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

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.

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

You must be carefull with steam cleaning, the temperature should be precisely controlled. I had a few records cleaned by a pro using sequencially steam and  Audio Desk ultrasonics and then regular machine with just water, and enzyme pre-cleaner before all that. Seven step cleaning, I think. Great results. With my rig, exactly the same as using Okki Nokki RCM with Audio Intelligent three step system, double water rinsing. But I did it very thoroughly, 15-20 minutes per record. High resolution systems might show the difference, though. That kind of pro cleaning was about $6 per record, including Mo-Fi sleeves and shipping, at least. Saves a lot of time and effort if you are prepared to take a risk with shipping. I would never ship my most valuable records, others I would.

LOL

" 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?"

Are you SERIOUS? it only takes zippo lighter fluid to take excessive one off and than conventional cleaning with RCM.
zippo lighter fluid will not damage vinyl when removed soon after label repair or debris removal is done. and it’s only less than $3

1. Apply lighter fluid onto the contaminated surface
2. Wait 5...10 min
3. Remove debris with soft damp cloth or microfiber cloth
4. Apply conventional cleaning methods

Bear in mind that I handle 2...3,000 vinyl records and cleaning one individually for $6 isn’t for me who needs them cleaned sometimes hundreds daily.
I’m also too cheap to purchase $4000 ultrasonic cleaner that only washes one record per cycle. It’s only for "passengers", but I’m really driver if ya’ll know what I mean. I built mine for $300 that REALLY works.

Dave,
The max speed on the drill is near 1,000 rpm.

Half is good enough. Moreover, the drill isn't clamped to the spindle but rather have clamp completely down so it snaps onto the hex nuts and can be released right after it dials speed and let the spindle rotate free for up to 10min.

Fun process... Still haven't seen your PM to see video.