Yeah, it may sound strange, however, it seems to work really well before using a carbon fiber brush. It seems to remove that last bit of "snap, crackle, pop" from the vinyl.
Doubt it would do damage. What you may be noticing is reduction of static electicity on the LP. I think those clothes work mainly on the basis of attracting dirt with a static charge.
After reading your post I tried it. "DON'T DO IT"!!! I ruined 2 perfectly good records. It smeared the sound, left a film, and I now have sludge on my Goldring Eroica.
I intentionally did not use my best/favorite records. I'm always open to try new things for better sound & performance. This is not one of them.
Hope this helps. Sean & Ligi are right (as usual).
Hififile, do you have a record cleaning machine ? I'm sure that the records could be salvaged with some elbow grease. You might be able to take them into a record shop or audio shop and have them cleaned. I know an audio shop here in Chicago charges $1 per album, which might be WELL worth it in most cases. Then again, if you've got a big vinyl collection, the investment in a record cleaning machine would pay for itself. Sean >
Hififile - if you do not have access to Sean's suggestion than clean the record with a grease cutting detergent like Dawn and warm water to get the Pledge grease off - don't overdo the Dawn thing - let it dry by wiping gently with a light smooth cloth and air dry.
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