Great Video as always Ron. I’ve just cleaned a whole heap of records with the Tergikleen as this stuff really is pixie dust. It even dramatically reduced the noise floor on my Trimicron LPs which are very difficult to clean as one side can run up to 56mins on 33rpm. One thing I did notice, you must rinse the records well after using Tergikleen. I use my project vc-e to vacuum the Tergikleen, then use the spin clean to rinse with distilled water. Results are amazing.
@@vbathory3757 yeah I did a lot of research on this too and they say you have to rinse after using Tergikleen. I didn't notice a problem when I didn't rinse and just vacuumed but I bought a second spin clean. I figured if I'm going to redo my whole record collection I might as well spend another 75 bucks for a rinse process because I know that's always recommended 😎. one spin clean for cleaning with the Tergikleen, at about 20 drops per gallon, and the other spin clean for rinsing in distilled water. I can only clean 10 records before I change the spin clean tank because the water is getting so dirty. Even though the records were previously cleaned with the ilford ILFOTOL. And yes I just recently did another listening test with a Depeche mode record ultra that I've listened to many many times after the Tergikleen wash I was again amazed at the Sonic improvement.
I knew a guy that was a dumbass like these guys. Didn’t have the sense of a flea. He wound up paying over $5000 in fines with some a couple of years probation. What a dumbass.
A lot of good information here. I never knew where to go with the debate over cleaning new records. But, with what I’ve experienced in the past year I have to agree with you. I’ve noticed a lot of debris/lint collecting on the needle with new records. There’s no doubt that effects the sound quality. I wish I had more time to really sit down and listen to music. Most of the time I’m doing something else while the record is spinning. Thanks, Ron.
Hi Ron, great video again. You are right about Tergikleen, it works very well. Tergikleen is basically Tergitol 15.3 and Tergitol 15.9 mixed together to make Tergitol 15.7 which works best on vinyl but for some unstated reason is impossible to get. I have been using Tergikleen for many hears on both my VinylStyl and 120khz ultrasonic cleaner. I also add a couple of drops of ilfotol into the mix which works wonders. Opens up the sound spectrum completely. I believe Last Record cleaning fluid used a mix of Triton X-100 and ilfotol, they can't use Triton anymore because Triton x-100 is now restricted because of its toxicity. I also use a custom built vacuum unit for drying records.
Hey man great That's some good information thanks so much for sharing. I think that Last record cleaning or actually the preservative stuff yeah it had a really high evaporation rate as soon as it hit the air it would almost evaporate immediately
I'm telling you bro if you get some check it out. you might end up cleaning all your records.😊 That's what I'm going to do. I am not really looking forward to it but it's so worth it for the sound. 💥
I've been using Tergikleen for some time now as I'm not sure that my own personal cleaning fluid would damage my HumminGuru. I still think mine is best, but I'm fine with using Tergikleen. I would have liked if you had explained how you cleaned or demonstrated your process. I make the required mixture of distilled water and Tergikleen and use that in the ultrasonic. Then I place the record on my RCM, rinse with distilled and vacuum dry. Works pretty well, but I never thought my VPI would wind up being just a rinse machine. Personally, I won't reclean my whole collection. But I cherry pick from time to time and reclean some. For the $25 or so that Tergikleen costs, it's well worth it. Just always use distilled water to mix with the product. Make sure you always rinse it off, with distilled of course, and be a happy listener.
Hello thanks for your response I use about 18 drops to a gallon of distilled water. I use this in my spin clean rotate record about seven times in each direction then I vacuum it off with my record Dr 5. Total time is 3 minutes per record. The record is completely dry when I'm finished. what is the purpose of rinsing? Thanks
Fantastic and very informative video Ron. I also started using Tegrikleen and Kodak photo flow when I purchased the Humminguru ultrasonic cleaner. What a game changer this has been and a vast improvement over the Spin Clean machine.
Awesome review Ron I’m definitely going to get that Tergikleen I need to deep clean my older jazz records a few other guys say it’s a must to use take care Ron .
I just spent a couple of weeks experimenting with various record cleaning solutions and the one thing that stood out to me using Tergikleen was the improvement in the sonics and clarity verses all the other products. I used a Spin Clean followed by an ultrasonic clean and a thorough rinse.
