Best Temporary Record Cleaning Options

Doug: I can only tell you this: I had records cleaned professionally on a Monks using Nitty Gritty fluid just before I purchased my EV1. Recleaning the Monks cleaned records on the EV1 (with my Filter Queen vac) with RRL, followed by a lab grade water rinse (yeah, I know the RRL doesn't need a rinse) yielded a much better sounding record. Could be a number of things: residue from the Nitty Gritty fluid, a "quickie" job done by whoever did the Monks cleaning at the record store, etc. etc. And I am pretty finicky about the way I clean with the KAB, so maybe it's just the extra time I put into it. This was with relatively clean records; the Monnks/Loricraft may do better with really grimey records, but the KAB/RRL combo, combined with the Nitty Gritty fluid in between (the alcohol in the Nitty Gritty cuts through grime, fingerprints better) does very well even on really digustingly dirty records.

the best thing I've found for under $50 is a can of primier record cleaner and a carbon fibre brush. See amusicdirect.com for more info...

Of course my VPI does a better job with RRL fluids...but given your criteria...this is a great option.

Hdm,
We obviously agree on the main points for the Maineiac: RRL works very well and vacuuming is essential.

That KM/NG comparison was not meaningful. Try applying your argument to this (logically identical) experiment:
1. clean a record on the NG
2. clean the same record again on the NG
Observation: the record gets cleaner (happens all the time)

By your argument we would conclude that the NG works better than the NG, a logical absurdity. A more logical conclusion would be that two cleanings are better than one.

The fact that different cleaning fluids were used renders all conclusions meaningless anyway. No one can say with any confidence which variable was responsible for the results.

Valid points, Doug, and as I stated above, there are many variables. Choice of fluids is obviously critical and we are much more in agreement than disagreement as you say. The fact that the KAB/decent vacuum/RRL combo can improve upon the Monks/Nitty Gritty combo even on a comparative basis on a 2nd/following cleaning at about 1/25th of the price is pretty impressive though and the main point I was trying to make. I think that many would say that the Keith Monks, for $5,000 with just about any decent fluid should not leave anything behind for the $159 KAB to pick up on a 2nd cleaning. I've had the opportunity to pick up a used Monks at a very reasonable price, but based on my experiences, just don't have the interest in doing so.

I'll vouch for the DIY RCM. I built mine a few years ago (there's a picture under my system) with the intent of one day buying a really good. I still have my $50 plywood/Hoover RCM but I still say that someday I'll spring for a Loricraft or Monk. Kurt_tank is right on. Mine is noisy and somewhat labor intensive, but it does a really good job. Like DougDeacon posted, the vaccuming really makes a difference and you can get good results with a small shop vac that has good suction. But don't discount the work that a good brush does, such as the Audioquest and the Mobile Fidelity. I'm also a believer in RRL and AIVS cleaning solutions.