What methods do you use to clean grille cloths?

TonyJ · Post by **TonyJ** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 10:26 am

I'd like to clean the cloth on an 8-30 I picked up not too long ago and wondered how others clean theirs. It's in nice shape and not too bad but could stand a cleaning. I haven't taken the frame out yet but assume it's like my 4-7 with the cloth secured with thin wooden splines around the perimeter. I'd prefer not to have to remove the cloth from the frame and not have the cleaning solution affect the finish on the frame. Perhaps cleaning it from the backside with something like a gentle foaming carpet cleaner?

Curt A · Post by **Curt A** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 11:52 am

Use a vacuum cleaner and upholstery brush if you don't want to remove it from the frame. I tried washing a turntable felt once... it was 10" when I removed it - I cleaned it thoroughly and it looked great - only problem was it turned into an 8" felt...

FloridaClay · Post by **FloridaClay** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 1:15 pm

I would do nothing more that a gentle vacuuming. The cloth Victor used on Victrolas of that vintage that I have encountered tends to become quite fragile over time with a sort of dry rot and is easy to ruin. And duplicate cloth is sadly no longer being made, the factory having closed and the looms being sold for scrap.

Clay

TonyJ · Post by **TonyJ** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 1:57 pm

Thanks for the feedback - I'll just try the gentle vacuuming and see if that helps. I think I saw some vendor (APSCO?) claiming to offer a similar cloth, but IIRC it was about $80 for a piece.

Post by **JerryVan** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 3:50 pm

Hello Tony,

Hope you're still enjoying the 8-30. Be VERY careful with the cloth. It will be fairly fragile. Even a somewhat soiled original cloth is still preferable to a replacement.

FloridaClay · Post by **FloridaClay** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 4:16 pm

Up until a few years ago the cloth was still being made and could be ordered from sites such as grillecloth.com (where I bought the cloth for my Credenza, but which has now turned into something else in terms of content). There may be a few yards of it lurking around here and there, but as it has become rarer and rarer with the demise of the factory I would expect it would indeed be quite expensive if you found a piece large enough for your grille.

IMHO keeping the intact original to preserve originality, even if it might be a little soiled, is far preferable to putting in some other cloth and doing that might well diminish the value of your 8-30. Another instance of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Clay

Post by **gramophone78** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 4:27 pm

Please DO NOT vacuum your grill cloth....

. It is taunt and very fragile from age. It may even have unseen sun riot. You stand to not only to damage your cloth, but at the very least stretch it; causing sagging and wrinkles.
You will be kicking yourself afterwards.

Consider the material is 70+ years old.

The replacement material is no longer available and as already mentioned....it will alter the value of your machine.

estott · Post by **estott** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 5:43 pm

I would just brush it front and back with a soft paintbrush, that will remove a lot of dust. Vacuum it ONLY if you can get a variable speed one.

With an 8-30 or a Credenza you'll often get a line across the middle where the horn touches it. Don't try to remove this, you risk tearing or distorting it. Make sure the horn behind it is clean- mine had some white mildew that could be seen through the weave.

phonojim · Post by **phonojim** » Sun Oct 05, 2014 1:38 am

I vacuumed the grillecloth on my 8-30 when i bought it about 15 years ago and it did improve it but I don't know that I would take the risk now, given what I've learned in the meantime. Fortunately I was lucky and did not cause any damage. I bought an 8-35 a couple of years ago and I'm not even going to think of trying to clean the grille cloth.

Jim

52089 · Post by **52089** » Sun Oct 05, 2014 10:44 am

I have old Bose speakers that have a kind of acoustically transparent foam covering the actual speakers. Vacuuming the foam doesn't work because any dust on the vacuum brush gets caught in the foam. Dust rags/mops don't work for similar reasons. What does work is sticky tape. I roll off a foot or so of clear package shipping tape and gently put it down on the foam, then lift it up and move onto the next area. This would probably also work on grill cloth, but you'd have to be sure not to push down hard on the tape.

I have tried using the sticky rollers that take lint off clothes, but they are generally too sticky to use on antique fabric.

Another thought for dust removal would be a hair dryer on a low setting.

What methods do you use to clean grille cloths?

What methods do you use to clean grille cloths?

Re: What methods do you use to clean grille cloths?

Re: What methods do you use to clean grille cloths?

Re: What methods do you use to clean grille cloths?

Re: What methods do you use to clean grille cloths?

Re: What methods do you use to clean grille cloths?

Re: What methods do you use to clean grille cloths?

Re: What methods do you use to clean grille cloths?

Re: What methods do you use to clean grille cloths?

Re: What methods do you use to clean grille cloths?