The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I was wondering if anyone has any advice for cleaning cardboard based records? I've quite a few duriums in my collection as well as my cardboard covered with celluloid Nicole Record from the 1910s. Does anyone have a method for cleaning them?

I'm just wary since obviously moisture and cardboard don't go well together...

Isopropyl alcohol works fine on celluloid cylinders, so it should be fine for celluloid on a cardboard base, but I'm not sure what they used to surface the Durium/HOTW discs, so you might want to test it on a the very edge or damaged disc first.
DONT use metholated spirits/metho (methyl alcohol) on celluloid though or it will dissolve it!
Best to keep methyl alcohol for cleaning diamond discs & mixing shellac.

I've always been wary of using cleaning solutions or direct water on a HOW record. I have used a slightly moistened microfiber cloth with adequate results, if not resulting in deep cleaning. Since the cloth is afterwards slightly brick-colored, my hesitation to clean it like a usual shellac disc seems warranted!

I wouldn't use anything other than a soft brush on HOW/Durium records. Any moisture, being it water or alcohol may be fatal (because of invisible surface cracks). And do not ever play them with a steel needle on an acoustic gramophone. They were never intended to last more than a few weeks originally, so they can wear out within 10 playings. Provided you can get them flat enough, there are some very very nice things on them. Al Bowlly singing his heart out, Duke Ellington (rare as hell unfortunately0 and so forth. Sound quality as a rule is fine, they just often have that slight midrange noise, that you can also find on 1920s laminated Columbias.

Syncopeter, I hear you with the nice singers on Durium! I've got 2 Bowlly sides on them. It's a shame they have the awful rumbling noise though, but given the limitations of 1930s technology I guess it's pretty good they printed cardboard records in the first place!

Alcohol is not good for cleaning celluloid cylinders!! I can't talk for the Durium's but celluloid cylinders where made with added camphor as a softening agent. The evaporating camphor is the reason why the celluloid shrinks and finally starts to crack. Alcohol is a perfect solvent for camphor and therefore will help to speed up the devastating aging process.