Cleaning records...

Dear God, why have you forsaken me?!

I was cleaning my copy of Elsie in my kitchen a few nights ago, and I have a method of using a dish sponge, liquid dish detergent (in this case, it was Palmolive OXY), and two clean towels for setting down and swabbing dry. When I put it on my turntable, it sounded like I scratched a brillo pad over the surface. For the fact that it's a brand new record, I'm kind of on the brink of tears because I've been trying to fix it using a record cleaning kit and some rubbing alcohol, which my father normally uses in his record shop.

Please, if you've had a dilemma like this, do you have any thorough cleaning methods to fix the record? I know it sounds a little desperate, but I'd like to hold onto the first issue and not have to search for another one and have this one decorating my wall.

Kosburn59 wrote:

Dear God, why have you forsaken me?!

I was cleaning my copy of Elsie in my kitchen a few nights ago, and I have a method of using a dish sponge, liquid dish detergent (in this case, it was Palmolive OXY), and two clean towels for setting down and swabbing dry. When I put it on my turntable, it sounded like I scratched a brillo pad over the surface. For the fact that it's a brand new record, I'm kind of on the brink of tears because I've been trying to fix it using a record cleaning kit and some rubbing alcohol, which my father normally uses in his record shop.

Please, if you've had a dilemma like this, do you have any thorough cleaning methods to fix the record? I know it sounds a little desperate, but I'd like to hold onto the first issue and not have to search for another one and have this one decorating my wall.

that's why I don't miss vinyl, which I grew up with, though I do now collect it because it's pretty

I never understand why people think vinyl sounds better, because the dust/scratch problem sets in pretty fast

as for cleaning, in all my years I never found a proper way to do it; oh man did I welcome CDs with open arms

The dish sponge might be the problem. I only dare to use record cleaning brushes. I'm not sure how your went about cleaning the record but you should always follow the grooves around the record, never brush towards the outside.

Joe Jack wrote:

The dish sponge might be the problem. I only dare to use record cleaning brushes. I'm not sure how your went about cleaning the record but you should always follow the grooves around the record, never brush towards the outside.

Yeah, I brush along the grooves, and when I tried to fix it I used a specific brush with the kit my dad had. I managed to get most of it pretty clean, but there's this terrible scratching from "Last Rites" towards the end of "Behold the Hurricane". I might just have to refer towards using that machine from now on, I really don't want a repeat on that, it's a tad embarrassing..

@SteadyNowSteadyNow, I rarely use vinyl, but for Gaslight and specific bands I really love, I buy their albums on vinyl if I can. Elsie actually sounds very different on vinyl, for example: the amazing amount of bass that is on the CD version kind of overpowers the record, but on vinyl it's just perfect. American Slang is kind of the same way - it's just a whole lot cleaner when played on the record, and on the CD I hear all that distortion coming from the guitars in the background. It's nice little differences like that that get me to want vinyl copies. :]

lint free cloth

https://i.imgur.com/vLzLK.jpg

Daire wrote:

https://i.imgur.com/vLzLK.jpg

Excuse me, but that is crazy shit. I'm going to have to try that at some point! haha.

Kosburn59 wrote:

Daire wrote:

https://i.imgur.com/vLzLK.jpg

Excuse me, but that is crazy shit. I'm going to have to try that at some point! haha.

I don't know if I could trust that. What happens if some of the glue gets stuck in the grooves? Nothing worse than a jumping record.

Hey guys, I was wondering if you had any tips preferably step-by-step instructions on how to clean vinyl with a home solution?
My Elsie album is getting dust as is my 59' and Slang. please help

Works well for getting rid of surface dust and some deep cleaning if need be. It's all I have to use.

http://www.amazon.com/RCA-RD-1006-Discwasher-Record-System/dp/B000KMZKTO