What record cleaner is the most bang for the buck??


 

From the $3500 rigs down to the $400-$600 rigs on Amazon which have you used, and think do the best job?

peporter

I prefer ultrasonic cleaning.  Once is enough, after that take reasonable care of the cleaned records and just use a brush if necessary 

I second Spin Clean, It is a great place to start. I've recently upped my game with an ultrasonic cleaner. I modded it so it cleans 8 records at a time. I buy used vinyl from antique stores so cleaning upon arrival home is critical.

I also agree that cleaning this intensely can cause damage. Don't clean for the sake of cleaning.

My process is:

  1. Good dry clean with a carbon fiber brush followed by a velvet cleaner. Get all the dust out of the grooves. This can take some time.
  2. Ultrasonic clean. I run 30 minutes at 30C.
  3. Spin Clean. I use heated water.
  4. Pat dry with ShamWows and wipe with Spin Clean cloths
  5. Air dry
  6. Put away in anti-static sleeves. I use "Invest in Vinyl" brand sleeves, but there are plenty to choose from.

Amazon.com: VEVOR Ultrasonic Vinyl Record Cleaner 6L 40kHz

Also, as a note, when you launder the cloths you use NEVER use fabric softener!

 

I use an Allsop Orbitrac for dirty records, and an Audioquest conductive carbon fiber for light dust. Last stylus cleaner and Stylast applied with an old Discwasher SC-1 for the tip.  The whole kit for well under a century note.  No electricity and little counter space needed.  

This was my first cleaner, and I still use it as a first line of defense for particularly dirty acquisitions. A bit labor intensive, but it does a great job.

https://sleevecityusa.com/products/gem-dandy-hydraulic-record-cleaning-apparatus-mk-ii