@@NeedleDropRules I’m going to send your video to a friend. He’s thinking about buying an ultrasonic machine. I think your video will be helpful to him.
I’ve had several people mention this, and I have tried it. The records on my end after just using water were definitely better than before. But I think they still sounded better using the steps and ingredients I use in the video. But you can definitely use just distilled water and get good results. Just my opinion.
I have the same setup, my opinion.. do one at a time, heat and soaking helps get the deep grime loose. 15 min just soak and 5 min ultrasound. 15*5 method.
I picked up a Vevor us lp cleaning machine and have been using it for the past month. The results exceed my expectations. I pre clean with G2 fluid two lps at a time. Then they go in the tank with just distilled water running for about 9 or 10 minutes. I added a reostat the drops the speed of the rotisserie so I reckon the entire record is ultrasonically cleaned about 3 minutes. I then vacuum the lps on my 35 year old Nittygritty rcm about 3 turns per side and place them in the lp rack provided by Vevor. After a few minutes I give each side a quick polish with a velvet brush and mark the lp sleeve cover to note its been cleaned. I really can't imagine what a $4,000 us machine does better.
What's your experience with cleaning an old record first with a simple manual device and then with an ultra sonic cleaner? How is the sound after the first procedure and after the second. It's a nice test. By the way, i have seen a very old Dutch buyerguide from 1980, in it was an add from Nagaoka which was about a product that worked against static dust-covers, they claimed a static dustcover could decrease the needleforce up to 1 gram.
Here's my experience through my life cleaning records. From the early 80'sinto the 2000's I used the simple, handheld Discwasher brush with cleaning fluid. It was okay, but never got everything off. Until somewhere around 2015 or so when I got the Spin Clean which was immensely better. I cleaned my entire collection with that for years. Then I got the ultrasonic cleaner. I went through my entire collection 0f 2000+ records again with it. There was an incredible improvement in the majority of them, which had already been cleaned in the Spin Clean. As far as comparing the sound of records first cleaned in the Spin Clean and later in the ultrasonic vs just using the ultrasonic, the end result is the same. I still use the Spin Clean sometimes before the ultrasonic, but only with incredibly filthy records. The SC gets the excessive crap off so that my tank in the US doesn't get super dirty too fast.
Thanks for the review. Definitely helpful. I just got an ultrasound cleaning machine but I haven’t had time to use it yet. Your tips and suggestions are greatly appreciated.
I have both the Spin Clean and the Vevor Ultrasonic Washer and by far the Vevor added more sonic impact to the music. The Spin clean is ok if you have a small record collection but its great to be able to clean 8 records at a time with the Vevor. Audibly It was quiet obvious, before and after playback. I just cleaned about 64 albums and the residue that was left in tank was enough to prove that the Ultrasonic works very well. Cleaning 5000 albums with the Spin Clean alone would be quite a chore not to mention the time involved...
It’s kind of funny, as years ago when I got the Spin Clean, I cleaned thousands of records with it. When I was done cleaning the whole collection, I thought to myself “well, I’ll never have to do that again!” Then I got the ultrasonic, and I realized I was going to start all over again! 🤣
The Ultrasonic method is a life changer especially when you can set it walk away and carry on with other chores. What I can't understand is that others pay a premium for other machines that do 1 record at a time, when this particular machine will do 8 at time with at minimal one third of the cost. I paid under 200 with all the attachments included compared to single cleaning machines that cost anywhere from 500 dollars to thousands of dollars! Even if the Vevor fails after the one year warranty, I could purchase 3 of these units for the cost of lesser of the name brand cleaners... 1
The last one sounds like a repetitive tic was removed as well. I have a similar setup as you have. I only do one lp at a time.. unless I get a couple new ones.. then I do multiples.. i even clean new ones before first spin. Used ones I do solo Good video
Just bought one of these and have a question. Why are you (or others) putting alcohol and surfactant into the distilled water? The ultrasonic waves produce the imploding bubbles to basically shake the dirt off the vinyl so why is any additional anything needed?
@@NeedleDropRules I ran a test record thru and then 3 more with just distilled water and a couple capfuls of spin clean solution - Watching the vinyl spin, it doesn't seem to retain that much water in the first place since it naturally repels it (especially compared to just using spin clean). After I let it go for about 20 minutes, there were a few droplets on it when finished which dried within a half hour. Played all of them and none had pops. There did however seem to be some film (maybe from the spin clean solution) that seemed to stay in place on some areas which maybe the photo flow would fix.
