"Cleaning" Vinyl Makes It Worse Not Better!


I"m using a spray 'advanced vinyl record cleaning solution' with a cleaning cloth.

It creates GUNK in the grooves which can be fixed by cleaning the needle 5-7 times during playing one side..  It gets into the grooves and fixes the problem.  I'd rather find a better way to clean the discs. Sounds dumb, I know. 

What am I doing wrong?

Please Help!!

klimt

Ill be checking some of the links posted here. But basically, any product you use, should get an proper rinse after, in case any of the cleaning chemicals are left behind. You need to first use a tool that will clean it properly, then rinse. I use an Okki Nokki at the moment, but I want to try the Humminguru in the future and keep the Okki Nokki to rinse clean it after (if necessary - to be tested)

@reubent 

I use a similar unit & Spin Clean Rinse Afterwards as well and achieved excellent results. Allows you to pick up some gems from the dollar racks as long as there’s no scratches through to the groove. Scuffs are ok though… I’ve gotten to the point I can instantly determine whether a record can be salvaged or not… Picked up quite a few GREAT LP’s for sure.

I’ve cleaned over 1000 LP’s …A word of warning using these types of ultrasonic cleaners…WATCH YOUR WATER TEMPERATURE…as I’ve had many a record warp from the water getting too warm.

 

Oh yeah, I forgot, I'm gonna add the little bit of Jet Dry Rinse to the spinner tank with the Distilled Water next time. I was putting it in with the cleaning fluid.

Like most things in audiophile land, it all comes down to how much you want to spend.  Want easy, no fuss and effective?  Get the Degritter Mark II.  Want a more inexpensive alternative that will be just as effective but more laborious?  Fashion a system of your choice from CleanerVinyl.com or consider the contraption(s) suggested by reubent.  Improvements on the latter two ideas would be using an Elmasonic P60H US cleaner instead of a basic 40 Hz US machine and doing a final rinse in only distilled water with a Spin-Clean or Knosti Disco Anti-Stat.  Of course, there are very effective and minimal cost manual methods to consider, as well, but that's as labor intensive as it gets.  For cleaning solutions, however, that is a whole other dialogue!  Think Tergitol, maybe Liquinox but, by all means, listen to what viridian is telling you!  Not an easy read but worth the effort and then some!