Spin Clean Record Washing System Demo and Review 

I bought a Spin Clean based solely on this video. I have not once regretted buying one. It is the greatest way to clean a filthy record. The mixture of the fluid and water deep cleans the grooves and removes unimaginable amounts of debris from the record.

Great review! I totally agree with you! Spin Clean is a great cheap way to clean your records both new and old. I laughed when I read the guy trashing the Spin Clean when compared to the VPI. Give me a break. The VPI is awesome and carries an awesome pricetag to match. I've had mine for getting on ten years now and couldn't be happier. The only thing I would do is research some DIY cleaning solutions. I also switched to microfiber cloth a while back.

it works, and works well, but is manual labour intensive. But, it is cheap. I had a Dvorak LP that I bought from the UK that was not in good shape - whilst it still has some surface noise, it is markedly improved. I've had the cleaning thing for a year but have been too lazy to use it until just now. Wow, very impressed with it - a bit thanks to D Varada for taking the time to make a video on this excellent cleaning unit.

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I am seriously thinking of buying from Sleeve City but I was put off purchasing from them in the past because they didn't accept paypal. I guess the shipping will be high though. You guys are lucky that you have such sleeves in the States. By the way, that spin clean system is much better than the Disco-Antistat Record Cleaner which is a pain to find things like replacement brushes for.

When I'm ready to spend $600 on a record cleaner that takes up all that counter space, I'll buy one. In the meantime, I'm cleaning records with this for less than $100, I can put it away on a shelf and I love the way my records sound. Those VPIs are nice, though.

Hi Bill! I watched your video at the Spin Clean site. On the 3 records that you cleaned with the before and after sound sample, to tell you the truth, I couldn't tell a difference in the sound quality. I'll admit that I'm half deaf, but the static at the beginning of each sample is still very prominent. If I get records that sound that bad, if I couldn't get rid of it by cleaning, I'd toss the record. I have 50 year old records which I bought new that don't sound that bad!

Great video. I've been using my DIY record cleaning machine (basically an old Dirt Devil with an altered corner attachment, a cheap broken turntable, and a brush) for years, but this video might have given me the final nudge to purchase this thing already. My rig gets the job done, but it's messy and takes up a lot of room. It's also really tricky to keep the labels dry when cleaning. The Spin Clean looks like a nice quick way to clean new records and used LPs that aren't too filthy. I can maybe reserve my old setup for records that really need a deep cleaning.

I feel more comfortable with this manual vinyl cleaning system, rather than an automatic that does it automated. I also use a manual turntable, I choose the way the stylus

Wait a second! Not take the whole LP package apart every time you want to listen to vinyl? I thought that was the whole point of being a vinyl head! Taking LPs out and enjoying the inner sleeve liner notes, lyrics, etc. and listening to the LP...! Anyway, aside from that I think this is a great review of the machine. Although will describe what I had to do back when I was a "Vinyl Slave" to clean records...in the above comment ^ g

air dry them. Make sure to clean your turntable's platter before playing the cleaned LPs, and also to clean your styli on the cartridge (be VERY VERY VERY VERY careful with that part). Remember to store them in high quality sleeves - I use and recommend mobility fidelity master sleeves - expensive but very good. Make sure to have a good cleaning brush for your turntable (I use a ClearAudio carbon fibre one) and use it before EVERY play.

Thanks for the video, I assemble and ship out Spin Clean washers for the inventor and have never seen them in action ..;)

Thanks for the demo! Very useful.

Great video, thanks for the demo.

Ronco is back!!!!!

Hi, one thing. The manual states to dry records with the supplied white clothes with CLOCKWISE movements (probably to follow what would be teh stylus path). You did counter-clockwise in the video.

Thank's for a good demostration :)

Simple but effective way to clean records: go to the kitchen sink, put the faucet on full blast, put the record under the running water for 30 secs. each side, then hand dry with a very soft towel. As for the labels, I have *never* ruined a label with this method. ymmv.

Thank you for this video. I just bought this myself. This video will be super helpful for reference. What about drying? A low heat blowdryer ok? or do you just air dry them?

Just got one this week. It is the "40th anniversary" model. I got it for a bargain price of $49.95 (new). It works wonders!! The only thing I don't like about this "retro" device is its dark color. You can't see all the dirt until you pour it out. The yellow ones are probably much better to see into, but at double the price!

