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Best Record Cleaning Fluid

Greetings All,

I’ve spend the last few days searching and reading about record cleaning fluids for my cleaning machine (Okki Nikki).  Wow - there are a lot of options out there.  Many more than I originally thought.  Some real esoteric stuff that costs a pretty penny.  I’m currently going through my entire collection, cleaning it, listening to it and adding it to a Discogs DB.  Want to finally know how many I have and have a list of them.  But doing this has resulted in me going through cleaning fluid rather quickly.

So many options, so many perspectives on what are the best fluids.  What do you all say.  I understand that alcohol is a no-no for fluids, but I can’t find out if some of them include alcohol or not.  Currently using up the fluid that came with the machine, but no where can I read it if has bad ingredients.

The 2-stage or 3-stage cleaning systems are not going to happen.  I did get a bottle of Revolv that I was told was good, and use if for new high quality pressings (as opposed to those I bought in high school).

Anyway, would appreciate some perspectives on good quality record cleaning fluids that don’t bust the bank.  Thanks for keeping the sarcasm in check.

Happy Listening,

pgaulke60
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 
Thanx for the explanation ljergens. Obviously I was wrong. I believe during the stamping process PVC temperatures reach 300 F. Carbon Black is obviously added to all black records and I have read that it contains lead which acts as a stabilizer.Medical PVC has the phthalate DEHP in it which has been studies intensively for side effects in animals. I believe phthalates are the most common plasticizers but I can not find any mention of them being added to PVC for records. The PVC for records comes in bags of pellets that are premixed with carbon black and whatever else is in there. I am trying to find out who supplies the pellets to firm up the list of compounds added to the PVC and their concentrations. The next question is will Isopropyl alcohol damage records. I believe this is a myth. I have an old record sitting in a tub of 91% isopropyl alcohol now. It has been in it for 3 days.  
Very creative Terry9. At least you know what is in there unlike all the audiophile stuff. 
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 
I just opened a conversation with ThermoFisher Scientific. They are a materials science firm. Perhaps they can let us know how record PVC is formulated.
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 
Here is an interesting and non committed article I found. I love the bit about isopropyl alcohol evaporating too fast. That is why we use it in solution with distilled water. You can adjust the vapor pressure by adjusting the concentration of the alcohol. For cleaning car windows I use 75% isopropyl in distilled water. It cleans great and dries fast. For records I use 25% isopropyl in distilled water. It dries a bit slower. There is no residue in medical grade alcohol and there should not be any in distilled water. I filled a sparkling clean wine glass with the 25% mixture and let it evaporate. The glass was just as clean afterwards so there is no visible residue. 
barkeyzee1
41 posts
 

For used records that I purchase, I use running warm water, a few drops of dish soap, and a nylon bristle paint brush. I hold the record at an angle under the water when wetting / rinsing it, as to not purposefully get the label wet (if I do get it wet, I quickly dry it off). I use the brush to work the water / soap into the groove, brushing in a circular motion in the direction of the grooves. Once I'm finished washing / rinsing, I used compressed air to blow out / off any residual water. Works well.

For incidental record cleaning I use a 75% / 25% mixture of IPA and distilled water in a spray bottle. I keep 2 premium car polishing cloths in a zip lock bag, I use these cloths to lay the record down onto and to wipe the record down.

I have also tried disposable eye-glass cleaning wipes. They are sold by the box, and contain individually sealed / moistened wipes (contents differ by manufacturer, but most of them are a Isopropyl Alcohol / water mixture). I typically wipe a single record and dispose of it.

So many opinions and individual techniques out there, these are the ones that I feel have worked best for me over time, with no noticeable negative effects to my vinyl.

Ag insider logo xs@2x
cleeds
6,036 posts
 
mijostyn
Obviously I was wrong ... Carbon Black is obviously added to all black records and I have read that it contains lead which acts as a stabilizer ...
You really need to start relying on facts rather than speculation, because this claim is also completely mistaken. MFSL's "SuperVinyl" uses a carbonless die, for example, and it's likely MFSL is not the only one doing this.
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