MoFi enzyme based cleaner and pure rinse

I use the enzyme based cleaner for LPs that are new (for mold release), used (with finger prints/mold. I scrub by hand using a MoFi brush and let the fluid sit for 4-5 minutes. Next I rinse with MoFi final rinse and then on to my NG 2.5Fi cleaner. Great results each and every time.

Miner42: You use MoFi enzyme first, and then MoFi rinse, and nothing in between? I was interested by the statement above that an alcohol stage to denature the enzymes is helpful. What do you think of that?

Chasmal,

How long are you letting the MoFI enzyme solution sit and work in the grooves? Most LP's need at least 4 minutes of soaking, enough fluid to not dry out and occasional brushing to distribute fresh fluid around. Longer than 4 minutes wouldn't hurt, especially on stubborn/filthy records.

That said, it's possible these records are just trashed beyond any cleaning. A record played dirty many times **cannot** be salvaged by cleaning. Damaged vinyl cannot be cleaned back into shape.

We're apparently among the few (only?) who've directly compared MoFi enzyme + rinse with the AIVS fluids. FWIW, we ended up choosing both! We use AIVS Enzymatic, Super Cleaner and Premium Archivist (in that order) followed by two final rinses of MoFi pure water. Not a huge difference either way and nothing that would explain your frustration, but this regimen gives us our best results. Haven't tried the Walker yet. So many fluids, so little time...

Thank you for your input Doug.

Yes, I let the enzyme sit for at least 4 minutes. However the later case you stated might be the issue. I am not dealing with truly trashed LPs, as they appear to the eye to be mint. However they might have been played dirty many many times, as you stated.

I have also cleaned some sealed LPs which, when opened, sounded dirty and maybe always will. This is the case with a sealed copy of Paul Jacobs playing the Schoenberg solo piano pieces (which I payed far far too much for). As you might know, these pieces have a lot of silence in them, and thus LP quietude is really needed. The LP is a Nonesuch, and I have noticed that many Nonesuch pressings sound a bit dirty. However I have goten decent results with the VPI fluid on them, but I have a few that are just stubborn.

Chashmal - Glad to run into anybody that appreciates Paul Jacobs' work. Great pianist. Yes, Nonesuch pressings can be problematic. I have multiple copies of the Paul Jacobs Lps that I could get hold of (mainly the Debussy titles), and those seemed to benefit from the Mo-Fi cleaning I gave them...but they're not perfect. Frankly, I'm getting to a point with some labels that I may just stick with the CD versions--IF they exist. (And I think the Jacobs Schoenberg was out on CD at one time.)

Also, and I guess this is obvious, but the amount of surface noise one has to deal with is substantially affected by cartridge choice, phono pre-amp, etc. Since I think most everything sounds too bright anyway, my system is "tuned" so that "average" surface noise is not a big deal. But on a buddy's system, I hear a fair bit more surface noise than I do on mine...not infrequently on records of mine that I didn't think had a surface noise issue.

I'm using a Koetsu Black on a Linn LP12 with an EAR 834 with a couple of Mullards and a Telefunken...none of which comes as much of a surprise, I suspect.