Check out my "Spin Clean Comparisons Before & After" video. If you STILL can't hear a difference, you have no ears.

If you got very dirty records,i 've leaned that itæs important that you make sure to play trough the etire record a couple of times,before the results are complete. The reason is that the needle dig up particles who not dissapear when you washed. Then you take a carbon brush and clean the particles away:))

Will I need two of these for double albums?

Why there's "static" which isn't really static, is because that "static" is MICRODUST. Very fine, dust from years of those tattered abused records accumulating that said dust being stored in cheap, middle of the road opened or flapped polybags. In used records, even ultra mint ones, there is microfine dust. I'm so glad I left vinyl a few years ago. The time, the enslavement as I call it, the space records take, did I mention the time? And babying? So glad. g

I sell lots of old jazz records on ebay and I have been using the spin clean for a bout a month. I find it much better to put the record on a rack, like a dish rack, after I put the record through the spin clean...and let it drip dry. After it's dry I dry it with the cloths provided. After that I use a shammy cloth to real buff it up nicely. Some record companies did not use good ink on their labels, like blue note. If you get the label wet, the ink will smear onto the vinyl. In the case of blue note, you may very well find blue ink on your record. By letting the water run off the record back into the spin clean.....you will avoid getting the label wet.

Just ordered a spin-clean

Price is right. However, you need to put a sample of a non clean record played twice, as the first time it is played, it always sound better, (the needle removes particles/static etc).

So I ran out and got one of these after watching your video, it really makes records shine and sound good but I'm wondering, what's the best way to clean the brushes after you've done a few records? The brushes on mine get so much hair and lint and stuff caught in the cleaning brushes and it's hard to get it out just by rinsing, which is all the maintenance manual says to do... What have you found to use to really clean the brushes to like-new when you're done with a cleaning session?

Bill, any thoughts on styli? Will a sapphire one really wreck my records like the man in the shop said? (Shame seeing I bought them in bulk - $100 for 10 - and I really am just guessing they're not diamonds.)

I use the Spin Clean too; but, I do not follow the manufacturers instructions. That's to say, I do not use the supplied towels to dry cleaned records. Instead, I place wet records on a dish rack to air dry. This is possible when using distilled water, since it contains no minerals which would leave residue on the cleaned records. Now, with my divergence from instructions as stated, my cleaned records are virtually static free; and, sometimes this means pop free playback of records which have not already been damaged from mistracking, stylus skating, or the stylus exploding debris in the groove. I am a perfectionist so pops are a great distraction to LP pleasure. The Spin Clean alleviates these distractions with very little cost or effort.

ok here is the dope on the spin clean the reason the record sounded the same or maybe even worse after being cleaned with the spinclean is because now you have left behind soap residue on the record when I first started using the spin clean I would clean a record in near mint condition that was quiet but had some dust on it after cleaning with the spin clean I was horrified by all the noise on the record but after a few plays almost all noise was gone I arbitrated the added noise to static electricity being applied to the record via the brushes not so as I have recently found out by trial and error that after you clean the record with the soap spin 4 times in both directions you need to rinse the record with distilled water only then it will play quietly. As Loyd Walker says after you Shampoo you hair you need to rinse to really get you hair clean.

yes, but it is far more expensive. Some people don't want to pay $600 for a record cleaning machine. I will eventually get a good unit, but for now, this lil beauty works wonders imho. Well worth EVERY single cent.

Huge difference! Lol. They sound the same!

Which is why I rotate the drying cloths and wash them with unscented and allergen free clothes soap which does not leave residue. This is why I get great results. Thanks for your comment, I will research the Knosti, but it looks like something that's not easy to find in the USA.

So get audiophile presses, little to no noise at all. Glad you left a superior media?

