End-Game RCM thoughts/advice

A quick review of Degritter shows some issues. The 120kHz frequency is very effective for fine invisible particulate 10 microns and less, but will not be very effective for larger particles or degreasing (if on the record) that is required to get to the very small particulate. The water filter being but only a simple foam is unlikely be rated 5 microns absolute necessary to remove the particles that the ultrasonic will remove, and is just too small for continuous use. Also, the use of blown air unless finely filtered may remove visible particles (~50 microns) but not the invisible that are everywhere in a home (you would be surprised as to how much which is visible with a UV blacklight), so blow dry could contaminate the record. Additionally, the cleaner antistatic coating is likely from use of a quaternary ammonium compounds that are cationic surfactants which are not compatible with anionic surfactants – a gooey precipitate forms, so their cleaner more likely contains a non-ionic surfactant which is soluble with cationic surfactants. Also, for info, the way quaternary ammonium compounds work as an antistatic is the coating absorbs moisture from the air to form a microscopic layer of water which makes the record from an ESD perspective 'dissipative' – and thus antistatic.

A one& done/push-here ultrasonic cleaning machine (UCM) currently does not really exist; all current models have some compromise. Until the ‘big-guys’ like Crest or Branson who have +25 yrs ultrasonic experience and the manufacturing capability get involved, a really effective and reliable UCM is still yet to produced, but the cost would likely be not less than $5K. Some thoughts for an effective UCM would be a sweep frequency UCM (multiple 40/80kHz even better) with a pumped 5-micron absolute particulate filter and demineralizer cartridge to maintain the water/bath, and a heated (50C/122F) high speed spin dry for the records. After cleaning, the water/bath could drain to a reservoir under the UT tank, a perforated cover would then come over (manual or auto) and then heaters would energize and a high-speed spin dry completed. A variable speed drill motor could be the record rotator for clean and then high-speed spin dry. The cleaner could be a 0.05% Tergitol 15-S-9 non-ionic solution that should pass through the filter/demineralizer and will reduce the water tension to 30 dyns/cm making the water drain/spin dry effective.

Just some thoughts. Otherwise if interested I use a manual process. VinylStack record protector, tap-water pre-rinse, 1% Liquinox pre-cleaner, tap-water rinse, 0.1% Tergitol 15-S-9 final clean, tap-water rinse, DI water spray final rinse, lint-free microfiber to blot record mostly dry, remove from VinylStack record protector place in drying rack – move to next record. I can clean/dry 6-record in ~45 min, after cleaning 6-records, the first is fully dry and ready to sleeve; life cycle cost - $0.05/record.