what to do before you get the vpi record cleaner?

Another simple option is Orbitrac. I think it's sold by Music Direct (amusicdirect.com)

Use Disc Doctor, http://discdoc.com/.

I've been committed user and fan of the VPI 17 for well over a decade and have used it to clean thousands of records. This past summer I had a chance to try the Disc Doctor cleaning process, and I was totally blown away by the significantly improved results with Disc Doctor. Now I use Disc Doctor and the VPI handles only the rinse and vacuum as I gradually work back through cleaning my record collection with DD. I never thought this is where I would end up on this topic; I wouldn't have believed the difference if I hadn't tried it.

I add my second to the recommendations for the Disc Doctor and/or the kitchen sink. Also I have found that a standard power puff---a face powder applicator found in the cosmetic section of your local drug store---works well for the application of cleaning liquid and the scrubbing part of the cleaning process. After the scrubbing, a good rinse under the kitchen facuet removes most of the snap, crackle, and pop stuff. Then, if you're worried about the mineral residue left over from the tap water, you can rinse with purified water.

Before you spend any serious money on a record cleaning machine check out the "record cleaning" thread for my home made record vac. A VPI or any other record VAC is just a simple vacuum which you can make yourself at a fraction of the cost. This is one of the easiest and most cost effective vinyl addict enhancements you can do. Record VAC's definitely make a huge difference. I have virtually no click or pop after cleaning with my home-made vac. The only problem is records that have been trashed by playing with a bad stylus.

Tom:

Pick up a "Groovmaster" on Ebay ($25-$35). It seals off the label portion in order that the LP can undergo some serious wet cleaning by hand.

Placing a dirty/grungy LP in a commercial cleaner (vacuum or not) will most likely do more damage than good.

Commercial machines do not properly flush the record grooves prior to brushing and are intended for clean/new LP's, not dirty/grundgy ones. Whether the manufacturer's point this out, or not, it's only common sense.

Not irragating/flushing the grooves of most/all hard deposits/foreign particles, prior to brushing, will allow such particles to act as abrasives when brushed about.

My first cleaning step, after attaching the Groovmaster, is to blast the LP with luke warm water via a Water-Pik (I do not bother with clean/filtered water @ this point).

I never brush a new/old LP until it has been irrigated in this manner.

The second step is to then use a mild soap/Iso alcohol/warm filtered water solution which is applied/worked with a fine/soft long bristled brush. A decent well trimmed "natural" paint brush works well as does the mystery brush that is supplied with the Groovmaster.

The third step is to rinse with filtered warm water via the water pick.

The fourth step is to allow the LP to air dry.

I do not bother with surfactant chemicals (like Kodak's Photo Flow) due to using extreme pressure via the Water-Pik and/or long bristled brushes. Why add more chemicals to the mix if they are not needed?

Another bonus of this method is that the plain/filtered water & the cleaning solution are so inexpensive that you feel free to use plenty in order to get the job done right.

I suppose that a faucet (supplying filtered water) with strong pressure would work in place of the Water-Pik. I just happened to have a W-P on hand and it does a super job. My wife calls the cleaning ritual a "seal act".

The last step is to place the dry/clean LP in a new/clean plastic liner.

After this I just use a dry carbon fiber brush before and after play. No need to ever deep clean the LP again unless you play the crap out of, loan it to Cher, drop it on the floor, et cetera.