Can I clean my records manually?

Pawlowski6132, I think it would take some work with a microscope to check whether your method removes as much debris, whether it adds scratches, and whether it damages the wall of the vinyl as compared with the best record cleaners. There is also the concern with the L'art du Son of not removing vinyl molecules. Finally, there is the question of how much extra time your method takes and how much you value your time.

If you like what you hear, I would suggest you just move on.

TBT, right now I have more time than money so...

But, if/when I get some extra pocket money, I'm trying to understand why I would need a RCM.

Sound like you're telling me that I could be doing damage to my records that could accumulate and have a long term detrimental effect?

I'm using RRL cleaner, a dedicated cleaning brush that I rinse after each record with distilled water.

Maybe the only thing that might be risky is the vacuuming. However, I cover the tool in a clean cotton cloth. Could I be damaging my LPs??

Pawlowski6132, I am not telling you that you may be damaging your records. I don't know. I was just suggesting evaluation criteria for making the judgment of whether the best record cleaning machines do better than your method. I know for example that some record cleaning machines are better and that some cleaners are better.

I would suggest, however, the vacuum you use may not equal that on record cleaning machines.

Years ago even after the Keith Monks machine had been invented, I used to clean my records with soap and water and later with Diskwasher fluiid. I rinsed them and dried with a cotton cloth. I know that I did little if any damage to them and that modern cleaning machines can clean them much better than what I was doing then. I also know that the Loricraft is superior to earlier machines I used and that L'art du Son is the best cleaning fluid. At least in my experience.

Your posting suggests that you believe there is nothing better than what you are doing. I was taking exception to that statement.

TBG, I understand. I was looking for education and enlightenment. I'm knew to vinyl (at this level anyway) and want to maximize my listening enjoyment. I sincerely was looking to everyone hear to list the benenefits of a RCM over the method I described so I can evaluate the situation.

Still waiting.

TBG: While I would agree with you that the Loricraft and Monks offer superior cleaning due to a) their basic design which concentrates the power of the vacuum in a very small area and b) the quality of the industrial vac motors in those units, I am not so sure that other arm/wand based cleaners like the VPI & Clearaudio or slot based systems like the Nitty Gritty with their relatively cheesey motors will offer any better cleaning in terms of their vacuum/lift than Pawlowski is getting. A quality shop vac or even a high quality dry vac used in conjunction with something like the KAB EV1 is going to give you much better "lift" than virtually any of the non Loricraft/Monks machines currently on the market. It just makes sense: take a look at the motors utilized in those machines versus the ones used and the suction realized in a shop vac or high quality domestic dry vac.

I would also agree with you that the choice and quality of fluids is critical. The fluid has to loosen and suspend the dirt so it can be vacuumed away as well as leaving no sonic signature. To underestimate its importance is foolhardy. Like Pawlowski, I am a fan of the RRL fluids. Apart from spending a huge amount of money (it's huge to me anyway) on the Loricraft, I think Pawlowski is on the right track, although I should point out that RRL does not advocate "scrubbing" but simply using a carbon fibre brush to get the solution down into the groove so it can do its job.