A good "sucking" gadget

[lovinthehd]

Detergent is detergent. If you must spend that much money, next time you need it buy Triton X-100. A 500 mL bottle will be all you'll ever need.
Good point. Thanks.

I still have plenty of the detergent that came with the spin clean too....doubt I'll purchase any again

 

[sterling shoote]

There seems to an endless supply of YouTube posts on how to clean records, making me think there is great interest in playing records without the distraction of pops and crackles. Having gleaned information from dozens of these videos, here's how I am now treating my records, expressly to eliminate distracting pops and crackles: First, whether the LP is new or used, I turn it in a Spin Clean using Spin Clean Cleaning Solution and Distilled Water. Instead of wiping the LP dry I allow it to air dry. I generally place the LP in a MoFi Sleeve. Before placing the LP on turntable I will brush with Carbon Fiber Brush, visually inspecting that surface dust has been removed. All of these steps help to eliminate static and dust pops. I also brush the stylus before and after play. This technique works, that's to say, most of my records now play without annoying pops.
Now, interestingly enough, I bought a new record the other day from Barnes & Noble, a Classical Music recording from Decca pressed in Germany. This LP had a fireworks of pop and crackle which I could not displace through cleaning. I suspect, since cleaning did not eliminate pops that the record was pressed from contaminated material. At any rate, what ever the cause, the record was unacceptable; therefore, I returned the LP for a refund and I suggest to all here, buying new LP's, to do the same. It should not be your problem. One more thing, if you are digitizing LP's, application of the recording software's pop filter will eliminate pops which LP cleaning could not.

 

[TLS Guy]

IPA was more suited to the long transportation involved from Britain to India is my understanding.

That could well be as the traditional British top fermentations have a very short shelf life.

 

[highfigh]

Someone is trying to give me a Nitty Gritty record cleaner, but I have never been a fan of any liquid used on my LPs and the borrowed cleaner he used (he raved about it, but...) left residue that made a lot of noise when I played the LPs he cleaned for me. It has vertical rollers with a red spiral that spin against the surface, to pick up any residual moisture- they're just mini paint roller covers like I have seen at Home Depot, Menards, etc. I was waiting for flashing lights to start and a little monkey with cymbals to pop out. I think he said it sells for close to a grand.

The Nitty Gritty was built like a bad science fair project and that thing listed for $800 in the '80s and, coming from the San Francisco area, it looked like a bunch of hippies came up with a way to make money with limited woodworking and electrical skills- all of the wires are red and combined with wire nuts.

How can they expect it to produce good sound with such cheap connectors?????????

 

[WineOfTheVeins]

There seems to an endless supply of YouTube posts on how to clean records, making me think there is great interest in playing records without the distraction of pops and crackles. Having gleaned information from dozens of these videos, here's how I am now treating my records, expressly to eliminate distracting pops and crackles: First, whether the LP is new or used, I turn it in a Spin Clean using Spin Clean Cleaning Solution and Distilled Water. Instead of wiping the LP dry I allow it to air dry. I generally place the LP in a MoFi Sleeve. Before placing the LP on turntable I will brush with Carbon Fiber Brush, visually inspecting that surface dust has been removed. All of these steps help to eliminate static and dust pops. I also brush the stylus before and after play. This technique works, that's to say, most of my records now play without annoying pops.
Now, interestingly enough, I bought a new record the other day from Barnes & Noble, a Classical Music recording from Decca pressed in Germany. This LP had a fireworks of pop and crackle which I could not displace through cleaning. I suspect, since cleaning did not eliminate pops that the record was pressed from contaminated material. At any rate, what ever the cause, the record was unacceptable; therefore, I returned the LP for a refund and I suggest to all here, buying new LP's, to do the same. It should not be your problem. One more thing, if you are digitizing LP's, application of the recording software's pop filter will eliminate pops which LP cleaning could not.

First off, thanks everyone for the informative responses.

Funny enough, Cleopatra, the LP that I had issues with, guess what? Dualtone/Decca label. Maybe they're famous for using reground vinyl like someone mentioned.

I am a firm believer in this policy too. I have already had to return 3 LP's from unacceptable quality. I expect a premium product or service when I spend my hard earned money. Sucking it up will proliferate laziness and bad QC, instilling the notion that these plants can get away with putting out a sub-par product.

I have literally heard better noise come off a $4.95 bargain bin record with dust and surface wear.

 

[slipperybidness]

Fragrance and color additives may offend the audiophile ,

Well, I guess you may have just identified that I have an audiophile tendency. Maybe just OCD, but I tend to avoid any artificial colors (for foods), and I would really avoid fragrances for this specific task of cleaning records.

 

[Verdinut]

Never heard of it. I actually don't have a problem with noisy surfaces in my collection, due to proper handling and I suspect Cecil E. Watts needs a lot of the credit. He did lots of bench research on the issue and took really good Electron micrographs. The problem is that the worst offending grit, is stuck deep in the grooves and requires a lot of suction to remove. Hence the expensive Keith Monks machines.

His Dust Bug, though really is a wonder. He designed the bristles and plush pad on the basis of his research.
His device really works and has been very popular.

He was an early casualty after the UK joined the EU (EUSSR). He sold a lot on Europe and had a dutch agent. Anyhow they trumped up some ridiculous charge about not having the right paper work. They enforced a massive fine, that put him out of business and broke him financially. He was such a nice man too. His wife wrote a touching biography after his death.

Right then I knew the EU was rotten to the core and still is. Brexit, Brexit, Brexit, and the sooner the better.

Many years ago, I used to have one of Cecil Watt's dust bugs and it worked really well. When I sold a Thorens TD-125 on which I had installed a 3012 SME arm to an old friend of mine, I gave him the dust bug. I had not anticipated then, in the early 1980's, that I would later purchase a new turntable for the few LPs which I have been keeping.