After cutting I rinse my records with luke warm water and leave them to dry in a rack. This gives a scratchless clean result, apart from a few dried up waterdrops. This last thing still bothers me.
Can anyone tell me how I can avoid this, without having to use a time consuming okki nokki?
Cleaning records
Moderators: piaptk, tragwag, Steve E., Aussie0zborn
Re: Cleaning records
Use distilled water to rinse them.
The 'dried up waterdrops' you're left with are more than likely the minerals in your tap water.
The 'dried up waterdrops' you're left with are more than likely the minerals in your tap water.
Re: Cleaning records
Thank you for this answer Sue, I'll try this!
Excited
Excited
Re: Cleaning records
I've used demi water instead of distilled (I couldn't buy distilled in a normal store) but, although it looks great, the record has now audible crackles.
Did you specifically meant distilled or demi water?
I can get distilled on a website for lab / medical supply, but it takes some time before I receive it, so I wanted to ask this first.
Of course distilled water is quite expensive.
Btw, do you simpy give the disc a quick wipe after cutting? Or do you extensively clean them?
Maybe I risk making the record static in my approach.
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Re: Cleaning records
Hi Discomo -
I’m not as scientific as some of the folks in these forums, although in my own methods of research, I’ve devised a method for cleaning standard vinyl records that makes most of my record collecting colleagues wince and pretend they don’t know me. I won’t go too much into detail about that here, but it’s a process modeled somewhat after the method used in the Library of Congress. If you poke around in the Steve Hoffman Forums, here’s a thread which explores that a bit more in-depth:
https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/cleaning-records-with-tergitol.307642/
Although I’m referring here to a process I use for cleaning *vinyl* records, it doesn’t seem too unlikely that some of this might be useful in a discussion of best practices for cleaning lathe-cut records made of polycarbonate. What I can try and respond to here are a couple of key points that have been mentioned here - such as water and static. I would hope some others would chime in, regardless of whether they agree, disagree, or whatever, because I’m pretty sure we’re all in this together, yes?
1) Firstly, I’ll admit that I *may* have misunderstood something in my own learning about lathe-cutting, but I thought I had understood that for these poly records, it might be better to not subject them to some of the arduous cleaning processes that vinyl collectors often employ. If memory serves, I think those conversation related mostly to static, but I’m not really clear on that.
2) Moving past that possibility for a minute, if one *does* want to apply some sort of cleaning method beyond simply wiping off the disc with a microfiber cloth, I would agree that the water is an important part of the process. For my vinyl process, I use a Reverse Osmosis de-ionized water which we can purchase at Whole Foods in our region. I wanted water that had the least amount of anything in it, other than pure fluid, so it could mix well with my cleaning agent, and also provide the cleanest rinse on its’ own.
- - - -
I did a quick lookup on the web for a simplistic breakdown of water types, and this seems to work for the moment:
https://www.leaf.tv/articles/organic-alternatives-to-chemicals-for-hot-tubs/
Deionization
Deionizing water is a process that uses ion exchange resins to remove ionized salt from the water. This process can theoretically remove all traces of salt from water. In practice, this process also removes harmful things such as viruses, bacteria and organic materials. Commercial grade deionization equipment also not only removes the ionized salt molecules, sodium, but they replace them with hydrogen to soften the water.
Demineralization
Demineralization is often a term used interchangeably with deionization. Demineralization is essentially removing all the minerals that can be found in natural water. This process is usually done when the water will be used for chemical processes and the minerals present may interfere with the other chemicals. All chemistic and beauty products have to be made with demineralized water for this reason.
- - - -
3) Referring again to my own vinyl cleaning method, I use a mix of two types of Tergitol, a surfactant which can be purchased online, and which mixes well with the de-ionized water for getting in grooves. A lot of discussion has taken place about removing enzymes, mold, etc from the grooves of older vinyl records. That may not be the same concern as our beloved lathe-cut poly records, but remember that many (most?) of us here are applying something along the lines of lighter fluid, Turtle Wax, etc to the poly before cutting our grooves, so there’s bound to be some trace of those substances lingering in the grooves, as well as any oils from our fingers, etc. I have not experimented with using my vinyl cleaning methods on lathe-cut poly records, but in time, I reckon I should - or, if others have tried something along these lines, maybe they can add to this conversation. For me, it hasn’t been a high priority in the scheme of making lathe cuts but it probably can’t hurt to try a few tests at some point.
4) One thing that is inherent in the Lathe cut process is the existence of static electricity. All of the cleaning processes in any discussion seem likely to contribute to static, and I think it’s just the nature of the beast. Going back to my laborious vinyl cleaning method, after the records are washed and then rinsed in a separate bath of the de-ionized water, I vacuum each side briefly on a non-motorized machine, and then lay them between two microfiber cloths - not rubbing them dry, but just gently patting them a bit to absorb any excess droplets that might remain. After that, they sit in a dish rack for a bit, and then are inserted into polyethylene sleeves and put back with their album jackets. The polyethylene sleeves are more durable and reportedly make less of an impact on the environment than polypropylene sleeves, also, they help keep the static down. Two reasons I don’t use paper sleeves: they will eventually become subject to mold and mildew, and they contribute to static buildup.
