Spin Clean Vinyl Record Washer: The good, the bad and the ugly! 

It's great to see people keeping their records clean, and I know many use that Spin Clean. It's a bit labor intensive and messy, but at least it cleans. I was lucky to get a VPI cleaner after some bonus money at work. Not messy at all, just clamp the record in, put fluid on it and hold a small brush over the grooves. Swing the vacuum arm over and click a switch and it's perfectly dry and clean. I love it.

Excellent info. I've owned one for a few years now. Paid $75. Although the materials involved may not be worth the money, the job it does is worth the price 10 fold if used correctly imho.

It's a great product, when used within reason. I've since created my own RCM from a crate, ice cream maker motor, old platter, and a small shop vac, but I still use my SpinClean for 7" records. Two SpinCleans work great too, one for cleaning, one for rinsing. I've found that the SpinClean also works better you fill it about 1/4" above the recommended level, as the additional liquid helps lubricate the rollers and make them easier to turn. Also, I put a very tiny drop of clear Dawn on the roller pins. It turns so much easier and smoother. I've cleaned 8-900 records and my brushes and rollers still look new.

Finally a video that is brutally honest about this. Thank you very much!

Nice objective review of the Spin Clean. I bought the 'deluxe' package over 12 years ago to clean up some family records, and, believe it or not, JUST started using it (winter 2023!). I'm working on 45rpm records right now - some of the records have cleaned up nicely with the Spin Clean, while other have been so abused that nothing but a Remington 870 w/birdshot can help them. I've changed the cleaning solution on my unit about every 15 - 20 records: after one batch of records, the water in the bottom was just plain filthy as in good ol' dirt. Most sound pretty good after playing them on a 12 year old Sony USB turntable & ripping the tracks off via Sound Forge to my PC. After I finish with the 45s and move them on, then I'll start with the cleaning process on 33s & 78s (I have records from my family that date back into the 1930s). That's when I pull out my 50 year old Dual turntable and get it tuned up to play!

Great advice on pre-cleaning! I have a backlog of 30ish records that need cleaning, so I'd like to keep the water as clean as possible.

I like the pre-clean tip. I think you can also run it on the rollers when the tub is dry to get the plastic worn from the edge of the vinyl. After you do a handful like this, just knock out the bits, then fill tub with solution. Maybe I can make new rollers from a wood lathe and possibly bypass the rubber band or o-ring thing.

I feel all cleaning systems are overpriced and all could be made much cheaper. The vacuum systems are even not that complicated and it’s strange to me someone hasn’t come out with a less expensive design

Thanks for the tips. Pre-wiping my records + not using the supplied cloths has turned this from a disaster to something that actually works!

Kinda chiming late to the party, but what i use is air compressor. Does wonders for dust & garbage. The problem is "baked in" dust and this is where i've been looking for a liquid based washer. So thank you for this review.

I agree on all points! Have had this for a month or so and I do think it’s works but not as good as some say I’m keeping my eye open for a better product that doesn’t break the bank!

Thanks for the honest review. I was going to buy one but maybe not now. I use the Vinyl Styl Deep groove cleaner. It does a decent job and uses a hub to spin the record instead of resting on hubs like this. It doesn’t hold as much water however. I pre-clean like you, then clean the record, then shake the excess water off, then dip into distilled water contained in a flat plastic oil change container I got at the dollar store. Then I shake it again and use the towel and micro fiber you do. I still want a better washer.

I have various toothbrushes that I have bent the heads to get into the tighter areas. Use a lighter to heat the handle just behind the head. Once the plastic is pliable, bend it to the desired angle. Works like a charm.

Enjoyed and appreciate.

A few years later, clones of this design have started showing up. I grabbed one for around $48 USD from Amazon.

I got one for $60 just now. I’m hoping it is going to clean my records effectively.

I use the Vinyl Styl bath system (Same price far better product) with a Vinyl Vac. The spindle cover seal included with the Vinyl Styl allows me to hold the LP while I use the Vac. I dont ever have to put my just cleaned LPs on a Towel or other surface to dry them. The spindle seal also eliminates the grinding and flaking from the Spincleans rollers. I use the included drying rack to hold 7 LPs before I change the cleaning solution and re-sleeve the 7 I just cleaned.