The Triton X-100 surfactant IS a cleaning agent. You don’t need the Spinclean solution (which who knows what is in it). Also, best to use 99% IPA, not 70% - makes dilution ratios easier as well. Lastly, a tablespoon of Triton X-100 is approx 15ml. If you mix that into a liter of distilled water then it’s concentration is 1.5%. This is much more than is needed. You only need 1-2ml.
You should be a rep for ultrasonics, I'm sold! Haha! Been trying to restore a vinyl for my Dad, in time for Fathers' Day (tomorrow lol), been a bit of a nightmare.... maybe when I get paid next I'll buy an ultrasonic cleaner!
Hahaha! Thanks for the kind words. I’ll tell ya, it would be a fun hub for sure! Good luck with getting your dads records cleaned. You can always get a Spin Clean. It does a very good job, and is a great bang for the buck if something like this is out of your price range. Would love to know down the road if you were able to get his records cleaned and what his reaction was!
@@NeedleDropRules Got to say the Spin Clean worked a treat, he's so pleased! :) Thank you! Went from a noisy record to very minimal surface noise. I may yet try ultrasound later on but at the moment this is miles better. I did try the UK version of the Spin Clean though, called Spin Care (but it looks exactly the same basically), because it was cheaper :) Thanks again!
As long as the water level is not too high, the label will never get wet. When I fill the tank, I put on one of the white pucks onto the spinning fixture. That represents the record label, and I just make sure it doesn't touch it. Since shooting this video, I began the task of cleaning every record in my collection of over 2500 albums. I'm about half way through, have cleaned easily over 1000 records, and have not had one label damaged.
Have a question. I have a Vevor TH-30a ultrasonic cleaner able to clean records. However, it did not come with instructions on how to set it up for that and Vevor people have been of no help. Do you know of a way to get the instructions for my unit which looks similar in nature to the video? Thanks Marc
It does look like mine. If so, the temperature is on the left, and the timer is on the right. Put your water in the tank, and turn on the unit with the switch on the back. Then set the temperature to somewhere between 30-40 (it should be in Celsius) Then push the button underneath that that says "on/off". One will show the temperature that you set it at , the other the current temp of the tank. While waiting for the tank to warm up, set the timer on the right to 30 minutes. When the temperature is finally up to what you set it at, load your records and hit the "on/off" underneath the timer. Turn on your record rotator, and you should be good to go!
Thanks for the kind words! I am still using it, and have been attempting to clean my entire collection with it starting at A and working my way though Z. I'm getting close to being half way through, and have cleaned at least 1000 of my own albums, plus a lot for friends and family. She's still going strong, and I'm still getting amazing results. Some of the best money I ever spent for my hobby.
What a shocking difference!!!! I'm Sold!!! Ive been eyeing one on ebay that is very similar to this one, it has dials for temp and time instead of the digital controls. Very reasonable price! I've been doing the vinyl vac which is good and been doing it that way for 5 years. Time to upgrade and this will be it!!! Maybe just use the vinyl vac for drying them instead of just sitting to air dry? Big Thumbs up.
Dude! That's great! I'm sure you'll really like it. It's amazing how much crud this can get out of the grooves that previous attempts with the Spin Clean did not. Remember, not all results will be as good as the ones in the video. Some records are just flat out damaged! As far as the drying goes, letting them air dry is working just fine for me. However, I have seen plenty of other methods for the drying, some more involved than others. Test any method you like, and see what works best. I'd love to hear back from you if you tested several methods out and shared your results!
@@NeedleDropRules Hey Brother! I will let you know. I've got my magic cleaning potion down perfectly (for me lol) I've got a Zeppelin 2 1st pressing Rob Ludwig hot mix that I've cleaned with the Vinyl Vac many times helped a little so that will be the 1st one that I clean.
@@NeedleDropRules oh me too!!!!! My wife said I can order it in 2 weeks grrrrrr! (I want it now!!!) I got my cleaning solution down pat. I will let you know how it turns out. I will do it by itself for hopefully optimal results. Looks like you and I have the same taste in music. I have been looking for that Iron Maiden album. Can't find it with out breaking the bank for a decent one! Oh as far as the speed of the the spinning to slow it down i've scene a voltage variac for cheap on Amazon I think I will get as well to slow down the spinning to like 2 or 3 RPM. Might be worth a try for the price ($21.99) yeah i've been all over the forums about Ultra Sonic cleaning. What a rabbit hole i jumped down AGAIN!!
@@NeedleDropRules I ordered the same one you have from Amazon yesterday. It's on it's way along with a Wewu motor spinner and a Voltage reducer variac to slow the spinner down a bit!! Should be here next week. Can't wait to get cleaning!
