Cleaning records. How often really?

ct0517- for my next room, I’m seriously considering a whole house active filtration system that installs as part of the HVAC. We had one in our previous house- I’m sure that the technology has improved since then. I have none in this house, but even with the air conditioning off, the listening room isolated from the rest of the house, windows never open, no pets in room, no "traffic" other than me and the occasional guest, no shoes, etc., the dust is a constant. We live "in the country" along the Hudson River 25 miles or so north of Manhattan- perhaps not as pristine as some parts of the country due to air-borne pollution, but pretty clean, green, quiet and low density here. Also very little vehicle traffic on my road. I’m fastidious in maintaining a ’clean’ room within reason (not a "clean room" in the technical sense) and I find that at best, I am moving the dust around, it is impossible to eliminate. 

I did mention contaminats getting on the records, but we should not be too obsessive about it. Just don't examine your records and other things with forensic blue light, if you do everything will look terrible.

I rarely find it necessary to clean LPs. Usually a dust brush right at the time of play is sufficient.

FWIW I also don't experience a lot in the way of surface noise. The phono equalizer (preamp) can exacerbate surface noise if the preamp is unstable. My preamp employs passive EQ, which helps a preamp be more stable, and even though bandwidth is unaffected, surface noise is obviously reduced.

So its rare that I have to clean an LP.

Atmasphere - FWIW I also don’t experience a lot in the way of surface noise. The phono equalizer (preamp) can exacerbate surface noise if the preamp is unstable.

Vinyl would be no fun with noise. But noise is also relative. One thing for sure, those that are older and had a stash of records before CD came in are more conditioned to deal with the noises issues and fix them to levels acceptable to them. Those younger that only knew digital first - have very little patience. I agree, and believe there are some, re-cleaning, clean records that are noisy not due to the lp’s fault itself entirely, but due to some anomaly that is happening in the way the LP is being played, the signal sent to pre/amp/phono, and on to the amp/speakers. This would be evidenced IMO by a person saying, I think something similar was said on this thread too :^) ;  "I cleaned the record over again - my whole routine, and nothing changed". This tells me the cleaning process, or something in the signal chain need to be looked at.  

My records are quiet. Many rival digital with the lead in, and between grooves. I am running a straight shot of unshielded phono wire. I am confident through my trials with other gear over the years, and in speaking with the person that makes my looms, and his experiences with his other customers; that the isolation afforded by the design of the TT, Tonearm, and the quality of my pre/phono is what allows this to happen.

I knew someone who thought his surface noise was made worse by improper grounding, so he tried grounding the TT to his very sturdy house cold water supply pipe. Surface noise multiplied. That experiment didn’t last long.

Whart - I’m fastidious in maintaining a ’clean’ room within reason (not a "clean room" in the technical sense) and I find that at best, I am moving the dust around, it is impossible to eliminate.

I agree Whart and I am about the same I guess, within reason. I also cannot imagine someone being OCD over dust and being involved with vinyl. I recall someone on the forums mentioning that he was building his own turntable, but that he had this thing (problem) with dust. Didn’t make any sense. I am very sensitive to cleaning around the cartridge, having beheaded an XV1’s cantilever years ago. An isolated incident 20 feet from the TT; but what can happen if you’re not careful.... still makes me shudder a bit.

Seems that we all have a cure for dirty records.  I use an Audio Technica brush and make my own cleaning fluid.  I got the recipe from the December 1996 Stereophile.  I clean every time I play.  I have no ticks, clicks, or pops.  In fact I can't remember the last time I heard a click or pop from my LP's.  They're very quite.  

I make the formula in gallons, bottle it and give it away as gifts to other audio nuts like myself.  If you can't find the Stereophile issue email me and I will send you a copy.

Best,
Norman