Lp cleaning - scrubbing records - any downside?

I scratched the dead wax on a DG just by setting downforce too high on the vacuum arm on my Loricraft. (BTW, "too high" means "per Loricraft's instructions".)

I don't know if other record labels would be as easily damaged, and I don't want to find out! I reduced the downforce as soon as I saw the damage.

As far as cleaning goes, while I do use DD brushes for two of the solutions in my regimen I'm not convinced that scrubbing very hard is beneficial. I'm more in Hdm's camp. If I need more energetic fluid motion I'd try steaming or maybe ultrasonic rather than physical abrasion.

I guess it depends on the definition of "scrub." Using MY definition, I've never damaged an LP :-)

On the other hand, I do tend to buy a lot of used records from various sources where record cleanliness is not considered next to godliness. These frequently have nits embedded in the surface which, if not removed, can have very nasty effects on the sound (and maybe the stylus). So I keep a good strong light on the record while, yes, scrubbing, so I can find those suckers and banish them. I've never yet found steaming to be necessary but I may try it some day.

I scrubbed another batch today, including some EMI's. I'll report back.

What got me excited about scrubbing was a 50's RCA Toscanini disc of La Mer. I cleaned with w/ a regular cleaner and the VPI, with no scrubbing. The record looked pretty good, but there was that gravely surface noise that suggested deep grunge in the grooves. So then I used the MoFi Super Clean fluid (enzyme-based) and let it sit for about 5 minutes each side (but no scrubbing). Got, some improvement, but not enough.

A month or two later, I started playing around with scrubbing, and pulled out the Toscanini as one of my "experiments". I scrubbed for about a minute, AFTER letting the Super cleaner sit for several minutes to get the enzyme going. The results were amazing...most of the gravel was gone.

Part of the trick may be the MoFi brushes. My impression of them is very favorable.

I'll report back on the EMI's.

Eweedhome scrubbing to hard can drive debris further into the grooves if the lp is really in bad shape. After seeing the steaming thread so long here i took the plunge and have to say it works. I just picked up some very grungy lps and was amazed when i steamed and played them. You may want to look into steaming also. Using it in conjunction with Walkers Prelude.

Hello Eweed/All
Like you, I use the Mo-Fi brush pads, and use one for each of either a 3, or 4 step AIVS cleaning process on my VPI 16.5.

The combination of letting th fluids do thier job, and then a very light scrub seems to work perfectly for me.

When I say light scrubbing, I do not apply any downforce to the LP. All I do, is let the weight of the brush pad, and its fibers do the work. I do stop Platter, scrub in a back, and forth motion 6-10 times following the LP grooves, scrub roughly A 1/3rd of the LP's surface, rotate Platter to access easily the following 1/3rd, and so on, until entire LP has been scrubbed, then vacuum, and onto the next step.

In essence, I am only just "guiding" the brush pad on the surface of LP. I think some might resort to hard scrubbing because thier cleaners may be falling short of doing what they are supposed to do.

In my personal experience, with only thrift shop finds, I might resort to an additional application of AIVS Enzymatic Cleaner, and AIVS Super Cleaner before moving onto rinse steps.

Products are getting better, and better all the time.

BTW Doug, nice seeing you back, and posting, hope all is well with you your end. Mark