I use ultrasonic cleaner in my work for 5 years and it is the best cleaning process. My advise is don't let that machine alone because at a certain point the temperature can rise a lot and if it goes above 60 degrees you can say goodbye to your vinyl. At the moment I use a device that cost 700€ and it has also happened several times. We have already bought several brands, worse and better, it happened in all... never forget to control the temperature.
@@NeedleDropRules Don't get into the habit of putting your hands for a long time inside the tank with the machine running, It peels the flesh off your bone. It's a horrible pain. Don't get me wrong i just don't like people getting hurt. And i love vinyl. Regards from Portugal. Peace.
Great video. Since the records are already cleaned with the Spinclean you probably don't really need to add the Spinclean fluid. Distilled water, alcohol and surfactant are adequate for the ultrasonic bubbles to work their magic.
Thanks for the positive comment! I’m still tinkering as I go along with this. Everything I’d seen so far with this said to add some sort of cleaning agent, so I have. And since I’ve got several bottles of the Spin Clean solution, figured I might as well use it! I will try a cycle without and see what happens after reading your comment and see what happens.
Great video Thx, I have the same system and use with Tergikleen. I just would not use any alcohol, here is what they say on using alcohol. "you never want to use ANY alcohol in any vinyl cleaner. My experiences with alcohol cleaners is that it destroys high frequencies, turning cymbals into sandpaper sounds and "s" sound into irritating noises ;-) This is precisely why we developed this cleaner so that you would never ever do any kind of dama"ge to your albums, ever, never, you can leave alcohol behind with other damaging cleaners.
All I’ve been doing is what other videos have shown, and other people I know have done. I assume it does something, or why would so many people bother with it? All I know is whatever makes it works is working, so why bother switching anything I guess!
Sorry for the late reply. I never got a notification of your comment! It’s definitely and underrated record, and a good solid rock album. Ace’s is my favorite of the four solo albums, but Paul’s is definitely my favorite!
Do you have a problem with the water getting too hit as the ultrasonic runs? I have a similar set up with a vevor ultrasonic and the transducers heat up the water and warp the records.
I have not had any issues with the water getting too hot. I watched it very closely at first, as I had heard several people mention this. When mine reaches the temperature I enter, it seems to turn off the heat, then turn back on when it gets a few degrees under that setting.
the spin-clean isn't the best and isn't the first the disco antistat is better. and might be cheaper. nothing wrong with going 99% isopropenyl its easier to mix your quantity you deleting it anyway 10% isopropanol should be enough. but not on shellac has to be alcohol free. surfactants leave a trace behind that's not necessarily bad thing but there is a residue left in the grooves, just use a non sodium soap car soap is fine without wax.
@@NeedleDropRules well that's the main thing how much was it. try using some ad-blue as liquid cleaner, you can buy it from gas stations, let me know how you get on.
Great video man! Thanks for sharing. I have been using this same system for a year now and I can assure those still harboring some skepticism that this really works and makes a difference. But Like Neal Petty said, I strongly recommend that you rinse cleaned records with distilled or de-ionized water after cleaning them. You will never rinse 100% of that surfactant out of the grooves but not rinsing at all will leave residue in there and will affect the sound but more importantly, the residue may eventually end up scraped onto your stylus so rinsing is a good idea IMHO. Moreover, you will see visually how initially the water will be a touch soapy and then run clean off your records that have gone through a wash. I also think you need to add more IPA. 70% or 100% makes no difference since you can just make your own 70% by adding 30% water to 100%. But, if you only add 1 teaspoon of 70% IPA to 1.25Gal of water in that tank, you will end up with only 0.0007% alcohol. Most "formulae" I have seen recommend around 5% alcohol, 94.8% water, and 0.2% surfactant. This is what I use. Give it a try, give your records a rinse, and let me know if you saw any improvement. Oh, one more thing.... I load my records onto that spindle laying it face up on the table, then mount it onto the cleaner with records already on it and remove the whole thing as well. I have placed 2 lines with a permanent marker on the rear rim of the tank where the thing should go (i.e. the center) and it's easy that way to place it back in the same spot every time. Like you, I have found that those thin spacers leave too little space for cavitation to do its best job so I place that thick spacer in the middle instead of at the end and only ever run 2 records at a time. I know it's slow but I figured next time I am gonna need to ultrasonic clean my records will be 10 years from now so I better do a good job now to not have to re-do it later. Like if I upgrade my cartridge some day I don't want to start hearing more static all of a sudden - I'd rather know my records are as clean as they can be (considering my current budget, of course). Over the last year, I have found that I can clean (about) 12 records per tank and then the solution gets too dirty for my comfort - I can see crap floating in there at that point and so I drain it and make a new batch since it only costs about a $1. Then it occurred to me that as the solution gets progressively dirtier over time, perhaps tiny amounts of residue that came out of the previous records and dissolved in the solution end up on those records that follow them? I don't know the answer but just in case, I started ordering my records by ♥️ factor (i.e. those I love listening to the most get to go into the cleanest tank / first in that batch). Lastly, I discovered that that surfactant is not easily water-soluble (it dissolves eventually) but it is instantly alcohol-soluble. I therefore pre-mix a "concentrate" in a bottle (about 10 rinse batches worth) that I then measure out into the water. I then turn the cavitation on for a few minutes on empty so it can mix with the water thoroughly and then records go in. Sorry this comment ended up being way too long but hopefully it'll help someone. Cheers and thanks again for sharing!