Another youtuber mentioned washing the records with spin clean solution, then changing the water and running them through again with no solution. I'm going to give that a try. Thanks for the tip on blotting then wiping with microfiber.

You have made a very good common sense record cleaning video. Thank you!

Also those black chunks arent ground up by the cleaner.. Thats the pieces of loosened up vinyl from someone playing with a worn out stylus before you owned the record.. Even a new stylus will remove some vinyl after enough plays

I've been cleaning records with a spin-clean for years now. I have never seen my water THAT dirty after any session. I usually clean up to 12. I just went through about 200 records over the last half year, and again, never that bad. How much pressure are you using to press down? I make sure to hold it with both hands to not apply too much pressure.

I did a review on the Spinclean on my channel as well. You made some good points. One thing I did notice using it is yes the water gets dirty as to be expected but for the most part the dirt settles to the bottom rather quickly. Don’t think it’s Mach of an issue of “Washing Records with dirty water”. The records come out rather clean. Cleaning first as you mention is actually a good idea. The cost I have to disagree and say it is actually a decent value.

I used it several years ago enthusiastically for about 6 months. It's not good, it's not bad, it's not ugly, it just does nothing at all. Mind you, my records are mostly purchased clean but still I hoped to hear some improvement yet heard nothing. Maybe it shows improvement in extremely dirty records from a $0.5 bin... 🤷‍♂️

Good Video I do have a spin clean record washer for 2 years then I decided to go with the Record Doctor VI just got recently and do love it it's a lot better than spin clean does a great job cleaning records and make them nice and shining and sound good but I'll keep the spin clean for a backup.

Could use the cleaning fluid to make a spray ? If your only going to do like 1 or 2 records

Hi. Can you tell me the exact diameter and width o-rings you used to replace the old rubber on the rollers? Do you have any alternate suggestions?

Thanks for posting the review. Any opinion regarding how often to clean records?

I have a very good playback system using VPI HRX Pro turntable and VPI HR 16.5 record cleaner. The biggest flaw in the Spin Clean system is the drying. I just ordered a Spin Clean and a Record Doctor V. A Spin Clone was also purchased for the rinse step then on to the Record Doctor drying system. I have a few records that need the immersion/scrub process to clean the vinyl and this will do it. My cartridges are a Kiseki PH NS and a Nagaoka MP300 into a Manley Chinook phonostage. Thanks for the detailed review.

In comparison to cotton, a microfiber will absorb 98% moisture, while cotton can only absorb at best 70%.

it def works

As far as cleaning out the spin clean after heavy usage, try using either a kitchen or (what I use) a shower spray gun-worx great to clean out the nooks and crannies of this device!

Thanks. Love the honesty. I bought the "40th Anniversary", which is brown and doesn't show up the particles like the yellow. Great to learn where they come from (edges of the record). No idea why they made it brown. Did only pay $50 for it though. Had been wondering about those towels. Your suggestion is where my brain is, much better. I have a boatload of old 78s that really need cleaning, probably a little different experience that with vinyl.

