Wet Cleaning records makes things worse?


Hi guys,

I've been working my way through the record collection I inherited from my Dad - lots of fun and the records are pristine.  I usually only need to dust them with a brush and then lightly wipe them off with a microfibre to get the remnants and this seems to work well for 19 out of 20 records. 

However, when I come across a record that is particularly dusty I'll wipe it down with Pfan-Stat on a microfibre cloth.  It looks clean but when i play it, a little dust ball will build up on the needle rather quickly.  Then i need to clean the needle after each song.  It seems to only happen when I clean with Pfan-Stat.

Am I doing something wrong? Is the Pfan-Stat just loosening the dust and i need to fully remove it some other way? Is there an inexpensive way to deep clean the records even though they 'look' clean?  Would there be a benefit to this?

Thanks!!!
leemaze
I too use the Gem Dandy Hydraulic LP Cleaning System as part of my LP cleaning process. First I clean the record with the Gem Dandy system - using the Gem Dandy cleaning solution and then I wash it with tap water using the Jet Hose. I then put the record on my Pro-Ject VC-S Vacuum Record Cleaner and spray it with distilled water and brush it. Then I vacuum it dry. This procedure really does a great job!!! I have had/used an Okki Nokki, and an ultrasonic cleaning system. The Gem Dandy combined with the Pro-Ject VC-S produces the best results of all of the systems that I have tried. For info on the Gem Dandy system see - http://www.hifigem.com/hydraulic-lp-cleaning-apparatusMKII.html
After collecting records for over 40 years i have experimented with all type of cleaning solutions and cleaning devices. My previous cleaning machine was a Loricraft (pricey) the most effective record cleaning machine that I have owned until I replaced it with the George Merrill's Hydraulic Cleaning Syst. This thing is the best record cleaner devices I have ever used when combined with a Spin Clean record cleaner. Here's my record cleaning regime. Spray both sides with George's cleaning solution (use it in a well ventilated area) I spin the LP a few times  scrubbing lightly ONLY if the record is filthy let the fluid do its thing (don't let it DRY) and blast it with water as explained in the you tube tutorial. Rinse the record with distiller water in the Spin Clean record cleaner and dry. This method is cheap, fast, and extremely effective. No residues left, no potential cross contamination. works like a charm. Thanks George!

Disclaimer: I'm not in any ways or means related to GEM Dandy products
                   just a thrilled customer
                   No, no previous experience with ultrasonic machines.
Having recently started purchasing some old records from my youth I find myself in a very similar predicament. Although I clean all these with a GD and a manual wipe and rinse I still get the accumulation of dust bunnies on the stylus. Since my cartridge uses a fine line stylus I have come of the opinion that no matter what cleaning system one uses deeply embedded fine dust remains in the deepest recesses of the groove. After going thru all the hassles of cleaning the stylus after every track I found I have no more issues with dust bunnies on subsequent play. Although I'm sure it' not optimal for the stylus there is not much else I can think of to take care of this issue. This does not happen with my vynil that I've purchased new back in the day and cleaned before every play. So I think not everyone in the day cleaned their records as I did.
gillatgh
Having recently started purchasing some old records from my youth I find myself in a very similar predicament. Although I clean all these with a GD and a manual wipe and rinse I still get the accumulation of dust bunnies on the stylus. Since my cartridge uses a fine line stylus I have come of the opinion that no matter what cleaning system one uses deeply embedded fine dust remains in the deepest recesses of the groove.
If you properly and thoroughly clean a record, there won't be any dust remaining in the grooves. I use an ultrasonic cleaner and I only rarely clean my stylus. Even then, there's no visible dust - I just do it as a precaution.
I'm glad to hear that even the most affordable record cleaning machines along with their fluids, do a good job at cleaning records. I remember in the old days when people would use a Disc-Washer block/pad along with its horrible cleaning fluid to clean their records. Many would use way to much of the fluid and saturate the record grooves. The pad would take only so much of this fluid off the record. When the stuff dried, it would leave a residue that would make the grooves unbelievably noisy, and that residue was very hard to get out if not down right impossible.