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The "Very Best Record Cleaning Formulation"

The "Very Best Record Cleaning Formulation"

 

I am providing this formulation for all who are interested in the very best, and can be proven and demonstrated to be the "Very Best". It can easily be made from available ingredients. On the surface, it appears to be very simple. However, it is based on extensive complex chemistry along with precise mathematical calculations and verifiable data.

 

You may use it with absolute confidence and be truly assured that it is beyond doubt the "Very Best". You may use it for your personal needs. Or, archival entities may use it for their purposes with confidence. Or, you may choose to start an enterprise that makes and packages quantities as either a "ready-to-use" or a "Semi-concentrated" version for sale and distribution knowing that nothing better exists. You have my blessings and encouragement with one condition. And, that is, that the pricing represents a "fair margin", and, not an obscene gouging, typical for such products.

 

Initially, I had prepared a presentation that briefly introduced myself, and provided the thought processes, design parameters, and the necessary basics of chemistry, physics, and mathematics to assure you and allow you to be absolutely confident in this formulation. I made a considerable effort to keep it as simple, but, also as thorough enough to achieve this confidence. However, that presentation entailed 5,239 words, typical of such a requirement, however, unacceptable in length by this website forum.

 

I have no option other than to offer the formulation as a 100% parts by weight version suitable to produce 1 Kilogram of the cleaner, and, invite you to question me about any aspect of the formulation.

 

Professionally, I am a Chemist, more specifically a Polyurethane Chemist. I have a Doctorate in Chemistry as well as two other Doctorates and a M.B.A.. I held prominent positions in significant corporations before being encouraged to start our (wife and I) manufacturing facility servicing those I previously worked for. We started, owned, and fully operated this business. We eventually obtained 85+% Market Share in our sector in Medical, Automotive, Sporting Goods, and Footwear areas before retirement.

 

The Audio Industry is extremely technical and many brilliant minds have contributed their talents over the decades in order that we may enjoy music today as we choose. Like many other technical industries, those of lesser minds and values invade the arena with their "magical" inspired revelations and offer their "magical" ingredients and items to all at extremely high prices. They promise that if only we are willing to part with our money - they can provide these items to you that make your audio system sound as if the orchestra, or vocalist, is in your room with you. And, after all, "magical items" must be expensive, otherwise, they would not be "magical".

 

This disturbs me enormously, and, it is for such reasons, I feel compelled to provide realistic and truthful information that conforms to basic Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematical Principals in those areas with which I am very knowledgeable and familiar.

 

          "Ultimate Record Cleaner Solution"

 

   Ingredient                                          Amount by Weight (Grams)

 

Distilled Water                                     779.962

 

Ethyl Alcohol                                       220.000

 

Tergitol 15-S-7 (Dow Chemical)            0.038  (Approx. = 2 Drops)

                                                         1,000.000

 

Important and/or Relevant Criteria

 

1.)  Distilled Water ONLY. Do not use deionized, tap, rain, or spring water. Distilled Water is readily available in most grocery stores. Check labeling to be certain that it is distilled and not deionized. The pricing is comparable.

 

2.)  Ethanol must be purchased at a "Liquor Store" or a "Liquor Control Board" that is suitable for human consumption, and the appropriate taxes must be paid. This assures that the alcohol consists of only Ethyl Alcohol and water. You need to purchase the 95+% version, also known as 180+ Proof. NOTHING ELSE is acceptable. (100% Ethyl Alcohol is not available under "normal" circumstances). Denatured alcohol from a Hardware Store or elsewhere is PROHIBITED, as well as ANY other alcohols.

 

3.)  Tergitol 15-S-7 is made by Dow and is available on the internet in small quantities from Laboratory Supply Houses such as Fisher and Advance, etc.. I have no affiliations with either Dow Chemical, or Fisher, or Advance. You MUST use Tergitol 15-S-7 ONLY. No other Tergitol product is acceptable for this designed formula, and you need to acquire the undiluted form only.

 

4.)  The above cleaner formula will result in a non-foaming (VLF) Surfactant Formulation that exhibits the following:

            Surface Tension of 28.5 dynes/centimeter @ 20 C. (68.0 F.)

            Surface Tension of 28.2 dynes/centimeter @ 25 C. (77.0 F.)

 

5.). A Surface Tension of 28.5 dynes/centimeter is Remarkable and will properly clean records of all organic soilings, and all oily substances, as well as very significant amounts of inorganic soilings.  This available Surface Tension coupled with the Azeotropic Characteristics of very rapid evaporation and spotless drying occur because of the selection of Ethyl Alcohol and the very specific concentration determined as 22.00% p.b.w., further improves the products abilities.  The "Ease-of-Use" and "Spot-Free" results are to be accepted.

 

6.). Be aware that an "ideal temperature of use" also exists for this formulation.  And, that reasonable temperature is 40 C. (104.0 F.). Further increases in temperature offers no improvement, therefore, confirming the proper use of the term "ideal". I mention this not because of of any substantial improvement, but, only to be aware of its’ existence. And, if you have a choice to utilize a room that is warmer than another, select the warmer room closer to 104.0 F. There is no need to elevate the temperature of the records or the materials. Simply be aware that 104.0 F. Is ideal.

 

If interest is expressed in this submission, I am willing to provide additional submissions regarding other materials, and, other areas of interest.  Such as"Best Contact Substance", "Best lubricants for turntables", " Better Dampening Materials" for turntables and tonearms, and, most significantly, "Best" material for "Turntable Platter/Vinyl Record Interface" usually called "Record Mats". The last item will certainly disturb many individuals and anger many suppliers.

