MoFi enzyme based cleaner and pure rinse

"It's a darn nutty ritual, isn't it? But feels somewhat virtuous."

Words of genius Eweedhome.

Trite at this point I know, but I think steaming has real merit. Try it I say. What do you have to lose? It's cheap and very reproducable. I use the 16.5, Disc Doctor fluids, and the Perfection steamer from Walgreens. The results are beyond anything I've acheived so far. If I do try an enzyme fluid it will be the Walker which is the only one I can imagine having effective enzymatic activity at the time of use. On the other hand, right now I'm floored by the results I'm getting for pennys on the dollar so why change? Also, find a local biological supply company and buy type I reagent grade water for your rince step. Nothing anyone has can be more pure and it's only about $17 a gallon(versus $64 for Walker's ultra pure) As someone with a strong biology background, I would warn you to exercise caution in spending big money on some of these fluids. There's some snake oil out there.

I would highly recommend the AIVS fluids, I have had excellent results with them. Also, you might try leaving the enzymatic fluid on for a longer period of time, sometimes this makes a big difference.

Sonofjim, From my understanding, this is incorrect, that Walker is the only company selling an Enzyme product of any merit, or effectiveness. With that being said, one doesn't have to mix up a fresh batch, just to get active Enzymes.

Asd I understand it, time is not the enemy-detriment of Enzymes, but rather heat. Mark

I'm with Sonofjim on this one. Find a good first step cleaner and follow it with the highest quality water you can find. As far as I'm concerned it's more important that the first step be surfactant based than enzyme based unless you're cleaning records that are covered in mold or cockroach remnants (and I've cleaned records that pretty much fit this description with Mo Fi Super Deep-formerly RRL-and ultrapure water with steaming integrated into the process and they have cleaned up flawlessly).

My thought on the rise of enzyme based cleaners is this: there are so many variables out there with respect to cleaning regimens that it is very difficult to attribute what is doing what. For example, with the enzyme based cleaners it is almost universally recommended that the cleaner be left sitting for a longer period on the record before being vacuumed off. What's to say that doing the the same thing with a surfactant based cleaner would not result in a much cleaner record? Or that simply cleaning a record for a 2nd time isn't going to result in a cleaner record with a particularly dirty record?

What I find interesting is that the rise of the enzyme based cleaner was accompanied by the introduction of ultrapure water as the final stage, with the exception of Walker's new product which supposedly uses ultrapure with trace amounts of alcohol as the final stage.

Frankly, I've been using ultrapure for the past few years as it's available to me at no cost through my wife who works at a research facility. Mark me down as one person (and there are others who have posted here such as Doug Deacon) who has found that the Mo Fi (or RRL) Super Vinyl Wash definitely did leave a sonic signature when used as the final stage in cleaning. In fact, when compared to ultrapure as the final stage of cleaning, I haven't used any cleaning product (ie. home brew, Nitty Gritty fluid or the RRL SVW) that did not leave a significant sonic signature or result in a less clean record than using ultrapure as the final step.

I still like the Mo Fi Super Deep and use it regularly. But color me skeptical-my opinion is that much of the effectiveness of any of the popular vinyl cleaners of the moment can be attached to the use of ultrapure water as the final stage of cleaning (it is on its own a highly effective cleaning agent) and rinsing.

I also think it's foolish for audiophiles to be paying the prices that they are for ultrapure when type 1 reagent grade water or ultrapure is easily available at quite reasonable prices if you do a bit of searching. And I am not one to advocate the use of simple store bought distilled or RO water; as far as I'm concerned the quality of water used is extremely important in the cleaning result. It's just that it's not really necessary to pay $64 a gallon for it.