Fluids....

       I've been trusting LAST Factory products, for maintaining styluses and vinyl, since the very early 80's.

       Using their LAST RCM Fluid, with my VPI 16.5, hasn't reduced my trust in the least.   Seems to do an excellent job and leaves nothing behind (that I can discern).

       I would have stuck with VPI's Concentrate, but for having to find water that's clean/deionized enough for the purpose (trust issues and lazy, I suppose).     VPI's stuff seemed to work well, in both my first VPI HW-16 and the 16.5.

       My applying Last Record Preservative, soon as the vinyl's side is dry, might be considered a, "second step".

       "Rice paper" inner sleeves, of course.

Walker Enzyme. You can use the full Walker 4 step, or whatever you want for the first step but then use the Enzyme and rinse. Or if your records are already clean then just the Enzyme. But however you do it just use the Enzyme. Buy the refill instead of the kit and save a lot.

AIVS  n°6 and L’Art du Son. Easy to use and very effective. L’Art du Son needs 2 minutes rest on the record before drying. Walker at least 3 minutes. Fir the very dirty records, 3 steps AIVS. The 4 steps Walker is very effective too but it seems to raise the minds a bit. 

That’s only my experience. 

Over the last 6 weeks I've been listening/comparing 3 different fluids. VPI, L'Art du Son and Monks discOvery. While all did a good job I felt the discOvery was clearly better in that I heard less ticks and got a blacker background. This wasn't done very scientificly but would do side A of an LP with one fluid then side B with another and repeated this process. My listening notes were always consistent and the discOvery always came out first. Just one persons perspective.

It’s make my own using alcohol, water, simple green, and alconox (liquinox) then clean using the Gem Dandy. It’s amazing and powerful but makes a mess :)