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what to do before you get the vpi record cleaner?

I bought a Nottingham spacedeck and have nearly doubled my record collection to 800 in the last 2 months

problem is I am waiting to afford a VPI record cleaner

snap crackle and pop are having fun on my vinyl collection

I am using a decca (dry method) stylus brush
and stylast on the cartridge (with ultrasonic battery operated stylus cleaner)

any suggestions to clean records before I get the expensive cleaner? I don't want to engrain the dirty records (the flea market variety) by playing them and I don't want to destroy my expensive audiophile pressings (Japanese and MSFL)

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

thanks

Tom
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twl
3,251 posts
 
You can also use the kitchen sink, or Disc Doctor stuff. They will do a good job while you are waiting. The only real big difference is the vacuum system for removing the fluid.
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ncarv
983 posts
 
I have a VPI and Disc Doctor stuff. The Disc Doctor stuff works just as good, maybe even better than the VPI. Twl is right -- the only real difference is drying. With Disc Doctor, you let them dry in a dish rack (really! ask the Disc Doctor himself!). It's just more labor intensive than the VPI.
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ncarv
983 posts
 
Another simple option is Orbitrac. I think it's sold by Music Direct (amusicdirect.com)
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rushton
2,445 posts
 
Use Disc Doctor, http://discdoc.com/.

I've been committed user and fan of the VPI 17 for well over a decade and have used it to clean thousands of records. This past summer I had a chance to try the Disc Doctor cleaning process, and I was totally blown away by the significantly improved results with Disc Doctor. Now I use Disc Doctor and the VPI handles only the rinse and vacuum as I gradually work back through cleaning my record collection with DD. I never thought this is where I would end up on this topic; I wouldn't have believed the difference if I hadn't tried it.
rlxl
92 posts
 
I add my second to the recommendations for the Disc Doctor and/or the kitchen sink. Also I have found that a standard power puff---a face powder applicator found in the cosmetic section of your local drug store---works well for the application of cleaning liquid and the scrubbing part of the cleaning process. After the scrubbing, a good rinse under the kitchen facuet removes most of the snap, crackle, and pop stuff. Then, if you're worried about the mineral residue left over from the tap water, you can rinse with purified water.
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