The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I just got this portable Brunswick and I was wondering what a good way to clean up the exterior and interior surfaces would be? I have used Goop hand cleaner on floor models and it seems effective, yet mild enough. Would that work for this machine? Or would that permanently soak into the fabric or something? Any advice would be arroeciated!

If it were mine, I'd use Woolite. I used it with success on the (original) turntable felt of my VV-XI. Work up a goodly amount of foam with the Woolite + water (distilled preferred), and apply mostly the foam with a soft rag, like cotton. For the felt, I also used a toothbrush for a couple of stubborn areas.

Alternative to Woolite is Dawn dish detergent. If it's good enough for oil-soaked bird feathers, I don't think it will harm phonographs!

But again, use mostly the foam. Avoid soaking with water.

After removing the motor board and external metal fittings I use a car upholstery cleaner suitable for vinyl, applied neat with a barely damp sponge. After no more than a couple of minutes I wipe it off with a damp (not wet) cloth, rinsing the cloth frequently. As soon as no more dirt is being removed I dry the case with an old tea towel.

As Henry says, do not allow the case covering to get wet, otherwise the glue may soften and the covering start to lift.

I've had good results with the Armor-all wipes you can get from wal-mart or the auto parts store. They are not too moist, but can pick up a lot of dirt!

I, for one, don't trust Armor-All. I used to apply it to the vinyl (?) surface of the "soft" dash on my '70 Dodge Dart. After a while, the vinyl started to crack and split. Now, granted, that dash was subject to direct rays of the sun over long periods of time, so I can't say for certain whether the Armor-All caused the cracking, or merely promoted what would have eventually happened anyway, but one thing's for sure: it didn't prevent it. OTOH, Woolite or Dawn would seem to me to be more gentle. I suppose you could also use saddle soap. For my money, I'sd stay away from harsh chemicals.

Henry wrote:I, for one, don't trust Armor-All.

Ouch, I'm sorry that happened to you.

I looked up the data sheet, and the wipes seem to be a type of ammonia.

As an alternative, a mild ammonia solution might be good.

I hesitate to use dawn on fabric because I worry about being able to get the suds out.

Ive had really good results using European Leather Restorer. Not too expensive and easily found online. Good luck!