Another trip to used kids records and I picked about 20 albums.  Favs include The Call – Reconing and The Alarm-  Strength.

I’ve also started assembling the bits i’ll need to build a record cleaner.  I found a nice compact shop vac at good will.  More to follow.”

FACT:  The first and most important thing to do when playing a vinyl record is to clean it first!!!  This applies to brand new, unplayed ones, as well as vintage refugees previously played at fried chicken and barbecue bashes!!!

FACT:  Audiophile dealers and companies sell acceptable cleaning solutions at rediculously inflated prices!!!

FACT:  You can make the best vinyl record cleaner in your home for under $1.00 a gallon!!!

FACT:  A vacuum, semi-automatic record cleaning machine is indispensible and should be used by all serious record collectors and vinyl junkies!!!

My basic record cleaning recipes use just 3 ingredients: 1- distilled or reverse osmosis purified water, 2- grocery store, household cleaner, and 3- isopropyl alcohol.  They are available in all grocery stores and most convenience stores nationwide.  The household cleaner is basically the common ALL-PURPOSE cleaner/disinfectant sold in grocery stores under a propriatory store brand or national brand name (ie. LYSOL).  The active ingedient should be listed as alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride and will range in concentration fro 0.1 to 1 %.  These come in many designer colors and scents which seem to change like the weather or seasons!!! The isopropyl alcohol is commonly available at 70 and 95 % concentrations.

The basic all-purpose recipe I use is a 5 % dilution of the house hold cleaner with distilled water. That is, 5 parts cleaner mixed with 95 parts water. The easiest way to make this is to buy a gallon of water, remove 8 ounces, then add 8 ounces of cleaner to the bottle and mix. This will make a 6 % solution which will work just fine.  The concentration can  vary a percent either way for excellent results.

I also make this cleaner with an addition of isopropyl alcohol to 2%.  I use this for brand new, very clean lps and to clean off any oily or greasy records.  I use 95% or absolute isopropyl alcohol and dilute it to around 2% with my basic recipe of diluted household cleaner (the recipe above). When using 70% dilute it to 3%.  The easiest way to make it is to add 2 or 3 parts isopropy alcohol to 100 parts of the all purpose recipe above. 

I  use these cleaners all the time and have had superb results with them for many years.  They are safe, easy and inexpensive to make. I clean all used records with both, using a squirt bottle, a LAST applicator pad, and a VPI vacuum cleaning machine. 

I clean the record first with the all-purpose solution (no alcohol) by placing the record on a raised circular support covered with an old turntable pad.  I apply a zig-zag line of cleaner over the record’s surface and wet the LAST pad. I spread the cleaner around the record by hand with the grooves and rub down the groove a few times in a counter clockwise direction. The record is then very wet and evenly covered with cleaner.  I then vacuum clean it on the VPI machine to remove the liquid.  For used and older records I usually clean the record again using the alcohol containing cleaner in the same way.  It may seem overly time consuming to clean all your records this way but it is well worth the effort. 

FINAL FACT:  You will get the maximum listening pleasure from your records and will keep your needles clean and last for a longer time!