 

Whatever I may contribute is substantiated by Science and Testing, and Verifiable. Science has no Opinions. Opinions in these matters are best reserved for those who rely on their imagination and wishful thinking.

 

Also, I have no vested interests in this Industry. Simply possess some scientific knowledge that also relates to some aspects of the Audio Area, and I am willing to share that information if requested!

128x128wizzzard
lewm
12,487 posts
 

Dear wizzzard, while I agree that you did hint that the reason not to use IPA has to do with its capacity to damage vinyl, my point in rehashing the issue is simply to learn the mechanism by which e.g. 25% IPA might damage vinyl, because I can find no relevant info on line. You never did get around to specifying the nature of the danger.

I mention this next item because it sticks in my craw; it was not I who incorrectly claimed the stylus pressure on vinyl is only 300 lbs/sq inch. And I’m perfectly capable of calculating the correct value, if I cared to do so. Finally, thanks for correcting me; ethanol doesn’t evaporate, it’s hygroscopic. But the difference is moot if you need a 70% solution in water to be stable. And before I’m misunderstood, that was to precipitate nucleic acids, not to clean vinyl.

Ag insider logo xs@2x
cleeds
5,653 posts
 
lewm

... you did hint that the reason not to use IPA has to do with its capacity to damage vinyl, my point in rehashing the issue is simply to learn the mechanism by which e.g. 25% IPA might damage vinyl ...

That seems like a fair thing to ask.

I would think that the best approach to cleaning LPs is: First do no harm. And that's why I ask: What are the contaminants on the LPs that you are trying to clean? If whatever has soiled them is water soluble, then an ultrasonic cleaning using only distilled water might be the best method.

I'm confounded that this observation so frustrates @wizzzard. I'm reasonably certain that some dirty LPs do require a solvent such as alcohol to get them clean, so my alcohol-free process doesn't really threaten his claim to having developed the, "Very Best Record Cleaning Formulation."

dogberry
561 posts
 

In the UK the saying is that 'there are many ways to kill a cat.' I find that the cat gets skinned when the same sentiment is expressed here in north America (superficially that sounds kinder, but one hopes the cat was killed prior to skinning.😕)

The point is that one can clean a record in many ways, although maybe one is the very best (from a certain point of view: speed, expense, effort, and of course, results). As well as consideration of the solvent/detergent solution used, there are mechanical factors to consider. Hand vs. machine brushing, and with which kind of brush? Or ultrasonic agitation? Or a combination of two of those, or even all three?

I see people saying ultrasonic cleaning is a fad, and I think to myself, you haven't tried it yet. Surely, thorough mechanical cleaning, by hand or machine, can be very good. Accepting that, why dismiss the possibility that ultrasonic cleaning offers nothing beyond a fashion? I've been playing vinyl a long time, and discovered early that cleaning records was a huge (and cheap) upgrade. Hand washing, vacuum machines, point-source vacuum machines and ultrasonic all tried. They all work, and some better than others. I've settled on the point-source Loricraft followed by a Degritter. This results in nearly all records coming out silent, save for any with a scratch. I have experimented with solutions, and have settled on a homebrew mix of distilled water, ethanol and either PhotoFlo or L'Art du Son as the detergent in the Loricraft. I can't really say I can hear a difference when the Degritter fluid is used or pure distilled water in the second stage, but remember that comes after the Loricraft so most of the crud is already gone. Either way, the fraction of silent records is higher with the ultrasonic following the mechanical cleaning. Once everything has been cleaned, I expect (supposition: unproven) that the Degritter alone will refresh them to as quiet as they can be. I have not yet got to the point where I think any disk needs re-cleaning. I read of many people deciding that ultrasonic alone is as good as they need, but given how good the Loricraft alone is, I see it as useful even if just to keep the greater part of the dirt out of the Degritter tank, which gets re-used for several records. It also makes an easy way for me to do a DW rinse and dry if I have used Degritter fluid in that machine.

I guess my only message here is that one should not dismiss ultrasonic cleaning as a fad. It does add something to even the best vacuum machines, and many say it does a creditable job alone. Is there any theoretical reason why this should not be so? The cavitation bubbles, for example, from a 120KHz transducer are far smaller than the tips of any exotic record cleaning brush.

lewm
12,487 posts
 

As I hoped to convey, I have no problem with Wizzzard's recommended approach, but it does differ from what I have been doing for at least 20 years, in that his formula uses ethanol, and I've been using isopropanol, specifically lab grade 98% isopropanol diluted to a final concentration of ~25% (v/v) in deionized, distilled water.  I add Triton X100, but I have no allegiance to that particular nonionic detergent; it was the most common reagent in my lab, used for fractionating mammalian cells, back in the day.  We had more esoteric NIDs on hand but only for specialized procedures.  Over all this time, I have detected no damage to any LP that could be ascribed to my wash solution, but we all know that we are very good at kidding ourselves on issues such as that one.  If you do a search on isopropanol (or 2-propanol) for cleaning vinyl, there are many conflicting opinions but none of them is accompanied by any related facts regarding the interaction of IPA with vinyl.  Maybe Wizzzard can provide some, since he deems IPA to be potentially harmful.

thecarpathian
4,169 posts
 

Question:

After how many plays do you guys rewash  your albums?

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