What is the best way to clean Vinyl?

@jjbeason14

Sorry to hear your frustration with record cleaning.

Surface noice is very dependent on your turntable, this is the primary determinate of surface noise. If you have a high end turntable, tone arm and cartridge… you are not going to hear them much. That is the first defense against noise. I have a very good system. Noise is almost non-existent. For me, it would be silly not to have a relatively  good cleaning machine… so, I own the Nessie.

First of all, cleaning and maintaining vinyl is like all of high end audio… it cost money. A basic quality cleaning machine is going to cost at least a couple thousand plus or minus. I own a Nessie… around $3K. It does a very good job, but about 5% of albums do not get rid of the pops and crackles. I have always wondered if a ultrasonic would clean these… not sure… but I am ok with tossing 5% or living with a little poping.

What you hear is dependent on your TT, tone arm, cartridge and cleaning machine. I have a $50K analog end including cleaning machine… pops and crackles are basically non existent on my 2,000 album collection.

My point is that the sound you get is the result of all your analog components and pops and crackles are not just cleaning. I don’t remember if you showed your system, but until you get into a high end turntable noise is a problem and record cleaning is also cost dependent.

Thanks ghd!

I've got a Technics 1500C Turntable.

TIA

I've also got a mid 80's Denon 50 watt reciever. Not sure how relevant that is.

I've got good cables both speaker and rca's as well.

Dear @antinn I greatly appreciate for sharing your knowledge and your experise and I would like to kindly ask you about rinsing with tap water.

I'm currently using a Pro-ject VC-E RCM and recently I was provided by a friend from US a small bottle of Tergikleen and I'm very satisfield with the cleaning job it does. I would prefer to use Tergitol but unfortunately it is not easy to find it in Europe.

Tergikleen manufacturer recommends a very good water rinse after the application of the product and I'm not sure if I'm doing it properly using a spay bottle of DIW that I apply with a make-up brush and then I vacuum. I suppose that a good rinse means several cycles, but not sure how much is enough...

My question is what if after the application of Tergikleen I rinse the record with tap water under the tap, then vacum and finally rinse again with DIW and vacuum again?
The water hardness in my area is 137 mg/lt which is considered as soft.  

Do you think adding this tap water rinse cycle in my process I risk of leaving mineral deposits behind?

Thank you for your advice! 

"until you get into a high end turntable noise is a problem and record cleaning is also cost dependent"

my experience is different. I have the cheapest system and with clean or new vinyl, I hear absolutely 0 noise, hiss or pop.