To weigh on the 'clean water' trough idea, I have to refute it - if you had a 'clean water' trough, for rinsing, this too will get cleaning fluid and debris into it, so within some records it too will be dirty water. You can just buy a cheaper trough by itself (decibel hifi have some on their website you can see but there are a bunch of brands to choose from across the internet) to rinse but as I said I don't think this is useful. Personally I only clean 20-30 records maximum per session and sometimes less. I do not save/reuse water and cleaning fluid, throwing away after each session and rinsing the unit, pads and rollers thoroughly. For record rinsing, I have a small metal spray bottle/spritzer I bought for $1 or $2 from Kmart in Australia and fill this with distilled water. I also use a label protector I bought off Ebay to keep the labels from getting damaged. I use the spin clean with label protector, move to sink, spray liberally with distilled water to rinse, then remove the label protector and place on my Kabusa EV-1 vacuum record cleaner. The EV-1 is one of the cheapest and most reliable vacuum options (apart from the wand attachments I have no experience with) as it has no vacuum/motor attached, but relies upon you connecting a domestic vacuum to it to work (which means you will never have a motor or other expensive component in the unit fail, it is a passive unit). I like using the label protector because it means you don't need to dry the label after using in the spin clean and rinsing. While vacuum drying I dry the edge of the record with a tough paper hand towel that doesn't shed much, or a microfibre cloth, to make sure there isn't moisture trapped in the clean/new inner sleeves I put them in (not so much as issue for the MA recordings breathable sleeves, but more for Mofi and other plastic sleeves). I still find for more serious debris like say a fleck of tobacco or paper stuck in a groove I sometimes need to use a velvet pad brush with some different cleaning fluid on it to remove, before using the Spin Clean (or after Spin Clean did not remove it). I do need a 'wet scrub' brush for this purpose I think sometimes but don't have yet. I also use an 'In The Groove' silicon roller cleaner which works great for removing large amounts of surface crud before wet cleaning, as well as before playback (after wet clean and vacuum dry) as dust is always insta-attracted to the record. I don't have a Milty Zerostat 3 yet but plan to get one eventually. I also have stylus cleaning brushes and fluid but have not used a magic eraser or sticky putty solution yet. I think the Spin Clean is the better of the trough solutions as Knosti and other brands do not supply replacement pads and parts. Knosti also has a few other issues like leaky label protector and reportedly not as good cleaning fluid, as well as bristle brushes which can shed or break easier over time. I also purchased a cleaning mat (foam thing for $15-20 off Ebay) so I have an easy to clean surface to use to clean a particularly dirty record with velvet brush or felt Kabusa EV-1 brush or roller cleaner. I also need more than one roller cleaner due to drying times and since In The Groove are no longer in production I just purchased a 'Vinyl Buddy' generic off Ebay for $8 AUD, it's smaller so might end up buying another one or two but wanted to try it out first. I've had my eye on Tonar Tacky and Analogis Deduster (seems like same product) as well as Nagaoka rollers for a while, but the Nagaoka are the most expensive. The Tonar is also quite expensive. The Analogis seems to be the cheapest I can get in Australia, but still around $50-60 AUD total with postage. So I try a couple of the $8-20 ones first! Locally you can get a branded Vinyl Buddy clone (Goka) for $20 at Decibel Hifi. Also back to the main point, I try to choose my cleanest/newest records to clean first in the spin clean, then my moderately dirty ones, then maybe a really dirty one or two at the end/last. If the records are cleaner you can get more done before you see heaps of gunk at the bottom and floating around in the water (30-50 supposedly) however after around 20-30 records I find the level of the trough water has gone down a bit and needs to be filled a bit more (then either reducing potency of remaining cleaning fluid in there, or needing to have a top up of more cleaning fluid). You really do need to consider the order of records being cleaned with this thing. And if you are really worried about it, probably better to 'waste' distilled water and cleaning fluid to fill and only clean a few or dozen records at a time, thereby spending more on water and cleaning fluid but contaminating your records less. I heard that the fluid is meant to make debris heavier though and to fall to the bottom of the trough, so that's another reason I chose Spin Clean over Knosti and other brands of similar products. I don't seem to get much cross-contamination between records (at least with the vacuum record cleaner in the chain..). I might start rinsing with distilled water from my spray bottle before putting in the Spin Clean as suggested.. just use so much water as it is with trough and post rinse.. xD you can also avoid the 'roller grind' by using the label protector and rotating with the handle, which sits the record slightly higher than if pushed into the rollers. You need to fill a little more fluid because of this, but can avoid running into the roller (instead the only contact apart from the pads in the Spin Clean is now the acryllic label protector pushing against the plastic top of the Spin Clean pads). I suppose with care you could take the rollers out entirely with this method, I might try how 'dangerous' this is next cleaning session (only risk I can imagine is pushing the record into the side walls of the Spin Clean, instead of the rollers, which would be harder on the record).

This device is a temporary solution at best. If you have a large lp collection, the spools are the first to go, then you have to go to a hardware store to experiment with repairs to the moving parts, as this presenter describes. This happened before I had gone through the 1st 4-oz bottle of cleaning solution included with purchase.

For less than $40 you can get a clamp on label protector and wash away all day long without fear of getting the label wet.

Would a velvet brush and record solution work just as fine as the spin clean?

