cleaning drivers

canadianicon25

what do people find is good for cleaning their drivers. i have read different things from windex to some kind of turtle wax spray stuff. any recommendations?

ken brydson

Windex, lint free cloth. You're all set!

Tekkis

What kind of Windex would you recommend?

ZLTFUL

F1nut

Classic!!!

westmassguy

canadianicon25 wrote: »

what do people find is good for cleaning their drivers. i have read different things from windex to some kind of turtle wax spray stuff. any recommendations?

As others have said, classic Windex, not Glass Plus or some generic glass cleaner, REAL Windex. I use lint-free microfiber cloths. Regular cottom rags or paper towels will leave more debris on the cones than if you hadn't cleaned them at all.
I do the rubber surrounds first, by wetting the cloth thoroughly, then cleaning the rubber gently till there's no more brown on the cloth (the brown stain is simply oxidized rubber).
On the 6.5" cones, don't spray the Windex on the cone, as you risk saturating the dust cap, which could deform it, or even allow the Windex to migrate down to the voice coil former. Again, thoroughly wet the cloth, then in a circular motion, go around the cone several times untill it's wet too. Flip the cloth over to the clean side, and in a circular motion, moving from the center dust cap out to the surround, like and arc, go all the way around. Let the cone air dry. For the PRs, once again I do the rubber surrounds separately. The cone type PRs can be done the same as the woofers, or you can also spray a light coat of Windex on the cone and use the same circular arc motion (the PRs don't have a dust cap to worry about, so you can apply the Windex directly to the cone). The real trick in all this, is to keep the cone wet while removing any dust or dirt. Once it starts to dry, it becomes tacky again, and the dust or dirt will stay put.
Once cleaned DO NOT use any type of dressing, Armor All etc. Leave them in their natural state.

canadianicon25

thank you very much.

nspindel

What kind of lint-free microfiber cloth do you recommend?

westmassguy

These are the ones I use: http://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Joe-GJO48261-Microfiber-Cleaning/dp/B000UHB6P6 They're the size of a wash cloth. You can find similar cloths just about everywhere. I like these due to the rough texture, like terry cloth. Some microfiber cloths are too smooth, and don't pick up the dust well.
Mine were not the assortment, they were all blue.
As I recall, I didn't buy from Amazon, I just remembered the name. I might have gotten them locally at Pepboys or another Auto supply store

PolkieMan

I use Windex also.
But very sparingly as the alcohol can dry out the rubber surrounds.
First I lightly dampen a small very soft cloth like the ones used to clean babies faces,
Gerber comes to mind.
Then I spray the Windex on the cloth and carefully wipe in a circular motion.
If the cloth starts getting the least bit dirty rinse it out and wring it out then repeat.
Then dry it with a microfiber cloth or a gauze cloth. Do only one driver all a time.
As for as dressing, I use very sparingly, Turtle Wax Super Protectant on the same type of damp cloth
and dry with a microfiber/gauze cloth.

Just don't do this, check out his RAG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o4nyyDIaug

westmassguy

PolkieMan wrote: »

I use Windex also.
But very sparingly as the alcohol can dry out the rubber surrounds.
First I lightly dampen a small very soft cloth like the ones used to clean babies faces,
Gerber comes to mind.
Then I spray the Windex on the cloth and carefully wipe in a circular motion.
If the cloth starts getting the least bit dirty rinse it out and wring it out then repeat.
Then dry it with a microfiber cloth or a gauze cloth. Do only one driver all a time.
As for as dressing, I use very sparingly, Turtle Wax Super Protectant on the same type of damp cloth
and dry with a microfiber/gauze cloth.

Just don't do this, check out his RAG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o4nyyDIaug

Windex contains 4% Isopropyl Alcohol, which is a very small amount, and helps the product evaporate quicker.
The Turtle Wax Super Protectant is possibly the worst thing you could apply to them. Like Armor All it contains silicone which destroys rubber.

Mr. Bubbles

I am no chemist by any stretch of the imagination but it is my understanding that silicone itself will not damage rubber. However many products that contain silicone and are marketed as a sort of cleaner also contain petroleum distillates, and this is what will damage rubber. The use of a silicone dielectric grease on rubber is fine or any other basic silicone lubricant type product. Just not a cleaning product containing silicone. Again, just my understanding. I may do some further investigating of this on the web as this has made me curious. I don't want to damage any of my vintage speakers in any way.

westmassguy

Mr. Bubbles wrote: »

I am no chemist by any stretch of the imagination but it is my understanding that silicone itself will not damage rubber. However many products that contain silicone and are marketed as a sort of cleaner also contain petroleum distillates, and this is what will damage rubber. The use of a silicone dielectric grease on rubber is fine or any other basic silicone lubricant type product. Just not a cleaning product containing silicone. Again, just my understanding. I may do some further investigating of this on the web as this has made me curious. I don't want to damage any of my vintage speakers in any way.

Not a chemist here either, and agree that any product containing petroleum distillates will destroy rubber. There's been an ongoing debate ever since products like Amor-all, and Silicone based Tire Dressings came onto the market. Some claim to have used these products for decades with no ill affects, while other claim premature failure of tires due to Silicone based dressings. The silicone alledgedly leaches out the natural oils contained in the rubber and the sacrificial waxes that are added. This contributes to premature drying and cracking of the rubber. I'd rather err on the side of caution, and not use anything on the rubber surrounds. It's not like they're sitting in constant sunlight or exposed to road chemicals or pullutants, just an accumulation household dust and natural oxidation of the rubber. I wouldn't advocate cleaning the drivers as part of some cleaning regimine either. I clean the drivers on my customers speakers right before retuning them, so they look as good as possible, no finger prints etc. I only clean my own if I've had to open the cabinets for upgrades or something similar and noticed they were dirty.

Mr. Bubbles

Westmassguy;

I agree. And from a cleaning standpoint most of us here at CP take much better care of our gear than some others so as not to need it to begin with. However many of us buy vintage gear and speakers from time to time that has not been so well taken care of, and therefore need cleaned at least at the onset of our ownership. I have on occasion run into speakers with rubber surrounds that have been unused for sometime and become somewhat stiff (much like tires can). In this condition once regular use starts back the rubber can crack or remain inflexible unless treated with some sort of conditioner. In these cases silicon grease can be quite invaluable. But again any petroleum based product should be avoided. Though I have never found the need for this on any vintage Polks I have done so on other brands like DCM, as well as a few others. After treatment of surrounds such as this with silicon grease they become much more compliant, efficient, and have more low end extension.
Once again this is just from my personal knowledge and I do not recommend that anyone treat or clean their gear with anything that makes them feel uncomfortable. Research chemicals for yourselves and use any chemicals at your own risk. These are just what has worked for me. I have used a very lightly damp cloth, Windex, and dielectric silicone grease. Like most others here I prefer the Windex except in rare conditions.

westmassguy

Not all rubber surrounds are created equal. I've not heard anyone on this forum complain about cracked or brittle Polk surrounds, damage from a slipped screwdriver yes, but not age related failure.
I understand with the DCMs, it was that or replace the surrounds. I can tell you from experience, rubber surrounds are generally a PITA to replace compared to their foam cousins.

chefkungfu

I've always used a lint free cloth, sometimes I'll lightly mist it with a spray bottle. Works pretty good, I never thought of using windex, or other cleaners in fear of pssible damage. I 'll try the latter route. Thanks guys.