I could see using it as a pre cleaner for really dirty garage sale records before using them on a proper record cleaner but hey, if it's all you can afford or are just starting out this looks to be a good way to get started. If I was using it as my only record cleaner I'd do a dish rack's worth of records and then dump the cleaning solution and do a rinse since distilled water is very cheap.

had best results by using a basic rec cleaner with adjustable "arms" for 7" n 12" holding removable sponges to be clipped into disk hole; moving the arms from vertical to horizontal the vinyl is dipped into specific cleanser which in my case is composed by battery/ iron distilled water a couple of drops of no foam detergent at room temp; I do spin against the normal rotation sense rinse with mentioned water and place disk into plate dryer, no rubbing eventually pat it dry the limit is that the track list badges get wet, very delicate and takes ages 2 dry out...but the sound is ayaycaramba!

@D.Verada. The VPI 16.5 DOES NOT cost $600.00--this is a myth that has been perpetuated by folks who us wood glue to "fix" their records and prefer to use cheap knock-offs like the product shown here to do the job of a professional record cleaning system. a VPI or any vacuum cleaning machine is for the true collector--I wouldn't clean my dirty dishes in this contraption...

I do purchase from sleeve city, but the other place I buy my sleeves is Bags Unlimited. Don't know if they have decent shipping rates to the UK.

You must have some sort of agenda as you've left nearly the same comment on a whole bunch of other videos, and the short form of "advertisement" is "ad", not "add". Whatever works for you is fine. Same goes for anyone's methods. Personally, I would never warm up the water as you state in your blog. Room temperature water is safest to protect against causing a warp. But if it works for you, that's fine.

Where did you get you inner sleeves from please? I bought awhile back from a seller from Ebay and they look similar to the ones that you're using, but they left some tiny hairline scratches on my precious vinyl(a very costly mistaken as they were in pristine condition!). I know Sleeve City has something similar but I have to import the UK which is costly. But I'm not sure how good they actually are though...any suggestions? People should be very careful when purchasing sleeves.

Hey Bill, I noticed you dried your records in a COUNTERCLOCKWISE direction. Did you notice the manufacturer recommends drying in a CLOCKWISE direction? Have you tried this and did it make a difference? The reason I ask is because I cleaned 50+ records last night and dried them like you did in the video before I re-read the instructions. Thanks. Btw, great video.

Thanks for all your comments. MadderRoseRuiz: If you can find a place that will sell me a VPI for $420, please post a link for the curious. Personally, I'm happy with my Spin Clean, but I cannot find a VPI machine for less than $595, which, to be practical, is $600.

Back in my "Vinyl Slave" days I would hand clean records because I really needed to remove the MICRODUST that sits deep within vinyl grooves that just passing water with solution does not get at. I say this because I noticed the "After" samples still had clicks and pops. Sorry for the order of this, but character limits force me to continue this ^ above in another comment...

Talking about the bag on the out side of the lp? if so I keep my opening on the top so when I pull out the lp the plastic sleeve comes w/ it. But not all my lps have a bag on the out side if it gets to warm it will act like a green house & warp the lp.

No heat dryers!! I usually have a small circulating fan running nearby, along with the supplied cloths makes the drying process a little faster.

Still very noisy due to dirt. I clean mine with the vpi 16.5. And al the hiss and pops are gone.

"They're called brushes"...hilarious!

Why have the bag opening at the top and not on the spine side, so the spine can be read easier? Will dust get in less easily with the opening on top? I'm not being critical, I'm seeking advice with an explanation. Record sleeve opening should be at the back, right?

I didn't hear much of a different either but like the other post said you have to hear the whole lp through to get the full effect, Question where did U buy this? I might get this one its cheep enough & I have close to 3,000 lp's But Turning them by hand! it should come w/ a motor attached to it don't U think!!

Does the fluid leave any residue that can build on the stylus??

First of all you use distilled water because it comes without the minerals that you get in regular "clean" tapwater, ie. calcium, magnesium, phosphorus that you don't want residues of on your disc. Some people will argue that their water, tap water, bottled water etc. is clean enough, but it is not mineral free, which is the problem. Second, I'm surprised to see that the very expensive "Spin Cleaner" (expensive compared to alternative brands ie. "Spincare"!) doesn't come with a drying rack, as do alternative brands, ie. "Spincare"!?! (no, I don't have financial interests in Spincare! 😉). Simply drying the disc with a microfiber cloth doesn't make it completely dry, you'll still have to wait a while "holding it in your hands?" before putting your disc into a clean inner sleeve. Putting a disc that is still wet into an inner sleeve can and surely will create mold on the disc.

well, the VPI RCM you've recommended sells for AUD $1295 in Australia (I queried the distributor/sole retail outlet for Australia - Audio Connections).

