What's the best way to clean vinyl records?


I'am getting into vinyl and have been reading about cleaning records with everything form soap and water,Wendix, expensive cleaners at $250, spin machines to machines that coast over $5000. I have about 300 to 400 records from the 70s they all need care. I'am looking for a safe way to clean records,not at a coast that doesn't make sense. What are your suggestions.
h20wings
My new regime, which I am ecstatic with, is: 2.5ml of Tergitol 15 S-3 in 1 liter
aquafina (or reagent grade water) and 1.25ml to 2.5ml of Tergitol 15 S-9 in 1
liter of the same. I keep the solutions separate and do 2 steps rather than
combine them. Two rinses after the 15 S-9 with reagent grade water or the
equivalent and just the best sound I've had with my vinyl! Oh, a VPI 16.5 for
suctioning off the solutions. But this has been a big step forward from either
the RRL, Record Doctor and the AIVS solutions I was happy with in the past.
Cheap too compared with either one although the initial outlay is about $150
for the two Tergitols and the reagent grade water. BTW, Teknova sells and
ships painlessly their reagent grade H2O. The nice thing about this combo is
you know exactly what you are putting on you records and not taking anyones'
word for the safety or effectiveness of the solutions.
@Whart - I'm using a VPI 16.5. After I vacuum the rinse from the record, I gently wipe the surface with a clean, "lint free" cloth (usually a spent white t-shirt).
Doug, have you tried Syntax's 'reverse clean' (my term, not his) ? Ultrasonic wash, then plopping on the Monks for a point nozzle dry? Extremely effective on problem records.
Whart,

Just noticed your question (a year late... not bad!).

I don't have an US machine, but the regimen you describe is exactly what I'd like to try if I had. The slowest part of my (verrry slow) regimen is the multiple solutions, soak times and vacuuming after each step. If US could replace most of those, it could be a real time saver.
Doug- the methods seem to work synergistically. I know people who swear by ultrasonic alone, but suspect that their records are already pretty immaculate and they are just going for that extra dimension in sound that comes from an ultrasonic clean. Me, on the other hand- I’m dealing with 45+ year old records that have not been properly cleaned, if at all, often seem to have some sort of sludge or other contaminant, and ultrasonic alone proved ineffective to completely remove this ’stuff’ (some of which I suspect is cigarette or cooking fumes, as well as stuff that may have been put on the vinyl at some put to give it a sheen or perhaps to reduce surface noise). In any event, I have succeeded in salvaging a number of records I would have ordinarily written off as a lost cause, some quite valuable or difficult to find. On the other hand, just using the Monks alone, which gives a very good result with few of the drawbacks of a wand machine-- deeper, more effective vacuum in my estimation, no static and far less fuss in terms of cleaning the vacuum contact area-- still seems to lack that final ’finish’ that the ultrasonic provides. And, the question i had posed to you-- better late than never-- was reversing the process by washing in US and vac drying on the point nozzle. I have been advocating a used Loricraft plus a DIY US machine for this purpose at far lower cost than the Monks + KL. (The Audio Desk doesn’t permit you to remove the record between wash and dry cycles; though you can easily do that on the current KL, the manufacturer recommends against it because it can apparently wet the electronics in the machine). There is also a less expensive Monks now which I haven’t tried.
So, DIY ultrasonic plus a point nozzle (Monks or Loricraft) can not only be more cost effective, but possibly, more effective in result.  I still use the AIVS No. 15 plus lab water on the vacuum machine side, but frankly, I get the same results on the Monks using the Hannl fluid that Syntax recommended followed by a lab water rinse. I think it has to do with the point nozzle’s effectiveness, and less to do with the fluid. But, whatever machines and fluids used on the vacuum side, it seems like the combination of methods works extremely well for me. And though I’m not terribly patient, I can get a good work-flow going; the Monks is actually quicker than you’d think, and the ultrasonic takes time too, though less labor intensive, so I’m running both machines simultaneously. Enough! You get the point. Thanks for responding.