Steam Powered Record Cleaning

strider · March 2008

I've been doing an ammended version of Joe's routine with my best results yet.

Enough Mofi Super Deep cleaner to cover the side, spread with a foam brush. Steam after a minute or so, dependent upon condition, then scrub. Steam again then vacuum. Do this for each side, then apply the Record Wash with another foam brush, scrub, and vacuum.

Troy- would you mind describing what your tergitol soultion consists of? Thanks, Ben.

TroyD wrote: »

Simply I steam, scrub, vacuum, scrub again with tergitol solution, vacuum, steam again w/ MFSL brush, vacuum....put on Table, hit with Hunt brush...play.

BDT

jm1 · March 2008

strider wrote: »

Troy- would you mind describing what your tergitol soultion consists of?

I have mentioned Tergitol in this post. It is also referenced in the initial post of this thread.

strider · March 2008

jm1 wrote: »

I have mentioned Tergitol in this post. It is also referenced in the initial post of this thread.

Thanks, I'd seen that you mentioned using the recipe described at the collectionscanada site at the beginning of this thread. I admit that I missed the thread you pointed out, but I believe that to be because I searched for the word "tergitol", which wasn't mentioned in the post.

My curiosity has been driven by the Library of Congress' recommended cleaning method, which uses the 15-S-7 tergitol vs both the 15-S-3 and S-9 tergitols used in the recipe linked to in the first post. I've found an art supply site that sells 200mL containers of tergitol for approx $43. If I could get away with one bottle instead of 2, I'd be very happy; I could be described as thrifty.:)

Thanks, too, for all your posts regarding vinyl care. They've been most helpful to someone in the beginning steps of his vinyl journey.

Ben

jm1 · March 2008

Yes, I knew I referenced the information in the other thread. I will add a key word to the post.

For that price, I would order one pint each of 15-s-3 and 15-s-9 and have enough Tergitol to clean records for the rest of your life.

200 ml = 0.422675284 US pints

MillerLiteScott · July 2008

Could someone tell me the proper way to use the tergitol cleaning solutions. I have the 3 and the 9 mixed in 6.75oz batches. I have the KAB RCM, a MFSL brush and and a steam cleaner.

I tried the tergitol the other night and it work pretty well but I don't think I did it right. I did substitute a final steaming using distilled water instead of a rinse with distilled water followed by a vacuuming.

treitz3 · July 2008

madmax wrote: »

I just sent this to HI in a pm and got to thinking I should have posted it here for all because it is relatively interesting, silly as it sounds. So here it is:

"I did an interesting clean last night with a clear red lp. I was sitting there looking through it at the tv screen. I was noticing that there was no dirty looking garbage on it, very nice looking. While looking through the ending groove where there were no grooves I could see the tv picture clearly (red of course). Through the grooves it was a pretty distorted looking picture but I could pretty easily make it out. I cleaned it in my normal fashion and it still looked about the same. Then I steam cleaned it. I could clearly see the picture now through the grooves. Don't ask why I sit around and do stuff like this, I just do. Now I'm wishing I had tried to take some pictures through it before and after."

Do you still have the album?

madmax · July 2008

treitz3 wrote: »

Do you still have the album?

I haven't thrown any away lately.

However I don't remember which one it was. I remember I was hitting the dixieland albums pretty hard at that time so it shouldn't be too hard to locate. Then again, right now my 3000 lps are all mixed up in storage boxes in some unknown storage location somewhere between MD and CO, hopefully. :eek:
madmax

MillerLiteScott · July 2008

MillerLiteScott wrote: »

Could someone tell me the proper way to use the tergitol cleaning solutions. I have the 3 and the 9 mixed in 6.75oz batches. I have the KAB RCM, a MFSL brush and and a steam cleaner.

I tried the tergitol the other night and it work pretty well but I don't think I did it right. I did substitute a final steaming using distilled water instead of a rinse with distilled water followed by a vacuuming.

