Ultrasonic record cleaners

@chowkwan @pindac I believe you are correct to say that very clean records will prolong stylus life. One my cartridges that have cantilevers (an odd statement to some of you, I suppose) I do use an "ultrasonic" stylus cleaner - it isn't ultrasonic at all, much lower frequency, and some Last 4. But the Deccas can only withstand a stylus brush, and this is important: any liquid placed on their styli will track up inside the cartridge and dissolve the glue holding the coils in place. You do not want that to happen!

Thanks for everyone sharing their knowledge and experience in this thread. As a consequence, I have modified my ultrasonic cleaning process in several ways:

1. I extended the de-gassing cycle to the time it takes to warm up the water bath to 35 C, and I now de-gas before each use, after the device has been sitting unused for a day;

2. I added a capful of surfactant in the 6L tub (I’m using Photo Flo 200);

3. I extended the cleaning time in the warm ultrasonic bath, to approximately the time it took to de-gas and warm up the water bath;

4. I slowed the rotation of the motor to about 3 cycles per minute (this is using a low voltage adjustable DC adapter set at its lowest 3V), which is as slow as my adapter will turn the motor;

5. I added a "rinse" process: I just use a sprayer filled with distilled water to spray both sides of the LP after the ultrasonic bath.

I still use 1 oz of 91% isopropyl alcohol in the 6L of distilled water. . . and this is for the VEVOR 40kHz ultrasonic machine.

I’ll find out how much of a difference this makes from the way I used to clean, which was just throwing the LP in the warm ultrasonic bath for a few minutes at a high rotational speed, and call it a day. 

I will keep an open mind, and consider that it is possible that I'm just being obsessive over an issue that won't make much of a difference at all. . .but perhaps it may. . .my system is sensitive and detailed enough where I should be able to detect an audible difference, if there is one. . . although for most users on this forum, just a simple wash in the ultrasonic bath would probably be sufficient.

Thanks!

The use of a Jewellers Putty has been reported to me via a friend as being a very good method for cleaning Styli.

My friend is impressed to the point this is their only method used, other methods are no longer considered.

I was informed that Jewellers Putty is the same as other Styli Cleaning Putty available via HiFi Outlets, but the J' Putty will be cheaper to acquire.

If concerned about the cleaning method for a Styli, the Putty is worth a investigation. 

Drbond, my only comments on your latest routine are (1) I would replace Photoflo with Triton X100 or Tween20, because Photoflo has some additives you don’t want, and (2) one ounce of isopropanol in 6L is not going to do anything, especially at 35 degrees which will hasten its evaporation. I use a standard mix that includes 25% isopropanol/water, for one example.

Fer Gawd's sake, don't tell Fremer about jeweller's putty!