The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

So recently there was a thread about cleaning 78's with glue, which people laughed at, but it got me wondering, what is the best way to clean 78's?

The best way I have found is with a sink of warm water, some mild soap and a toothbrush. Put a small amount of the soap on the toothbrush, dip it in water and work around the grooves of the record. When done rinse off the soapy water under a running tap. Have a towel on hand and dry the record. Allow to dry for 24 hours before playing with a vintage phono. Avoid getting the label wet if possible as it can affect it.

THIS PROCESS SHOULD NOT BE USED ON EDISON DIAMOND DISKS OR RECORDS WITH CARDBOARD OR SIMILAR CORES - they have a separate and very different cleaning process.

I've had great success with Disc Doctor - the brushes, etc. are simple, cheap and effective.

For a longer discussion, see:http://www.musicangle.com/feat.php?id=54

I agree with the post above, I have been collecting 20 years and warm water mild soap and a soft brush is all you need on 78's
Glue ? I never heard if such a thing.. Would you smear glue all over your prized record collection? I wouldn't.
Warm water and mild soap is fine, just be careful to not get the label wet, if t does it's ok just dry it quick, I then put the I'm a homemade drying rack that holds 30 at a time to keep them spaced so they can dry good and they are fine

We've discussed this before and I agree with Nat. I use nothing but Disc Doctor materials and a Nitty Gritty machine for the final drying after rinsing them in distilled water. Soap and water leaves a lot of dirt and mold and other junk in the grooves even after you've "cleaned" your 78s that way, trust me. If it's good enough for all of the major audio archives, it's good enough for me.

Sean (who didn't think there was a difference until he tried it)

The glue thing is.....interesting, and possibly might work on exactly the right record under the right conditions- but I wouldn't try it on anything really good.

Well- boiled tepid water and a few drops of detergent. And be very careful with laminated records (Columbia, OkeH etc.) that may have hairline cracks. Just wipe these with a wet cloth. Water may open a crack further and render the side uplayable.

Also be careful with Vogue picture discs. I found one where water got into the cardboard core through the spindle hole and made it swell up.