Can anyone explain how they use Tergitol in their cleaning routine?

ben62670 · July 2008

This sucks. I just got into vinyl, and now this! Well I have a pressure cooker, and some hose. Guess whats next! There is a cheap like new TT on Craig's list $20. Time to get innovative. I post pics. Damn Damn Damn!

treitz3 · July 2008

Sorry Ben. It does make a world of difference though. If I can make it down, I'll bring "the kit" as well as Joe's clamp so you can hear the difference for yourself.

ben62670 · July 2008

It sure would be nice if you could. You can crash here too. Hows the 9th looking. It seems the best.
Ben

madmax · July 2008

ben62670 wrote: »

This sucks. I just got into vinyl, and now this! Well I have a pressure cooker, and some hose. Guess whats next! There is a cheap like new TT on Craig's list $20. Time to get innovative. I post pics. Damn Damn Damn!

Ben, this is cheap and effective. Nothing else in the vinyl world (except buying the actual vinyl) is. Go to your local BB&B (or ebay) and pick up a good steamer. I even bought a spare given the performance to price ratio of this option.
madmax

Fongolio · July 2008

MillerLiteScott, I use a nitty gritty with fluid injection but even without a machine the routine would be similar. I have my tergitol 3 and 9 in the same container. I have a little dry only record vacumn that I use first to get the dust off the lp. Then I soak the nitty gritty vac-sweeps manually with the tergitol and spin the record with no vacumn on. I let it spin and clean the one side probably at least 8 revolutions more if really grundgy record. Then I vac off the tergitol and repeat on the other side of the record. Then I rinse with reverse osmosis water (or distilled) and vacumn again. If super grungified I repeat this process at least once maybe twice. The most important step is rinse and dry. Tergitol leaves residue that can be heard. I've played with steam cleaning but not enough to have a routine for it yet. Hope this helps.

MillerLiteScott · July 2008

Thanks Fongolio,

The following was my first attempt with the Tergitol.

I mixed the 3 and the 9 in different bottles. I put the LP on my RCM and started with the 3 tergitol ( Why because 3 comes before 9) I spread it with a foam brush to get even coverage. I used the scrubbing brush that came with the RCM to scrub the LP and the I put the 9 on the LP and the spread it around with the foam brush and the scrubed the LP again. I then gave the record a steaming. I flipped it over to vacuum it. I flip it back over and used my steamer to steam/rinse (again) the LP and then vacuumed it for the final time and let it air dry for a little while before I played it.

Scott

Fongolio · July 2008

I have some thrift store finds that I'll have to try steaming on. Very few scratches but really dirty. I find some records play great after deep cleaning but still appear to have stains if held under a light a certain way. I've even had brand new ones look like this. They play fine though. Anyone else have this observation?

ben62670 · July 2008

What about damage to the labels? I have not noticed any mention of this.
Ben

strider · July 2008

I use a pint soup container from Chinese take out to cover the label while I'm steaming. Works pretty well.

reeltrouble1 · July 2008

MillerLiteScott wrote: »

Can anyone explain how they use Tergitol in their cleaning routine?

You mix a couple teaspoons of each tergitol solution in a gallon of distilled/osmosis water, you can take a small bit of the water out of the gallon so you can shake it to mix it up. Put some in a squirt bottle to put the solution on the record, practice will tell you how much, then spread it out nicey nice with a brush, I use a VPI that came with my 16.5, I then use the Mofi brush to work the solution and clean the record, then I vacuum it off and rinse the record with distilled water which I then vacuum off, then I use a nice Stanton curved dry brush to remove any left over dampness this will also let you know if you missed anything as it will pull dirt from the grooves if it is there. Then I put the damm thing on the TT, clamp it and hit it one more time with a Hunt brush.

BTW you need a stout plastic bottle to store your gallon solution, the tergitol will eventually sweat through those cheap milk gallon plastic bottles and leave you with a mess, make sure you mark the container as poison.

The steam cleaning is something to do before you do the tergitol cleaning.