I made my own record holder for a similar Ultrosonic Tank. I then added a remote fish tank filter plumbed out that spigot and back into the tank to clear out debris that does fall out of the grooves. I picked up a used Nitty Gritty Vacuum Cleaner and a Spin Clean knock off (Studabaker). I use Tergiclean as agent - but that needs a rinse. So I preclean using the Nitty, then Ultrasonic, then rinse in the Spin Clean, dry on the Nitty, then finish drying on a folder rack "borrowed" from work. I always put the records in new Rice Paper Sleeves (MoFi or similar) as pulling a clean record out of a paper sleeve will make you wonder why you cleaned it in the first place!
Isn't this why we all went to CD's. I have a serious LP collection of classical music begun in 1964. I always played me record with good equipment and used a little gadget that was a plastic arm with a roller and whiskers at the end that touched the record. Then i went to CD's. Recently I have revisited my classical music on both Audio Technica 120 and U turn high end tables. My records soung good an my Grado cartridges. Most of me LPs only need a little spin with the Audioquest brush, Some have static- I just bought the spin clean but haven't used it yet- I believe that this will suffice. I do not go to yard sales for records. I have so many that at my age I probably will not have the time to hear all of them again. Life is too short to waste time on cleaning records. But to each his own. Take care.
Hey, I get it. Most of the records I bought new still sound amazing today. But some of the hard to get albums that were scarce in the 90’s for me, or used records just need that extra cleaning that this provides. And I’ll add that once you’ve put them though this, if you take care of them like I do, you’ll never have to clean them again.
I wondered about those ultrasonic washers on Amazon and ebay. Thanks for doing this. Primitive and affordable record washing/vinyl Vac system . I am stunned how different the records sound.
It’s amazing the difference I’ve heard in some of the records. I just purchased about 10 records in a dollar bin that are just filthy and look terrible. I’m going to try them out in it this weekend!
There are three links in the description of the video. One for the cleaner, one for the device that spins the records and one for the surfactant. All are on Amazon.
If you are serious about LPs there is no better cleaning method than ultrasonic cleaning. I used those spin cleaners and they made them cleaner but not clean. If you held them in the light you could still see they were not perfect. I play them and still my stylist collects dust and then distorts the music. I run one through the ultrasonic cleaner and the LPs look like new. I play LPs constantly and never have to clean my stylist. The pops and clicks vastly removed and the noise level seems much lower. It has even fixed some skips that were caused by debris. Now after saying that. It will not work miracles. It will not fix damaged LPs, if the surface is messed up, this wont do much for that. I set mine at 32, more than that the LPs can warp but seem to spring back, still a little nerve racking. If you do not over fill it the labels will not get wet ever, if you do dry them instantly. Its not been a problem for me at all. I used distilled water and a dash of isopropyl alcohol and that's it. You could use 100% its being poured in water, 50%, 60% does not matter, you are not applying it directly to the LP. Run it for 5 minutes for most LPs unless they are really dirty. I got mine on Amazon and I can clean 7 LPs at one time, its fantastic. I paid less that $300 and basically looks just like the one in this vid. Oh mine you can raise and lower the LPs into the water making it easier than this one. Oh and try to let them air dry, using a lint free cloth can re-introduce lint to the LPs, I sometimes spot dry some drips but never wipe the LPs down. I did that and got some lint build up but never when I do not.
thanks for taking the time to create this quality video. I have heard that there should be, in addition to the pucks, spacers between the records to give the cavitation enough room to do it's job.