I always clean under running water. Its like the difference between a bath and a shower. Thxs for vid.

Hi. Just subbed you. Enjoyed your candid review of the SC. The inventor of the SC sold me a Prime TT, so he threw one in on the deal - thanks ha-ha. Mark really is a nice guy that sells records too. Great TT , but you're correct - SC is average performance record cleaning. I purchased an Okki-Nokki - the difference is remarkable. I have finished cleaning all of my collection (2K)+ and the noise floor really dropped! I use the SC for pre-clean, if poor conditions necessitate. I'm a Pittsburgh guy, so I don't mind supporting the local businessman. Cheers

I think every time I get the urge to purchase and try one of these, I’ll remind myself to watch this video first! I’ve always been concerned about the water being contaminated after washing just a few records. I’ve watched a few demos and you’re the first one I’ve seen that addresses this. My current method of cleaning is a self devised system using Shur-line paint edgers and the round soft pads used in car waxing. It works extremely well without contamination, but takes a while just to do a single record. The only advantage I can see with the Spin Clean is saving time by being able to do several records fairly quickly. I think I’ll keep my present way of doing things for now until something better comes along...

Everyone saying it’s overpriced, what should I do instead? Yet, so many people say spending 500-1000 dollars is worth it. Should I continue with velvet brush and cleaning solution? This although simple I can afford. Is it better than cleaning with brush? Drying with microfiber towel? I have a Fluance turntable and my collection is growing.

Your really objective. I like this.

Thanks! This is my second day of using it and the black rollers keep popping out! Please! What am I doing wrong?

Hello, would you recommend giving an extra cleaning with a record cleaning solution and a brush, or would it be just overcleaning.

I though about buying one but after your review I am happy that I got a "Knosti". Looks similar, but I think it is a better system and it is way cheaper, I payed 45,-- for mine. The fluid makes the Knosti great, you can filter it and reuse it, I cleaned 150 records with one bottle. I bought a lot at the flea market and one real dirty one I had to clean 3 times, but now it runs wonderful, the rest was done with one cleaning. I also preclean with a wet micro cloth.

13:46 at this moment i ask myself, whats good about it 😂

I only use the Spin Clean for records I get from the thrift stores that are really dirty to remove the heavy contaminants before going to the vinyl vac and then the ultrasonic cleaner. All new records go straight to the US cleaner.

If the 80 dollar price bothers you buy one of the 30 dolkar knockoffs.. The studebaker one does the same thing and can fit all the spin cleans parts..i still recommend spun clean fluid for it

Nice honest take and practical advice. I loved the comment for the owner of the $100K turntable - shouldn't you be out raiding my pension?

I clean the cleaning liquid by running it through a coffee filter. This after 3x7 records. After that, the cleaning liquid is 100% clean again. (Knosti record cleaning device)

I'm fairly new to record collecting, I only have about 15 records. I tried to clean my records using distilled water+isopropyl alcohol (the homemade solution) i didn't find it helpful that much. If I can afford the spin clean, do you think I should get it? I have a Fluance rt81 turntable. And also, could you post links for the microfiber cloths that you have??

the profit margin on this item, must be enormous

I ordered this to try it out and one thing that I hate about this is removing the velvet pieces from the spin clean after use for airdrying. They’re so tightly packed when you slot them in that I had to use pliers to get them out and of course that damaged the plastic.

Yeah I lost this video at floating down

It's an idea, to use towels and micro fiber clothes to dry the cleaned records.

Spends 15 minutes telling you how bad it is then proceeds to tell you follow my link to buy it so I can get paid. What a laugh I needed that.

could you provide the link for the microfibers that you are using? cz there are lots of bad ones out there.

The purpose of the trademark cleaning solution is to force debris to the bottom of the basin.

This spin clean record cleaner was originally advertised during late night tv alongside K-Tel commercials. $9.99 in 1978 !

Brilliant video!

But by putting the rag and water on the record, aren't you potentially rubbing rough particles all around the record before giving them the opportunity to just rinse off?

I use spin clean. It didn't come with any rubber 'O-rings". ?? :( I agree with all the cons you pointed out. I have the same concerns. But, it was in my price range and as you suggested I change the water often not cleaning more than 10 or 15 records at a time depending on how dirty they were. I had 200 records that needed cleaned when I purchased Spin Clean and it did the job.