RT1

MillerLiteScott · July 2008

My question is about how to use the number 3 tergitol and the number 9 Tergitol.

I have them mixed in different bottles.

I have been steaming the record, Vacuum, spread and scrub with 3 tergitol and the spreading and scrubbing number 9 Tergitol, vacuum again, steam with distilled water and vacuum again then let air dry. Clamp it on the TT and clean again with a carbon brush.

Scott

Fongolio · July 2008

It's ok to mix the tergitols together. Saves a step in cleaning. However, many times I clean more than once on very dirty LP's.

reeltrouble1 · July 2008

well I mix them with the water, are you saying you use straight tergitol. 100 proof. I know several others here who mix with the water.

RT1

shack · July 2008

MillerLiteScott wrote:

I have them mixed in different bottles.

I have been steaming the record, Vacuum, spread and scrub with 3 tergitol and the spreading and scrubbing number 9 Tergitol, vacuum again, steam with distilled water and vacuum again then let air dry. Clamp it on the TT and clean again with a carbon brush.

Scott

I prefer to deal with the occasional pop and click than to spend that much time cleaning. :rolleyes:

A quick clean (wet scrub and vacuum) once I get the LP, back in the sleeve then a quick brush before I drop the arm.

MillerLiteScott · July 2008

Shack,

I only do it for the first time I play a record. After that they are as clean as new.

RT1 I have my tergitol mixed separately with water to a 400:1 ratio in small 6.75 oz. batch at a time.

shack · July 2008

MillerLiteScott wrote: »

Shack,

I only do it for the first time I play a record. After that they are as clean as new.

I'm not spending that much time the FIRST time. But that's just me.

hearingimpared · July 2008

With used records I do a similar job cleaning the LPs as Scott. New records get one less step.

Steve I have records that are over 35 years old that don't or nearly don't have a click or pop because I took the time, the first time, to make sure they were in pristine condition. After that it is mostly a dry brush unless it is a particularly staticy day then I'll give it a spin on the 16.5.

But as we all know I am obsessive/compulsive!:eek:

ben62670 · July 2008

hearingimpared wrote: »

But as we all know I am obsessive/compulsive!:eek:

I don't believe it!

shack · July 2008

I have several hundred (maybe up to 1,000) LPs...with a few actually purchased by me over 40 years ago. I hardly have the time to listen to them, much less spend the amount of time some of you guys do to clean them. Again...a quick wet cleaning, vacuum and it either goes back into the sleeve or on the table. A quick brush before the arm drops and I'm done. I enjoy the music...not the ritual (I know it has some sonic value) of meticulously cleaning LPs.

Then again I am anything but obsessive/compulsive!

Too many other hobbies contributes to this as well. I'd rather be watching a movie, playing golf, taking photographs or tinkering with my cars than cleaning vinyl.

jimbo1421 · July 2010

Can anyone recommend a hand held steamer for less than $50? The ones mentioned in this old thread are no longer made. I would hope that I would be able to refill it without a cool down period and that it doesn't spit.

Jim

hearingimpared · July 2010

jimbo1421 wrote: »

Can anyone recommend a hand held steamer for less than $50? The ones mentioned in this old thread are no longer made. I would hope that I would be able to refill it without a cool down period and that it doesn't spit.

Jim

WOW, they really went up in price since I bought mine. FYI I bought mine as a refurb which was a mistake because it did spit. Good luck finding one for under $50. I looked around a bit and couldn't find any. I keep looking for you, maybe the two of us searching will find one.:)

jimbo1421 · July 2010

Keiko wrote: »

Little more, but check this Wagner out. I stumbled across this awhile back and got it on my wish list. Might be overkill just for vinyl, but I'm thinking of other uses too.

http://www.amazon.com/Wagner-500-Watt-Demand-Steamer-Cleaner/dp/B000I618NY

If I had a wife she could use it for all that other stuff.

Jim

Steam Powered Record Cleaning

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