Valuable info as always Ron. I would love to see your process. As of now I basically do what you were doing by 1st spin cleaning then using the vacuum to finish. Works pretty well and occasionally great! Wondering if I could just use the turgikleen in my spin clean. Thanks again and take care!
Yes exactly I use the 15 drops of Tergikleen to a gallon of water this is what I use in my spin clean after which I vacuum off the record it's perfectly dry. this process takes 3 minutes per record at which point I can put them back in the record sleeve. I was thinking about making another video for an update to my record cleaning process. like you many others are asking about the process. I still think vacuuming is a superior way to remove all of the fluid from your record, even if you're using a ultrasonic. I think vacuuming would be a superior way to dry the record because the grooves are microscopic and the dirty water or the particles that may not have we been removed in the cleaning process can now be removed with vacuum.
After years of cleaning fads I finally gave Tergicleen a try. It only seems expensive as you are using only a few drops per gallon of water. I use Tergikleen mixed per their directions for Spin-Clean (I change out S C pads often, and arbitrarily change fluid around 30-40 records, which is 3 or 4 sessions, or sooner for new to me used...), then I rinse with spray bottle over the sink (I always use steam distilled water for clean and rinse), then go to my Record Dr. for vacuum. I let the records air dry further in a bamboo dish rack. I generally do 5 revolutions in each direction in the Spin Clean, and 3 or 4 in each direction on the Record Dr. I also use a soft shaving cream brush or fresh micro fiber towel to pre-clean once the record is mounted in my Amazon label protectors to remove any pesky particles before it goes into the Spin Clean tank (BTW, the new Spin Clean has a smooth tank interior, no corners for gunk!). I have been using this method with satisfaction for a year now. After cleaning and an air dry the records get new anti-static liners, and a sticky note on the album cover with cleaning details and date. I am surprised that my older records (the first record I bought was The Troggs, "Wild Thing" when it came out) are in such good condition when my record cleaning procedure was the old Disc Washer pad and fluid. It shows that even minimal effort in record cleaning pays dividends. I have an ultra sonic cleaner that I'm considering buying a rotisserie for, but the "mechanical" cleaning works very well.
Excellent video Bro! Yes, as I did extensive research in making my own DIY ultrasonic RCM (I use the exact same tank that Kirmuss uses, regardless of who actually makes it or what Fremer says 😊) I wrote some of these guys who REALLY know this stuff, like the guy Patrick has referred to who wrote this huge paper on 'The Precision Aqueous Cleaning of Vinyl Records', it's about 100 pages long and is EXHAUSTIVE! I wrote that guy and some others about the chemistry and many other parameters in building and using an ultrasonic RCM. I did a 4 part video series on this. Of course, I don't do nearly as good of a job as you do 😊 but, at least I stumble through and give all the details and share the links to these papers and research. You know, if you are planning on going through all your records and cleaning them again, you might want to consider the way I built mine because you can do 6 records at once with plenty of room in between (1 1/2 inches) to allow for thorough cavitation. I would save you a TON of time rather than doing each one individually. In doing this, I learned from the guy who wrote that paper who made recommendations about the chemistry to use in the tank along with other things like giving the records a thorough distilled or Laboratory Regrade Purified Water #2 rinse (which is what I do) which I incorporated into my video series. And, I include comments and details about the proportions and chemistry to shoot for. It does include a version of Tergitol, (the basis for Tergikleen) Triton-X, along with Ilfotol and the DREADED Isopropyl alcohol in balanced proportions. And, I've done over 1000 of my records so far and other than maybe about 30 or so that needed a little more loving care on my DIY vacuum/rinse RCM, they all came out really clean and quiet! And, many of them are used too as well as new. So yeah, Tergitol, Tergikleen, or Triton-X and other variants are excellent. The HUGE benefit of doing your own ultrasonic RCM is that you have FULL control over the chemistry, temperature, rotation speed, and duration, AND you can do 6 records at once, none of these can you do with the super expensive commercial ultrasonic RCMs. Really what it comes down to I've found is that you can get just about as aggressive with the chemistry that you want, as long as you make bloody SURE to give the records a proper rinse or rinse/vacuum (thus the safe inclusion of the controversial alcohol in the chemistry) Then, no matter *WHAT* you use on the vinyl, as long as it is properly and thoroughly rinsed/vacuumed/dried, then you are fine. Nice work mate! 👍
Someone was just asking me if they could just use Tergikleen with their spin clean then towel dry and I was telling him a lot of people say you have to rinse your records after the Tergikleen application. what's the reason for the rinse process because I don't rinse mine. I just run it through the spin clean and vacuum all the liquid off. the whole process takes 3 minutes per record. At which point I can put the record back in the sleeve.