What are those brush things called? 😃

If you want to stay with the Spin-Clean, rather than a vacuum RCM, I would suggest not using water or a water-based cleaner at all. Just go to your local pharmacy and get 91% isopropyl alcohol and fill the reservoir with that. It'll be more expensive, but will do a much better job cleaning your records. It'll also dry much faster and more thoroughly. You can use some filtering material in a funnel to allow you to re-use the alcohol if you want to. If you want to get a bit more ambitious, and spend the extra money, get something like Mobile Fidelity One record cleaning solution and use that. One thing to keep in mind is that you must keep the cleaning pads as clean as possible. I have heard of people who use this machine scratching some of their records due to grit that was trapped in the cleaning pads. You should remove the pads frequently and clean them with a toothbrush and microfiber cloth, preferably after cleaning each record. Some say that using alcohol, or an alcohol-based cleaning solution, can damage the records by removing the oils from the vinyl. I don't buy that based on 25 years of LP cleaning experience. If you're worried about it, though, buy a second Spin-Clean and fill it with purified water and rinse each record after you clean it.

You work your butt of cleaning records . I prefer nitty grity record cleaner , but there are some others out there that also work as good too for less money as well . 600.00 Bucks is a lot to spend on a record cleaner , but you also save your stylus and record grove and your records last longer too . I cleaned up thrift store records with a discwasher cleaner and zeostat gun as well . But I wouldn't mine a auitomatic cleaning machine if I had the money for one . VPI also makes a good cleaner . But you can also make DIY cleaning machine if your handy too . I seen them on youtube and they seem to do a better job than the commercial machines . Ultrasonic is one I also like . I also wouldn't mine seeing a powerspray washing machine too to clean them like a dishwasher .in your kitchen .

what would happen if your records got scratches but still work? what would you do?

All that effort to clean Live Peace in Toronto and Yoko still sounded like shit!

Me too. I've been using the Knosti for a few years now and it is brilliant. The Spin Clean is a rip off at almost 3 times the price of the Knosti and there's no protection for the record label. Also those drying towels would become contaminated very quickly with finger grease which you would be spreading over your records again. And you most definitely should NOT wash them in regular detergent as it would put a scum into them. Washing up liquid would be better but it wouldn't remove any dirt.

80 bucks is a bit pricy for a plastic box but what are you gonna do? (Hint: make your own spin clean and sell it for half the price and steal all the sales!) Still, seems like a good little system. Great video and I did hear a difference (sometimes not night and day but still an improvement overall).

I wouldn't say the best. Maybe easy. Disc doctor is more time consuming and laborious but the end result is superior. Why lint free rags? Pure cotton terry works great and a carbon fiber brush readily removes any particles unless this product doesn't actually clean the vinyl and the particles refuse to let go of the surface of the record. I just rinse the rags in very hot water then rinse with distilled water. I have cleaned 100 records with the same rags not more than 8 per session.

I heard little more background noise, less silence between songs, than untreated records... is it only my impression?

Hi, Do you ever have problems with static after drying them?

" Yeah there called brushes " made me laugh

Nah, I do not hold a disgust for this cleaner--I just think that a Vacuum based cleaner is the better solution for cleaning vintage vinyl. I also am not against hand-cleaning vinyl. which I equate this machine as doing. I've done hand-cleaning for years, but find that the VPI truly improves the entire quality of the vinyl's visual and play-grade I have heard the difference of both methods. Clearly, a RCM is the ultimate choice. At least for me.

where did i see this before? REMIND ME OF THIS VIDEO

I thought the American pressings of the Kraftwerk album "Autobhan" were Capitol,not Vertigo - which was their International label.

Continued from below... I would take a velour RadioShack duster thing, sit the record on an old turntable and spin by hand, the dry record while pressing down firmly in an almost dust gathering type manner. I tell ya, to my astonishment, I would gather super fine dust, microdust, gathered up like dust on a table! I'd remove that with a record solution wetted paper towel THEN do a wash similar to this with record solution, THEN add Gruv Glide. Result? Almost no clicks/pops. G

The records used from what I can tell, especially The Who Sell Out, seem really tattered. Buying used, I was picky. If the covers had abuse, I wouldn't even open it. If I found what looked like a mint opened record and took out the vinyl and there was hair, dust, scratches... forget it. If you start with an abused cheap tattered record that means the vinyl was abused, bad stylus' used, probably burnt in dust into the grooves permanently and no amount of super cleaning will fix that. - Gary

thumbs up'd the 'didn't hear much difference'...

very good :) ......

