Now using Spin Clean cloths for drying...


I've used my trusty VPI 16.5 for roughly 35 years. I have been using the following process below for roughly 10 years...1) wet clean with Audio Intelligent #15, which does require a distilled (or other pure) water Rinse process. I use separate wet brushes.. one dedicated for the #15, and another for the H20. As the thread title hints upon, I'm no longer vacuuming, Sidenote: When I was vacuuming, I used separate VAC arm tubes for the #15 and water. I would say a couple of years ago, I just stopped the Vac drying in favor of the Spin Clean Cloths. The SC Cloths are very much like an old fashioned cloth baby diaper. I'd like to seek out opinions to see what my fellow Audiogon members think of this. My take is: I see this as a positive, as it eliminates the static (noise/pops/clicks) that the Vac process seems to promote. I use a dedicated bin of cloths for drying the #15, and then another to dry the distilled H20. I realized after a very short period, that the SC Cloths should be used only once. So after a single use, they get laundered with the all natural type laundry detergent.

 

fjn04

Oh ok...so the Vacuum does the best job. I wonder if I'm the only one who owns a Vac Cleaning Machine who cloth dries. I watched a You Tube reviewer do a system tour the other day. I can't recall his name, but apparently he reviews for AUDIOPHILIA. He said he generally cleans his Stylus only one way. That is with a drop of Distilled water on a standard cleaning brush. If traces of distilled water are bad for a Stylus, I suppose this isn't the greatest of ideas either. As far as my Stylus goes, I've become very of the Leave It Alone School, and keep my LP's as clean as possible. I will not play an LP without cleaning it, a practice I'm sure others here share. Hmmm...

Dear @mijostyn  : "  It removes the most fluid from deep in the groove.  "

 

Deep in the groove? yes but please let me know which cartroidge stylus tip goes " deep in the groove ".

Again, best groove cleaner is the stylus tip that must be cleaned with the Lyra solution formulated in specific for that purpose with out damage the stylus/cantilever.

 

R.

@rauliruegas , The stylus does not go to the bottom of the groove. It does go deeper than the cloth is capable of drying because I have watched the water pile up behind the stylus.  Anything you drag across the groove is going to pick up debris. I personally would rather that it was not my stylus doing the cleaning.

Do you know what Lyra Stylus Cleaner costs? $60 for a tiny little bottle. Shoot, Clearaudio sells a bottle twice the size for 1/2 the money and you still even get a brush. 

I have a brand new high power photomicroscope coming!!! (Wallyscope) I will be able to take before and after pictures of styluses and nose hairs. This one is good enough to see stylus wear. I am going to make a designer record cleaning solution for machines with vacuum drying. I stumbled into an interesting discovery which needs more study. This could be my retirement gig:-)