@@RocknRonni Well, I was primarily referring to when the records spin in an ultrasonic tank with a strong chemistry. THEN, you most definitely have to have some kind of rinse, which the fellow who wrote that extensive paper strongly encouraged (FWIW, he liked my little setup I came up with to place the spindle of 6 records to rinse after being in the tank 😊) But, with that said, if you are vacuuming the record after cleaning it, I would say that it would depend on how concentrated the cleaning formula is. Many like Patrick and others here use a very diluted formula, so in a case like that as long as everything sounds okay you probably could get away with that. BUT... in cases where you really hafta go strong on the solution and/or agitation to get some very stubborn records clean, then yes, it would be essential to give a good rinse with at the very least distilled water and then vacuum dry. So, a lot would depend on how diluted your solution is, and I would GUESS that Tergikleen likely gives directions along this line about whether their product needs an additional rinse or not. The good thing about a good rinse is that you could use a very strong chemistry if needed to clean stubborn records, and then with the rinse you never have to worry about any residue being left. That is why what I use in my ultrasonic RCM is quite strong and includes a decent percentage of Isopropyl alcohol, which many are terrified will damage the vinyl. Because it is only ONE time and then after a few minutes you rinse it all off properly, so there is no reason to worry. The advantage of going the extra 'mile' so to speak and using Laboratory Regrade Purified Water #2 to rinse, is that the purer the water, the more of a deeper rinse the records get. This kind of water purified to that level almost acts as an additional 'solvent' that really gets down into the grooves even more so. But, I would say that with new records that really wouldn't be necessary, only with rather dirty/used ones. But, the level of purity of the rinse absolutely HAS TO BE at least distilled water to be sure no solids are left on the vinyl. But, like I mentioned, if your solution is fairly diluted (some like Fremer just use distilled water) I don't think you would really hafta worry about it unless you began to hear it on the vinyl.
A Tshirt with a pocket? Their damn hard to find in stores up here Ronald. I have to order them online half a dozen at a time. I wonder if that record cleaning stuff can be used on dirty dishes or dirty laundry? Some enterprising young man will probably make a million dollars with a new product Body Wash that includes those record cleaning products. LOL ... I don't get into immaculate methods of cleaning records or trying to have a perfect listening experience. I'm afraid I'm pedestrian when it comes to my listening experience Ron. If super clean records are your bag more power to you is my take on the subject. I'm happy where I am and your happy where you are. It's all good little brother, it's all good.... PS, your not listening to electricity your listening to acoustic waves caused by electricity. That's what sound is. It has to travel through a medium though. Don't matter what that medium is either. Two cans and a string will do. LOL
You're right Bobby kind of like I was saying when you go down the rabbit hole other things develop in your routine you weren't counting on like having to have a cleaner record thanks for watching my friend Hope you have a great day. Too bad fishing seasons too far away did you get to do any ice fishing up there in Toronto?
Tergikleen is xpensive in UK. Tween 80 can b had for 6/7 GBP.... Its better than ILFOTOL which sounds muddy etc... Tween makes much more cleaner and is much cheaper.. U can get a 10 ml bottle for just over 3GBP.... Tergikleen is 50GBP
Bro, I forget which video where you mentioned it, but I've been meaning to get back to you and tell you that I frigg'n *LOVE* the Jimi Hendrix Experience 8-LP box set done by Analog Productions. I got it off Amazon right after seeing your video where you mentioned it. WOW! I really love this set! I have a ton of aftermarket Hendrix, but this is an excellent addition. I had sworn that I was not going to buy any more Hendrix, but I am SO glad that I got this set! The songs are very engaging, the live and lesser known ones that you usually don't hear are excellent, and the recording quality and sound are bloody GREAT! So, a *HUGE* 'Thank You' my friend for the absolutely wonderful recommendation! 👍😁 I hope you are okay since we've not heard from you in a while...