I use a vinyl styl which is similar but a little cheaper. There is a Chinese knockoff called Studebaker that is only about $30. I change my water every 6 or 7 records for dirty records double that for records that are already pretty clean.

I just purchased the Vinyl Styl record cleaning system. It’s design is much better. The only thing I don’t like...the cleaning fluid leaves a residue on my records.

Seems like a spindle to rotate the vinyl on would’ve been a much better design. I can’t imagine how hard it would’ve been to implement into the design.

Chamois is good for blotting and no lint too.

ITS fine ,i do 6-8 really dirty records then dump and refill,a dozen cleanish lol records . HEY is what it is afterall it all about the MUSIC ...right !!

Thank you for this video! I'm hoping you (or someone) can help me. I bought one of these, and I followed the instructions but I have more surface noise after using it than beforehand. After watching this video, I think it's because of the debris you mentioned, as well as the supplied towels. Could you tell me how I can remove the surface noise? Do you think using the Spin Clean again using microfiber towels will help? (For what it's worth, I've used a discwasher and Zerostat gun to try and eliminate the noise, to no avail)

That may be how Spin Clean says to clean a record, but it's a bad technique that is missing a crucial step. If you use the cloth to wipe off the contaminated liquid the cloth will get more and more contaminated as you clean additional records. You will then spread that contamination on to other records. Also, when you use the cloth it will not remove all of the contaminated liquid from the grooves. Get some distilled water and a bottle to place it in the has a nozzle, so that when you squeeze the bottle a stream of distilled water is emitted. These bottles are cheap and available on line. They are used in chemistry labs for rinsing glassware. After cleaning in the Spin Clean, rinse the record throughly with the distilled water before you use the cloth to dry it. This way you do not contaminate the cloth and spread that contimination from record to record. If a record is especially dirty, I will clean it with soap ( I recommend using Dawn) and water before using the spin clean. Again, after this first cleaning, rinse with tap water and then distilled water before using the Spin Clean. This is the proper way to clean a record using a Spin Clean. It's just common sense to not spread the contaminated liquid onto the cloth and then to additional reocrds. I'm surprised that Spin Clean doesn't understand how to do this the right way!.

Damn... Just bought myself one of these, I already feel bamboozled... :'(. Haven't tried it out yet, is it really that bad?

What do you recommend if not this?

so change the water more often.

Very interesting, I was considering buying this but now will Like it a lot but not love it.

I use it in conjunction with the record doctor. It really doesn’t do the job on its own (in my opinion)

There is a generic version on Amazon for 20. I would like to find a review on that one from someone who owns or has reviewed the original.

put your fluid into a spray bottle spray the record don't fill the tub up then put the record through the spin clean then vac off the record with a £35 karcher window cleaner you save tons of fluid and your not using dirty fluid plus your vacuuming of the record just like an expensive record cleaning machine the vac makes the biggest difference in sound quality .

I don't think you had anything positive to say about the 'machine' and yet you have been using it for 3-4 years. You like a lot but what is good about it? I still gave it a thumbs up though :)

Record Vac . Soap ,vac ,rinse ,vac ,done. $30

I’ve used my spin clean for years now and I have never seen my water get that dirty and I’ve ran 30 records through mine with one clean, I can’t imagine unless you’re pressing down really hard that it will take pieces of vinyl off of the edge of your record but why would you be pressing down so hard that you’re mistreating your Vinyl, this actually sounds like an elitist that actually uses a sonic cleaner or has stock in the sonic cleaner industry either way if you take care of your vinyl it will never get this bad

Will it harm my record if I put a couple of drops of white vinegar in my water?

I've got a knock off that was $50 I think. I hadn't thought of the pre-clean.

obviously late. good review. IF economics is an issue ( $ 100. t'table mention ) do NOT buy LP's. Ya can get a DVD player for $100. at a big box store that is very fine.

I don't want the record label getting soaked on my expensive collection. Why don't they make a cover to protect the paper label ?

Well the competition has had 47 years to erode the market share of the Spin Clean so...

