Cleaning records is IMPORTANT

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Wolfe
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Re: Cleaning records is IMPORTANT

Post by Wolfe »

Offhand, Victor red seal, Capitol. I've had some white label promos bubble when a spot of water got on them.

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drh
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Re: Cleaning records is IMPORTANT

Post by drh »

gunnarthefeisty wrote: Sun Oct 03, 2021 4:51 pm
Wolfe wrote: Sun Oct 03, 2021 3:15 pm Ink will run on certain of them though. Or the label will wind up with a mottled appearance, even if slight, once dry. My thing is no water on labels.
that makes sense. Any clue which labels run so I can avoid getting those wet?
The one of which I'm aware is Rainbow (Homer Rodeheaver's label). For most records, I don't worry about it too much, but I do make a point keeping water exposure for the entire record to as short a time as I can and of drying the label first with a towel as soon as I've rinsed the record, with particular attention to getting anything clinging in the center hole.

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drh
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Re: Cleaning records is IMPORTANT

Post by drh »

Wolfe wrote: Sun Oct 03, 2021 4:55 pm Offhand, Victor red seal, Capitol. I've had some white label promos bubble when a spot of water got on them.
Interesting--I clean red seals all the time, and I've never had one show any ill effects from water. I did, however, have the surface of one late red seal 78 start showing marks when I made the mistake of applying soap directly to it instead of to a rag.

I'm talking of undamaged labels here. If a label has a pre-existing condition, so to speak, I take more care to keep it dry. Say if it already shows damage from prolonged exposure to moisture or humidity--but in those cases, the record's surfaces are likely to be so pimpled that the condition of the label is of secondary concern.

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Wolfe
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Re: Cleaning records is IMPORTANT

Post by Wolfe »

I've had the ink run on a red seal so that's there is now a pink streak where it got hit with some water.

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phonogfp
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Re: Cleaning records is IMPORTANT

Post by phonogfp »

Some of the early one-sided labels by the International Record Company and Leeds & Catlin will be affected by water. These records have some value, so avoiding water on those labels is always a good idea.

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alang
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Re: Cleaning records is IMPORTANT

Post by alang »

In essence, you will only know for sure when the damage is already done and then it's too late. That's why I simply avoid getting labels wet. If the label is very dirty I may give it a careful wipe with a slightly damp cloth, but even had issues with that sometimes.

Andreas

vansteem78
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Re: Cleaning records is IMPORTANT

Post by vansteem78 »

Interesting but for most of my records and for most of 39 years I've just used a damp cotton cloth. Damp from water. Works for me but yes interesting the ways others do it. Neil

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Re: Cleaning records is IMPORTANT

Post by gunnarthefeisty »

vansteem78 wrote: Mon Oct 04, 2021 3:16 pm Interesting but for most of my records and for most of 39 years I've just used a damp cotton cloth. Damp from water. Works for me but yes interesting the ways others do it. Neil
I tried that, but the stylus still picked up a lot of dirt (and boy did it sound dirty!).
I'm just starting to use the toothbrush method and I'm finding that a LOT of 78s are in real great shape, but most have accumulated a LOT of dirt.

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Dischoard
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Re: Cleaning records is IMPORTANT

Post by Dischoard »

I have found that certain Columbia red and blue labels are damaged by water but only if they have been adversely treated in the past. If the labels look pasty, faded, or dry, they will most likely run when wet though even those really just leave ink on the towel. But if they are still glossy and new looking then they fare the cleaning treatment pretty well.

I have tested and found all other Victor records to be very resilient to total wetting, I clean them in my sink with a sprayer. I don't purposefully wet the labels (unless very dirty) but they inevitably get wet. Never had any issues with many early Columbias, electricals or even Columbia red labels. Banner, Perfect, Vocalion, Mercury, Majestic, all have been wet in my house with no ill effects. I think, because of the flat finish of the labels, some Capitol records leave a little purple dye on the towels (but not a lot).

I wash my records like I wash my dishes. I have a plastic bristled brush and use dish soap. I then let some of the water run off before drying. For records that are really bad I'll take a little WD40 and wipe with a paper towel. I find after doing this that running a thin needle in the reproducer takes up all the grunge in the bottom of the groove. At first I freaked out a little, I thought it was tearing up the record. But I looked through a microscope and it was purely dust, hair and grime. Somehow the WD40 loosened it up in order to be lifted away. Crazy how much was down there and how it didn't come out upon the first washing. Anyway, my $.02.

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Governor Flyball
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Re: Cleaning records is IMPORTANT

Post by Governor Flyball »

I suspect you are playing the records with a light tracking pickup. Unless your discs are really dirty, I wouldn't expect you would notice much difference between dirty or clean using an Exhibition, Victor 2 or Orthophonic soundbox.

Or would you?

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