Okay bro thanks so much for letting me know about the box that I was thinking about that for a while wondering how you liked it so glad you have the same opinion of the box that I do and the great value that it represents again thanks for leaving a great comment again been busy with life and being lazy about making videos I've been thinking here lately I need to get one out so fingers crossed I can get a video done
@@RocknRonni Well, since we all enjoy your videos so much, that would be a GREAT idea! 😁 BTW, since our thoughts on the Hendrix box and the Beatles Stereo box set seem to be in agreement, maybe we both hover somewhere near around the same wavelength...
I think you've underplayed this one Ron. Having cleaned 40 records i still cannot believe the increase in sonic quality as well as the magnificent ability to clean the grooves. I know there are numerous cleaning machines costing, in some cases thousands of dollars / pounds, but this product will do for me at a mere £42. Many thanks yet again Ron!!!
@@matthewtaylor7355 source? Anyway i've rescued > 300 albums which i can play and enjoy improved high fidelity so i get the benefit of not forking many hundreds of £s to buy mint copies so of course it is worth it. There are endless examples of so-called rip offs...we all know that but how do you evaluate the cost / benefit for the consumer...surely it is a personal matter.
@@matthewtaylor7355 I'm so glad you made me aware of the cost. Will you let me know if you can supply it to me for 10p & I will be more than happy to buy from yourself.
Ron, did you just pull the cover off a whole new rabbit hole? Those Hoffman Forum types have been running around the Tergitol tree for years. You would think they would turn into butter at some point (that's a Sambo reference that only the OG's will get).
Hello my friend thanks so much for your comment I don't know anything about the Hoffman forms I rarely go over there because it's usually a big mess and if you want to spend hours to read to find out about 1 minute of information because it's so contradictory most of the time. All I know is this stuff works great for me I know that Michael Fremer had said something about it was hazardous for something to mazzy when he talked about it in his cleaning video. whatever I missed all that too I don't drink it so it's probably okay to use on my records thanks bro. 😊
I’ve been using TergiKleen, at a 15 drops per gallon of distilled water mixture, along with my wet/vac system for a few years now, with excellent results. I do a second clean with distilled water only, because I don’t think it’s a good idea to let the TergiKleen residue dry on the surface of the record.
Just got my first ultrasonic cleaner and was glad to run across this video as I look for what to use. One of the things I saw was Kodak Photo Flo along with 99% isopropyl. If I go with Tergikleen is that all I would use?
TERGIKLEEN must be rinsed I currently use two spin cleans one for washing and one for rinsing and then I use my vacuum to vacuum off the fluid to dry the record
Hey brother Ron, I stopped putting so much pressure on my "micro towel drying" and dry it lightly with the towel and just air dry afterwards for I don't yet have a vacuum! The stuff on my stylus don't appear so much anymore! But I wonder if I use the "tergeclean" with the water, would it get rid of more of that "gunk"?
Some people in the comment section say you have to rinse the Tergikleen well. I have just asked late of heaven for clarification on why this is an important step will get back to you I don't know why they're saying this. In my opinion at some point you should consider the purchase of the humming guru ultrasonic cleaner or the disc doctor 5 to supplement your spin clean in both cases using the Tergikleen for best results.
I think it is no wonder that any product that contains detergent (ie. something that cleans/dissolves dirt) like the Tergikleen would be better than using Ilfotol only, which is nothing but a wetting agent, a surfactant that breaks surface tension and helps water+cleaning solution to really reach the bottom of the grooves (since the vinyl is by default repelling pure water). Ilfotol - on its own - was never meant to clean anything.
