Proper Use of Record Research Lab Cleaners

Saturate your record cleaning brush with SVW ONLY, with the SVW bottle's flip top cap. Next, spray a small amount of SVW onto the record surface itself, enough to insure that the record surface will be completely wet. Gently rotate brush around the record, vacuum clean.

Do NOT use any grocery store distilled water before or after. Grocery store distilled water still contains many impurities that will attach themselves to the record surface.

RRL fluids do not require a rinse cycle. Following up with a distilled water rinse actually leaves behind contaminates.

Hmmm - the directions say apply RRL fluids to "fully wet record". I'm still not clear how to achieve that. What about getting triple de-ionized water somewhere and using that first?

Hello Peter,

The label of the Super Vinyl Wash bottle states, "Apply Super Vinyl Wash with soft applicator brush to fully wet record. Vacuum dry. Repeat process."

This suggests that you place SVW on the record, via flip top cap or fluid dispensor if your RCM is so equipped. You then rotate the brush around the record surface to fully wet the record. It's that simple!

Feel free to ask any further questions.

Good luck,
Brian Weitzel
Record Research Labs

Thanks Brian. That clarifies it. I do find the text a bit confusing, in that (to me) it implies that the record is already wet when you first apply SVW.

Can you recommend a soft brush to use as the applicator? Also, would you recommend creating a small container to function as a "trough" of SVW (or super deep cleaner) to soak the brush in before applying it to the record? Finally, is it OK to use the same brush for SDP and SVW?

All the Best, Peter

As many know, I use only RR fluids after having tried umpteen commercial and home-brew fluids. I have no interest or connection with RR except that of a satisfied user. I speak from my expereince, hoiping that others will have equal success. If you are happy with your own regimen, though, I am happy, too. This, in general, is how I proceed.

I nearly always use the Deep Cleaner first because it does the job on the pressing release agent on new records and most gunk on old records like virtually no other. I use LAST brushes. Using one, I saturate the pad so that it is good and soaked. Then, as I place the brush on the rotating record, I squirt a bit from a smaller squirt bottle in front of the leading edge of the pad. This ensures a good wet record bit is, perhaps, overkill. I then give it another pass using the same method with a separate brush, except this time using the Super Vinyl Wash.

I submit, though, that the directions could possibly stand a rewording. It does seem from an initial reading that one must wet the surface before using the fluid and that begs the "How" question. I think it just means don't start with a dry brush and then put the fluid on after you've started.

One school of thought holds that the entire record should be "flooded" so that liquid "stands" over the whole grooved surface in order for particles to be suspended and "float" out of the grooves. I use the RR fluids liberally, but not that liberally. In my experience, the vacuum pass is what really carries away the particles (making sure to vacuum the wand after each record. Using the RR fluids in this manner, I rarely have to wash an LP a second time and have no sonic signature when finished (something I cannot say about certain other fluids or especially when using distilled water. In fact, when I originally used distilled water as in a final "rinse" pass, I very often had surface noise to the point I thought the record was worn out. Using the Super Vinyl Wash in the final pass identified the real culprit.