Steam Cleaning - RCM or not?

No problem here. Give a read or email me. "Control" was a short-cut term . My view is that the Industry ignores the prospect of steam cleaning because there is no reason to support an idea that competes @ pennies on the dollar. Endorsing steam cleaning rather than your brand of record cleaning is not a great way to get your product sold.
I will disclose that several years ago I agreed to a private, invite only, informal "shootout" with one company that manufactures RCMs ,world wide. The owner was present. The pervailing view was that inexpensive steamer used out performed these very expensive products & machines. This was a private matter and I will not reveal the marque. That's all I shall disclose .

I don't write in a vaccum. I receive emails from all over the world requesting advice I give freely. The emails & posts help me as much as I contribute to them. That's how I learned of the MC 1235 ,a remarkable machine one completely adapted to steam cleaning LPs.

In closing, an example of the dramatic difference between steaming and vaccum machines . I own a 1950's Maria Callis LP in mint+ condition that I cleaned with a RCM. Initially, I could hear a slight "stage noise" before Callas began to sing . Upon steam cleaning & in the manner I suggest, one hears : Callas slowly walk onto her mark , the russel of her dress, the soft-sound of leather(most likely shoes) , the movement of her diaphram near the open mike as she opens her mouth, breathes in & instantly I am transported to the exact moment she sings. Quite profound , never forgotten.

Any more thoguhts on the Pledge wipes mentioned above? I have tried them...and they seem to work well, but I too wonder if anything is left behind. In the evening, if I shine a flashlight at about a 45 degree angle on a record that has been RCMd after steaming, there's little visible dust or lint. With just the microfiber cloth and no RCM, there's a ton of dust and lint. One pass under the pledge removes everything visible - literally one turn of the record.

Vanmeter : I haven't yet purchased Spray & Wash or the Pledge Wipes, I will buy both soon. It is my guess w/o actual experience these cleaners should be used extreme cases. That is an opinion reasoned by use of other detergent-types cleaners but not the ones you suggest. I would try them & then reclean each LP with the prospect of removing all traces of household powerhouse-type detergents w/record cleaning fluid, several steams & the use a RCM to suck off whatevers left. I am concerned that the detergent residues could loosen the diamond tip by disolving the cement .Its known that some detergents can do that , I do not know exactly which ones. Should all residue be steamed off,I reason, no harm to the diamond's glue. That's my view , subject to revision.

Good forum and good info.I use the walgeens steamer and it works well. But my cleaning process is a hybrid. I use the steamer in cojunction with the GEM dandy eaner and high pressure water hose. I steam, spray on the cleaner, apply the hose and finish with a steam. Then I wipe with microfiber and let dry. Works great for me. The hydraulic pressure removes any remaing crud left in the grooves and the final steam removes water residue

Sabocat, this sounds pretty wet and messy. I am going to retry steam cleaning soon using the VPI 16.5 with the Walker vacuum tube.