L'Art record cleaning solution

I have both L'Art du Son AND a steam cleaner. Without the steam cleaning, L'Art du Son was the best of the cleaning fluids I used however when I mixed up a litre batch and kept it for future use, after 6 months there was murky black fungus wafting around the bottom of the container. Since using the steamer, I find only a distilled water final rinse is all I require.

Halcro,

I have read about the fungus, maybe that is what Crem1 is referring to.

Do you mean when you use the steamer you do not need the L'Art and just rinse with distilled water instead?

thanks

Phil

Philjolet,
Correct...........I now use only the steamer and a final water rinse. No cleaning solution! I find it cheaper and better.

Philjolet : The water matter has been tramped in a dearth of opinion & fact. An argument can be made for the use of water only & Halcro is a proponet of that view. The challenge revolves around what constitutes "pure water" and "distilled water". Several chemists have suggested that since no actual goverment standards with penalities exist , the only way to assure water standards is to purchase labatory standard. Other disagree. The choice is yours to make. Lots of other issues on the matter have been outlined in the Threads mentioned including a Water Thread.

To Philjolet:

I am using a NittyGritty machine, home brew recipe, and steam cleaning to clean my records, with good results. I got the home brew recipe from the internet. The brew consist of: lysol, kodak ortoflo, distilled water, and alcohol (not rubbing alcohol). I don't remember the exact proportion of the mix, but you can find it here on the AGON or google it. I also use BioKleen Boc Out stain Cleaner with enzymes. Here is how I proceed:
1. Apply Steam to the record (one side at a time)
2. Clean record (one side at a time) with the NittyGritty machine containing the home brewed cleaner.
3. Apply the BioKleen to one side of the record, let it sit for about one minute. Then clean that side with the Nitty Gritty machine.
4. Apply the BioKleen to the other side of the record, let it sit for a minute, then clean with the Nitty Gritty machine.
4. Apply distilled water one side at a time and use the nitty Gritty machine to clean both sides (one side at a time).
Let the record relax for a few more minutes before you play it.
There you have it; my secret weekend ritual. My wife think I am CRAZY!!!

Note: Some folks will warn about using the BioKleen, because of the enzyme content; but although I don't know much about Chemistry, I have been taking the trial and error approach. I have also tried the Audio Intelligent Super cleaner and Enzyme cleaner, and I really can't tell a great difference between mine and theirs after I complete the cleaning and listen to the record. I am not trying to say that theirs does not work, because it worked really well compared to how I used to clean my records before I started to experiment with cleaners. I usually took a lint brush or a rag to the records, and it did not do anything to the ticks and pops. So give it a go and see what happens. I would recommend that you use the recipe on a record that you don't like before going full tilt with the cleaning process.