Can I clean my records manually?

tbg i have to say you might be wrong on your "but not well",statement, i have been cleaning manually for well, a long time and after a lot of records bought by well respected folks who use a auto type cleaner, i have not yet had one lp sound better than those i have cleaned manually, its like every thing else in our world today, easy is better, and thats not all the time true, anyway as long as we get the lps clean thats all that matters, long live our musical hobby and beatles on sunday,

Stltrains, I think there are great variations among the record cleaning machines also. I used a Nitty Griddy and later a VPI which I used for years. Then while stuck in the UK after 911, I heard and bought the Loricraft. I think the vacuum around a clean string beats anything I have ever tried.

I have always found that using it on records cleaned on other machines or manually results in a great improvement. Yes, there are cheaper ways that do substantially improve record performance. Then there is the question of which fluids to use. I am just in awe of the sound now from vinyl.

Gadfly and Stltrains,

I'll echo Tbg's experience. I used to clean by hand. I also made and used a DIY vacuum device identical to Gadfly's.

It worked okay but trust me, it doesn't come anywhere close to what a Loricraft can do. It may be expensive, but this is one case where a well designed and well built machine actually does do a better job. An "inconvenient truth" perhaps, but a truth nonetheless.

A couple or four comments on record cleaning.

Manual cleaning works well. I did it for years until I could afford a VPI 16.5. I thought the VPI worked better than my manual cleaning but I would not rule out that another manual cleaning technique would work as well or better. The VPI is certainly easier in use.

I just got my Loricraft and it is clearly better than my 16.5. However it is slower than I am use to at 30-45 seconds to clean a side: do the math: use a cleaner, a rinse, perhaps an enyzme wash, and a final rinse you will spend 3-5 minutes per side cleaning your records. The VPI is much faster, if not as effective. I just might keep the 16.5 (with a good supply of clean wands on hand)for preliminary cleaning of dirty vinyl, and use the loricraft for final and pre play rinsing.

Back in my salad days I used homebrew cleaners (Distilled H2O and isopropyl etoh alone and with various additives). Ultimately I have found that some of the commerically available cleaners do a better job than any homebrew I made. (RRL, L'Art du Son I like, I'm sure there are other good ones as well.) I also have found enzyme cleaners and other speciality products play a constructive role in particular situations. No matter which way you go ultra clean water is essential. American Water Distiller makes a small counter top distiller that I have found quite satisfactory. (I don't have a link at hand so Google for this if interested.) I triple distill and leave out the carbon filter after the first distillation.

One final comment: however you clean vinyl, RCM or manual, you will need a dry cleaning brush. Over on the AA vinyl forum someone suggested the Kinetronics antistatic brushes. I got one (SW 100, a 4 inch brush) and my inital impression is very favorable - it's doing a better job than either my Hunt or Decca brushes. Not unreasonable at 26$. (I have no affiliation with this company of course) Take a look at Kinetronics.com Audioquest also makes an antistatic brush that looks interesting at 20$ but I have not tried this.

However you do it - clean vinyl sounds better than dirty vinyl. Clean vinyl reduces stylus induced vinyl damage. No debate possible on these facts.

Have a truely analog day! (everything goes smoothly)

Cjsmithmd, in the part of Texas where I live, the underground water has a high sodium content. We use a reverse osmosis filter on the water we drink. Some chemist friends say that they use such water as it is purer than distilled water. They thought I was crazy for using store bought water. I have been just using ozed water since when mixing L'art du Son vinyl cleaners.

I do no rinse with either the L'art du Son nor the earlier favorite AudioTop Vinyl.

With the L'art du Son, I thoroughly scrub the records with the Loricraft nylon brush. I copied this from what I saw Loricraft doing at CES. With one scrub and one vacuum, I am at about 2 minutes per side with the Loricraft.

The problem with the AudioTop is that the cleaning fluid evaporates too quickly for the Loricraft..