Cleaning 78s and Products Containing Alcohol

[jboger]

I found this thread after doing a search for how to clean records. I have 78s, and I used a product called Groovy Cleaner, which has alcohol in it, to clean some of them. I haven't noted any change in sound quality, and for that matter, no real improvement after cleaning them.

There are lots of different alcohols. The one to be concerned about would be ethanol or what's called commercially denatured alcohol. Ethanol is a solvent for shellac. I don't know what alcohol Groovy Cleaner has in it, but after reading this thread I'm now concerned with what I've done.

Anyone know of this product? Has anyone had bad experiences with it? I think I won't use it anymore.

[need4art]

I have used labtone, the same cleaner that I have used for cylinders for years. I use it in a Sinp Clean unit and after 5 or so records the fluid starts to turn black. After 20 records the Labtone IS black. I dump it and recharge again. I clean 50 records at a time, rinse with r/o water and use a microfiber towel to dry. I have cleaned 4000 records from one sided to records of the 40"s and never had a problem. They come out free of finger prints, dirt and it leaves no residue...and my house don't stink!!!

[Henry]

I endorse the suggestion to use baby shampoo; I already have it on hand anyway, likewise Seventh Generation liquid dish soap. We have very hard water here (14+), so I use distilled water (99¢/gal. at the supermarket).

[FloridaClay]

For shellac 78s, some warm water and dish detergent like Joy works just fine. Hold the record and wash it with a soft dish rag and the soapy water with a circular motion following the groves. Promptly rinse and wipe dry. I just use some old terry cloth towels for the drying.

Don't use water for Diamond Discs, though. The core will swell if gotten wet. Wipe the surface with denatured alcohol. Paper towels will do.

Clay

[jboger]

Thanks for the various suggestions. These sound like things that people have actually done with good results. I have ethanol. I think to take a piece of broken record and immerse it in the ethanol to see what happens. Ditto for water. I also have either xylene (a hydrocarbon) or xylol. The latter is an alcohol. I may also have propanol, another alcohol.

My Groovy Cleaner does not evaporate too quickly. This suggest to mean that whatever alcohol it contains, it is not a major component. I can try igniting it. Just curious.

[welshfield]

I made up a rig using an old 12-inch turntable mounted to a plywood board with a bolt (rounded the open end to ease setting on the record). I apply the dishwashing detergent, diluted in some water, with a paintbrush while I manually spin the turntable. On particularly dirty records I hold the brush against the grooves as I spin the turntable. The soapy water gets noticeably filthy on some records. I then vacuum up the sudsy water using a wet-or-dry small vacuum (felt strips glued to the face of the vacuum fitting). Then apply plain water with a second paint brush and vacuum up that water as well. Dry with a soft towel and it's clean.
John