Discwasher brush
I just tried to play an old 7" from my collection and it looked terrible, but I thought I'd try anyway. Well, it sounded as bad as it looked. So, what do you use to clean your records?
Mostly I just use an old Discwasher brush. I usually use it dry because most of my records are pretty clean, and all I get off is a little dust. Regular use of liquid cleaners may damage the vinyl. The easiest way to use the brush is to put the record on the turntable platter, turn it on, and let it run past the brush--sometimes manual assistance is needed unless the TT motor has a lot of torque.
I seldom use the fluid except when the record is really dirty. Actually, when they are really dirty, I may use warm tap water and possibly a bit of dishwasher detergent. Unlike CDs, records should be clearned with a circular motion following the grooves. Tap water may leave small mineral deposits when it dries, to I always run the Discwasher brush over it.
If you must use the Discwasher fluid, it just takes a little bit to moisten the brush. However, my understanding is that water or other fluids should not be used regularly as they tend to remove the 'stabilisers' in the vinyl and make the grooves brittle.
Cleaning the records cannot remove record wear, of course.
I hadn't looked at availability for a long time, but I see Discwasher kits are available at Amazon.
I also use Stylast on my stylus. It is supposed to lubricate the stylus and help it last longer. I don't have anything to support this beyond Last's literature. In any case, I think it is good idea to keep the stylus clean with a little stylus brush.
