if it is rice paper, brown sleeves actually be removed from the vinyl?
recordgenieusa's avatar
recordgenieusa
26 posts
 
tzh21y,

I’ve seen different sleeve materials interact differently with the record surface, some of the worst are the wiggly "contact patterns" made by some older poly sleeves that affect the surfaces of the vinyl.

If you’ve got "bits" of sleeve stuck on the record surface then obviously those need to be removed from the playing area, and I would use my VPI 16.5 cleaner to do that first, and then use an Audio Desk or Klaudio ultrasonic cleaner (or both) to clean deep into the grooves.

Otherwise, the good news is that sleeve marks/patterns are generally cosmetic and not audible, since they are only on the surface of the playback area (tops of the "lands" between grooves) and not down in the groove walls where the music is.

Having said that, while the appearance of some surface marks will be removed or reduced by thorough cleaning, other surface marks will be impossible to remove, so it’s really just a case of cleaning and seeing what happens..

Let me know if you would like me to try..
Dave
recordgenieusa's avatar
recordgenieusa
26 posts
 
czarivey,

That sounds like a novel approach to cleaning/drying!

What kind of RPM's does your "high speed" drill run at at?

Enjoy the music!
Dave
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,441 posts
 
I have a "audiophile approved" record cleaner I rarely use. I find the most effective clean is to steam clean the record. Get a hand held steamer for about 15 dollars or so, some distilled water, and steam away all the garbage. Wipe the record down with a clean microfiber cloth and you’re good to go.
recordgenieusa's avatar
recordgenieusa
26 posts
 
stringgreen,

Which "audiophile approved" record cleaner do you have?

I have a "factory mistake" record with double labels applied on one side, one of which is incorrectly positioned way off center, such that several tracks on that side can't be played - What brand/model of steam cleaner do you have, and do you think it would be suitable for the job?

If it only costs $15 and you've had success using it with your records, I would very much appreciate it if you could post a link..

Thanks,
Dave
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