Ok, after about the 20th mention the Spin Clean costs 80 bucks, I decided to stop watching. I heard ya the first time. I heard ya the second time. Move on to the next point!

My rollers don’t stay in their slots anymore. Wtf.

What about your sick mods

I respectfully disagree with much of what you have said in this video. I have been using the Spin Clean fot about 10 years and have cleaned many records during that time. One part of your comment indicates clearly that you are not completely informed about the Spin Clean cleaning process. By way of example, you spoke of dirty water and that dirt being on the records being cleaned. What you have missed is the Spin Clean cleaning solution contains a chemical that causes dirt from records to sink to the bottom of the Spin Clean Basin. Also, if you need to rinse off your records after using the Spin Clean, way too much soap is used.

Its cheap because it does not clean your records, all the dirty will flow in the water and stick in the brushes, you are basically rubbing the next record with the dirt from the previous. Better to just clean vinyls with pure distilled water. You can't clean deep in the grooves this way, for that you need a vacuum system.

Your video is good but the instructions literally tell you to not let the fluid sit and if you do for no more then 24 hours. If you clean it after use like you should you don't get the uncleanable gunk build up. The vinyl pulling off the edge of a record is pretty normal. The vinyl coming off is flashing from the stamping process and it shouldn't really be there. Higher end pressings (mofi comes to mind) actually "sand" the flashing off. Which is why the edge of a higher end pressing feels smoother then a standard mass production press. That flashing coming off isn't damaging the record at all. You can knock a lot of that flashing off just by running your finger around the edge of a record. That flashing going in the water is a bit of a concern but if you are spinning the record slow and steady like you should that isn't a problem. Also doubling the amount of plastic and manufacturing wouldn't keep the price point the same. The reason nobody has done a dual basin manual cleaner is because it would be in the 200 dollar range and at that point you are in Record Doctor territory. Which is the natural step up anyway.

OMG I just bought this thing for $100 :)

There is a just as good cleaner out there thats cheaper and does the same type of leaning a lot less cheaper called Knoxgear and has a drying rack ,, found mine on Amazon,,,,like 30 dollars cheaper and comes with enough cleaner to wash a ton of records

none of thee will remove static charge which is the the reason for pops and clicks....

Try the Knosti Record Cleaner. It is much better then this. Made in Germany 👌

You get what you pay for, its better to get a well made product to clean your vinyl, then a cheaper lesser quality product...

Thanks for the video. I won’t be buying it!!!

lol its a damm con.. $150 for some plastic with some more plastic rollers LMAO

sorry, but i find this video to be quite misleading and erroneous. there are bits of truth but less than half. bits of vinyl are bound to come off but that's not the point. vinyl records aren't impervious to tiny pieces flaking off but that hasn't proven to be a problem for me in the three years of ownership and use. i pre-clean my records IF they are caked with mud or any accumulation but none of that is done dry. plus, i rinse the visibly dusty records in the sink prior to spincleaning them. i also use a QTip to apply some vaseline to the hubs of the rollers to reduce the wear and smooth out the operation quite a bit. i have yet to have the O rings break but i will deal with that when it happens. the cost of the SpinClean is reasonable, regardless of your opinion. order a liter-sized bottle of the cleaning concentrate either with the unit or soon after receiving it. you only use about 1/2 oz or 15ml each time and i would not put it on the brushes but pour it in before the brushes are inserted. i stir the fluid a little bit with each brush to wet the brushes and then insert them. i change the fluid every 20-30 records depending on how cloudy it becomes. having a second tank with distilled or reverse osmosis water as a rinse seems like a good idea but having two tanks molded into one piece seems like a good opportunity for a flawed product. maybe offering a package of two for a reduced price would be a good alternative. microfiber cloths for drying is a better idea than the cotton ones provided. i just make a pad of a couple of the cottons and top it with microfiber as a platform to dry off both sides of the cleaned record before air drying. another scenario i thought of would be to finish the drying process with a vacuum cleaner to remove the fluid and end up with a completely ready to play or store. you have spent a lot of time dissing this very good product which seems to me to be very short-sighted of you. i only wish i had taken this product seriously much longer ago than when i did. ...hifitommy

Knosti is cheaper.

snob

I would like it better if you looked at the camera instead of off camera