The VPI 16.5 does not cost $600.00--Mine cost $420.00 Brand New. If you truly value your vinyl collection, I cannot even think why anyone would spend good money ($79.99) on something that old fashioned vinyl hand-washing accomplishes even better. For those folks who want to be penny wise and pound foolish, this doesn't even qualify as a record cleaning machine. Let's get a little honest here, folks.

You're comparing apples to oranges. You mean the machine that costs 6x as much works better?! Who would of thought that!

LOL!!!! I completely agree!

If you lives in uk,try out juno records .uk,they are selling all kind of stuff for records equipments.

Your math is wrong. I paid $420.00 for my VPI 16.5 9 (Brand New) and there is no way in which I would compromise my vinyl collection with this $79.99 system--which is approximately 1/4 the cost of one of the best RCMs on the market pound for pound. If your collection is of any worth to you, you would never use a system like this over a VPI or any other vacuum RCM. You might as well spit shine your vinyl.

id rather go for the Knosti one.

You need to destatic your vinyl bro.

The best tip I can give you regarding the use of the Spin Clean is to heat the distilled water in your microwave before pouring it into the Spin Clean basin. You don't need to use boiling water, but warm enough to help soften up the crap that sticks in the grooves...Trust me, it makes a big difference....!!!

Alex Bevan? You must be from Northeast Ohio.

It doesn't matter how much you wash Live Peace in Toronto. Yoko is still going to sound like crap!

I was not sorry that CDs replaced vinyl

I can't hear differences... :( Anyway, thanks for the video to help me not to buy Spin-"Clean". XD

So basically it doesnt do anything i cant do without it.... Its not even automatic...

Didn't notice much difference in the sound at all.

A VPI 16.5 is 10 times faster than this "method", uses an anti-static record fluid along with a vacuum system which also prohibits the oils and grease from a human hand to just ruin the pro-longed time and effort which this plastic piece of junk ends up causing. I have my VPI 16.5 for almost 4 years now, and it is as solid as a concrete house. It is built to last a life-time, and most serious record collectors swear by it. On average, the VPI raises the play-grade of an LP by half a grade.

Bill lebowski take it easy dude

Sounds the same if you ask me

It's cleaner than all tap water. xD

4:10

I don't know why you were saying "big difference" Bill. The before and after almost sounded exactly the same. To go from your before to your after and throw in 2 hours of work in my opinion is NOT worth it. I think I would get the same or better result with a bottle of rubbing alcohol, 2 tablespoons of liquid soap and water. If these are the results this machine is NOT worth $100.00

Bill, I read that this particular model was cheaply made and not worth the money also that they machine damages the outer part of the record. If so, why would you recommend what others are saying is a very cheaply makde product and not worth the money. What say you?

Ok, no vacuum, the 2 fuzzy pads do the cleaning. With water and cleaning fluid..all this fuss and mess without a dryer.. Iwe could just spray the record on the turntable,or on a dish rack and swipe with the pad.. I see no reason to buty this at all. I have a records cleaning pad and spray..what's the bonus here? Save your money for a machine that sucks the liquid instead. Because this is just mashing the dirt particles on the record,and even worse if you wipe..that causes scratches. Or spray,us

Hey, are you going to eat that banana?

hehehehe this guy his so high !

The results are not that impressive, sorry. I can recommend the Knosti, a german system. Not so much difference to the Spin Clean in construction but a much better fluid. I had so much fleamharked finds with a campfire in the background, the fluid of the Knosti is the secret, all records are dead quiet now.

I'm just looking out for vinyl owners. One wrong cleaning method destroys albums permenantly,and the internet is flooded with stupid suggestions.

heard nothing basically.. lol

очень трудно отмыть в ней моет плохо

I honestly dont think a piece of plastic and fluid is worth 80 bucks.

They're called brushes...haha