Steam cleaning records 2

just got my Shark Steamer. Could someone please tell me how these are suppose to work. It doesn't blow continuous steam- a lot of air. I don't think this is right. When I hold it upside down though I get a lot of steam. I might have a defect?

If it's not working after 5-10 minutes of warm-up, then assuming you used the supplied beaker to measure the correct 8oz of water, did not overfill the resevoir(if overfilled it will blow out a column of water), and screwed down the top tightly, then it must be defective.

Readers: For those interested in steam cleaning , keep in mind that the method(s) , mechanics , materials , water and much , much more has been previously outlined in the now discontinued initial steam cleaning thread.

I have reclused myself from this thread. I am continuing research regarding record cleaning that I intend to publish in the future.

For Those New to Steaming : Not all steam cleaning units perform as well as others, and garmet units I have warned may actually warp a record. There are rational reasons for following a certian method , the use of record cleaning fluids ,as well as, other record cleaning machines , even the use of microcloth A over microcloth B . Anyone that believes that any steamer will do , any materal or methods is ok could find themselves in trouble.

As mentioned many times in the past thread , I follow a method and use products out of years of experience that produce positive results. For those that accepted the suggestions their learning curve was reduced and they reported excellent results.

As for the "vinyl smell" I was flamed to death over my concern(s) regarding mold release compounds and potential lead issues. Again, as was outlined in the past thread I don't recommend using the attachments , unless, they have been deep cleaned to remove those compounds that cause the smell ; the reasons are already outlined in the past thread.

I wish everyone well. When I have a book you will be the first to know. For those that want advice, contact me by email. I will respond as time permits.

Again my recommendation, read the former thread, lots of FYI buried there.

Thanks Crem, your unselfish sharing of your experiences led me to try what would have been unimaginable (to me, anyway) only a few short weeks ago.

I lament the passing of the Perfection steamer, but I am going to give Walgreens new offering (Living Solutions) another shot. I think I was moving around the record much too slowly on my first attempts. After watching the YouTube video and rereading these threads, I am sure I need to modify my method.

FWIW, I tried a Shark "steam bottle" and have mixed emotions about it. It's designed with a trigger pump, not unlike a Windex bottle. You squeeze the trigger a few times to start the steam rolling. Then, you have to keep squeezing the trigger at certain intervals to keep the steam flowing. Too few pumps and the steam stops; too many and it starts spitting. Overall, even though the steam output seems better than the Walgreens unit, I can't help but wonder how long that trigger pump will last... I've had spray bottles wear out relatively quickly. Another thing I don't care for is that the filler cap is on the *bottom* of the unit. But, if you aren't bothered by either of those factors, the heating element is rated at 1500w and it only needs to heat up for about a minute. And, as I said, the steam output is pretty good.

I may try another steamer or two, using the Walgreens steamer as the control or baseline model. If I find something better, I'll let you all know.

I actually got the Shark 1000W cleaner at Target's website, and it works great. I saw the steam bottle, but didn't think it would do the job.