This isn't just any product I've tried different detergents and such different soaps record cleaning solutions. this is a different animal altogether 🔥. thanks for your very informed comment I appreciate it much 👍
Our Tergikleen product contains NO detergents. Its a mix of several Tergitols that target both water based contaminants and oil based contaminants. You must never add anything to it, or you destroy it and open the possibility you might damage your records by adding something that may not be compatible. More is not better.
@@davestephens8033 Thanks for this precision! So it contains no detergents, but other chemicals that dissolves both water based contaminants and oil based contaminants. My mistake was to think that the general term to define a chemical that has such cleaning properties (like the Tergitols you've mentioned) was detergent. But I understand I shall revise this :)
Hey Ron. I see the notification that you sent me a message but then I can't actually read it. This is really strange. I'm going to send a little message to RU-vid and see what's going wrong.
@@ganonkenobi okay 18 drops to a gallon of distilled water use that as my cleaning fluid in the spin clean. about six seven spins in each direction then I vacuumed it with my this Doctor 5. total time is 3 minutes per record no rinsing I'm vacuuming all the solution off the record. I hear about rinsing all the time what's the purpose of the rinsing?
@@RocknRonni very interesting. In my experience I've done a light rinse and had horrible surface noise aka pops and clicks I would go back and do a thorough rinse and get silent backgrounds.
@@ganonkenobi okay so the solution is left on the record surface and you can hear it just like when I used to use the spin clean soap and then hand dry my records they were horrible sounding they sounded worse than before I cleaned them because there was a lot of soap residue left on the record it was only when I started vacuuming that I got rid of that problem
My experience with it is not as positive as yours. I use a vacuum machine and a Degritter ultrasonic. I've probably used a dozen or so cleaning fluids over the years. I've noticed micro scratches on many Tergikleen cleaned LP's and sometimes hear increased surface noise. It does sometimes open things up a bit more but I'm mainly a classical listener and the surface noise is a big problem for me. Curious as to how you apply it. I've been a high end dealer for going on 30 years and have a very revealing system as well with a 100lb turntable and a $6,000 arm with a $5500 cartridge. I still have a bottle of it but am reluctant to use it any more. Oh, a tip that a very experienced record cleaning solution manufacturer shared with me - don't use microfiber cloths as we are told to do and I did for many years. They do shed lint and it's microfiber lint that can get into the grooves. Cotton is much better. He likes diapers but I prefer old cut up t shirts or towels that are so worn you can almost see through them. Take care
I apply TERGIKLEEN with my spin clean then I rinse with a second spin clean then I vacuumed the records dead silent beautiful sound much improved fidelity using TERGIKLEEN Records must be rinsed. Folks I know are using TERGIKLEEN in their ultrasonic then they're doing a Rinse with their spin clean then they're doing a vacuum good results
How much money do you blow on cleaning chemicals, gadgets, and rituals? Is it even worth it? Seems like an awful waste of money. I’m using Kodak Photo Flo, and tap water. I’m fine. The more times you keep changing processes and rituals, the more money you end up blowing. Just be done with it. You’re listening to records, not reenrolling in college chemistry.
That's a good question I should have included it in the video one bottle of Tergikleen cost $30 and it makes 30 gallons of cleaning fluid probably enough to do your entire collection and I did try the photo flow before now the ILFOTOL and I found this to be much better so I'm done it's probably the last money I'll ever spend on cleaning fluids in my lifetime and I was so excited by the results is so much better than the photo flow in my system thank you very much for watching and I appreciate your questions and leaving such good feedback
@@RocknRonni I know it is very economical cleaning. Hopefully you have settled on a formula that works well for you, that you will stay with for a while. As I shoot and develop my own film, using Photo Flo serves multiple purposes. And yeah, fairly cheap. I like it.
@@ArthurJS123 I think, after alot of contemplating that Ron has found a cleaner the totally does the job. Often we clean our records with this that and the other thing and it's still not right. Crap worked into record grooves can be almost impossible to remove when you look at the minute detail of the groove. I've had to clean records multiple times to achieve a good result on a second hand first pressing from a bargain bin for a dollar. But it's in there, maybe this product really gets down into the grooves and flushed all the crap out. It's possible in this day and age. Cheers and good listening 😎👍