It was these records first clean ever. The reuse of the water was the only explanation i could find for the fluff. Once rewashed they were fine. So no more water reuse for me. And its only softened tap water anyway.
Some useful tips here - thanks.
I see many say the HG really needs a surfactant to get records properly clean. Is there a particular one that is recommended? Or does this not matter so much?
I’ve used only distilled water so far, it has been fine. I am going to trial degritter fluid, but not because I’m unhappy with the performance so far.
but because I’m like everyone else here, constantly dissatisfied and thinking I might improve things by small iotas by meddling with stuff
Here is what Discogs writes about the Degritter fluid , based on the advices of the Degritter founder:
“ The additional cleaning fluid has multiple beneficial properties:
First , it reduces the surface-tension of the water. This is needed because some of the dust may start to float on top of the water in stead of sinking (similiar to the water striders .With reduced surface-tension the dust sinks and will be removed faster. In addition to this the reduced surface-tension allows ultrasonic energy to break the water more easily, meaning that the cleaning effect improves and cleaning time is reduced.
Second , greasy substances (finger grease) on the record are hard to remove without solvent. Ultrasonic cleaning can remove it mechanically, but it is as if you are trying to scrub grease of a plate with no dishwashing liquid. Depending on how greasy the record is, a thin layer of grease may still be left and getting rid of it can take multiple cleaning cycles. With cleaning fluid acting as a solvent, the cleaning effect for greasy substances improves significantly.
Third , cleaning fluid developed by us also has anti-static properties. This means that the small amount of cleaning fluid added to the water will leave a micro film (so thin it won’t affect the play back) of the substance on the records. This micro film will conduct electricity and will reduce static electricity that the record will accumulate later on. So the records will not attract static electircity after the cleaning process.
Thanks @frenchrooster - looks like this will do the job nicely.
The whole static thing has surprised me and it’s good to know this can be remedied with the Degritter fluid. Attempting to remove new records from their sleeves or taking the record off the (sticking) felt dust platter is often tricky. I have no memory of this ever being a problem when I last had a turntable 25+ years ago!
Are you sure it’s recommended for lps?
Doubt it. Can’t imagine Wilko have done extensive material compatability research with it and lps.
But, i only use a dash/ one small drop, enough to break the surface tension.
I reckon I’ve done 2500 lps now, and not seen any issues.
So, would i recomend it, yes. Would Wilko, doubt it.
But, the lps are " squeaky clean" !
The static always existed but maybe you didn’t have a felt mat. FWIW, all RCMs remove static quite fine, and I don’t have much build-up after placing them in antistatic sleeves after washing. Though it does depend a bit on weather. If the degritter fluid helps, why not
Similar here tgr.
My experience also says be wary of using too much. Any more than 2 or 3 drops and the LP is at risk of slipping off the side rollers and it won’t rotate properly.
Yep, less is more.
Quite a few using dishwasher liquid (sparingly) as a surfactant. I’m building up a useful list of RCM useful tips from this thread. Thanks again for all contributions so far.
FYI. I found that the degritter fluid left an audible residue on the record. So I use just distilled water in the degritter. I use a regular rcm for chemical based cleaning followed by a rinse in the degritter. A second option is to get a second tank for the degritter and run a second distilled water only rinse to remove the residue. Your experience may vary.
True @1GiantLeap though do be sure to use dishwasher rinse aid rather than dishwasher detergent liquid.
There is a US guy who produced the definitive guide to record cleaning. If you haven’t read it yet it is definitely worth tracking down. His advice and experience is outstanding if you are interested in getting the best out of your LPs.
Will report soon, when I will receive it. For now I was putting Isopropyl, maybe 5 cl in each 40 cl tank of distilled water. I begin with a 5 mn manual cleaning, sometimes a second time, then finish by 10 mn automatic clean/ dry. No complaints so far. Very good results.
Yes the IPA will evaporate hence no residue. The degritter fluid does not evaporate. Whether you can hear the residue is a matter for your ears of course but I could. A separate distilled water rinse will remove the residue. Neil recommends no more than 2.5% ipa by the way because it is flammable. I decided not to use it. Enjoy.