Yep, I’ve been told many times by many folks that this is all overkill, but it works for me, regarding bringing old vinyl records back to life that unfortunately far too many shops and collectors alike would simply throw in the trash. I’ve actually done frequency response tests which - in my mind at least - support the idea that it’s not overkill, and does actually help improve the sonics of old records which may have been exposed to all sorts of pollutants and grime before they got into my collection. Now how any of this may or may not relate to the best cleaning practices for cleaning lathe-cut records, I can’t say. Maybe some of this ends up being useful for the poly lathe-cut records, maybe not. I don’t claim to be any kind of expert, this is just stuff I’ve experimented with on vinyl, and I’m sharing it here in the best interests of exploring some of the questions you raised previously. I’d love to hear what others here might have tried and found success with in this area.
I’m not as scientific as some of the folks in these forums, although in my own methods of research, I’ve devised a method for cleaning standard vinyl records that makes most of my record collecting colleagues wince and pretend they don’t know me. I won’t go too much into detail about that here, but it’s a process modeled somewhat after the method used in the Library of Congress. If you poke around in the Steve Hoffman Forums, here’s a thread which explores that a bit more in-depth:
https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/cleaning-records-with-tergitol.307642/
Although I’m referring here to a process I use for cleaning *vinyl* records, it doesn’t seem too unlikely that some of this might be useful in a discussion of best practices for cleaning lathe-cut records made of polycarbonate. What I can try and respond to here are a couple of key points that have been mentioned here - such as water and static. I would hope some others would chime in, regardless of whether they agree, disagree, or whatever, because I’m pretty sure we’re all in this together, yes?
1) Firstly, I’ll admit that I *may* have misunderstood something in my own learning about lathe-cutting, but I thought I had understood that for these poly records, it might be better to not subject them to some of the arduous cleaning processes that vinyl collectors often employ. If memory serves, I think those conversation related mostly to static, but I’m not really clear on that.
2) Moving past that possibility for a minute, if one *does* want to apply some sort of cleaning method beyond simply wiping off the disc with a microfiber cloth, I would agree that the water is an important part of the process. For my vinyl process, I use a Reverse Osmosis de-ionized water which we can purchase at Whole Foods in our region. I wanted water that had the least amount of anything in it, other than pure fluid, so it could mix well with my cleaning agent, and also provide the cleanest rinse on its’ own.
- - - -
I did a quick lookup on the web for a simplistic breakdown of water types, and this seems to work for the moment:
https://www.leaf.tv/articles/organic-alternatives-to-chemicals-for-hot-tubs/
Deionization
Deionizing water is a process that uses ion exchange resins to remove ionized salt from the water. This process can theoretically remove all traces of salt from water. In practice, this process also removes harmful things such as viruses, bacteria and organic materials. Commercial grade deionization equipment also not only removes the ionized salt molecules, sodium, but they replace them with hydrogen to soften the water.
Demineralization
Demineralization is often a term used interchangeably with deionization. Demineralization is essentially removing all the minerals that can be found in natural water. This process is usually done when the water will be used for chemical processes and the minerals present may interfere with the other chemicals. All chemistic and beauty products have to be made with demineralized water for this reason.
- - - -
3) Referring again to my own vinyl cleaning method, I use a mix of two types of Tergitol, a surfactant which can be purchased online, and which mixes well with the de-ionized water for getting in grooves. A lot of discussion has taken place about removing enzymes, mold, etc from the grooves of older vinyl records. That may not be the same concern as our beloved lathe-cut poly records, but remember that many (most?) of us here are applying something along the lines of lighter fluid, Turtle Wax, etc to the poly before cutting our grooves, so there’s bound to be some trace of those substances lingering in the grooves, as well as any oils from our fingers, etc. I have not experimented with using my vinyl cleaning methods on lathe-cut poly records, but in time, I reckon I should - or, if others have tried something along these lines, maybe they can add to this conversation. For me, it hasn’t been a high priority in the scheme of making lathe cuts but it probably can’t hurt to try a few tests at some point.
4) One thing that is inherent in the Lathe cut process is the existence of static electricity. All of the cleaning processes in any discussion seem likely to contribute to static, and I think it’s just the nature of the beast. Going back to my laborious vinyl cleaning method, after the records are washed and then rinsed in a separate bath of the de-ionized water, I vacuum each side briefly on a non-motorized machine, and then lay them between two microfiber cloths - not rubbing them dry, but just gently patting them a bit to absorb any excess droplets that might remain. After that, they sit in a dish rack for a bit, and then are inserted into polyethylene sleeves and put back with their album jackets. The polyethylene sleeves are more durable and reportedly make less of an impact on the environment than polypropylene sleeves, also, they help keep the static down. Two reasons I don’t use paper sleeves: they will eventually become subject to mold and mildew, and they contribute to static buildup.
Yep, I’ve been told many times by many folks that this is all overkill, but it works for me, regarding bringing old vinyl records back to life that unfortunately far too many shops and collectors alike would simply throw in the trash. I’ve actually done frequency response tests which - in my mind at least - support the idea that it’s not overkill, and does actually help improve the sonics of old records which may have been exposed to all sorts of pollutants and grime before they got into my collection. Now how any of this may or may not relate to the best cleaning practices for cleaning lathe-cut records, I can’t say. Maybe some of this ends up being useful for the poly lathe-cut records, maybe not. I don’t claim to be any kind of expert, this is just stuff I’ve experimented with on vinyl, and I’m sharing it here in the best interests of exploring some of the questions you raised previously. I’d love to hear what others here might have tried and found success with in this area.