I have recently purchased a Pro-ject VC-S2 ALU record cleaner. I made up a solution of Wash-it cleaning fluid and distilled water (about 1:15 ratio) and this cleaned the records perfectly the first time I used it. Rather than throw away the unused mixture I kept it in a sealed bottle. Now, a couple of months later, I have cleaned another batch of records but the fluid did not seem to vacuum off so easily and I had to let them dry off in a rack before re-sleeving them. When I play the cleaned records the surface noise is worse than before I cleaned them as if there is a residue. Should I be making up a fresh quantity of cleaning solution each time I clean a batch of vinyl?
I’m using months old fluid and haven’t noticed any issues. And that’s with de-ionised water.
Have you cleaned the felt strips on the vacuum arm?
Sounds odd. I keep mine in a sealed bottle and never had any problems like that.
I did not clean the pads as I only cleaned 10 discs the first time I used the machine. They looked clean. What is the best way to clean the pads? Would dabbing with blu-tak work?
I would clean the pads. I use a small brush - the ones that used to come in cleaning kits years ago.
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The records should be dry after a maximum of 3 revs per side. Mine go straight into sleeves once off the machine. Check the gap between the hoovering arm and the record. May need tweeking.
What is “wash it” and what is the make up? Deionized water still has suspended solids in it, all be it on a microscopic level, and depending on the make up of the fluid, there could be a reaction. Higher levels of phosphate, copper, etc in the water may react after a few months and have a chemical alteration of the water.
Try the simple Mofi dishwasher solution design for record cleaning machines.
Scott
Wash-It is Project’s own record cleaning fluid. The OP was using distilled water, it was me that is using deionised.
My mistake, distilled and wash it mixture. Still, is it a bad combination? Who knows.
Eh? Project make a great range of record cleaners and “Wash-It” is their own fluid supplied with the RCMs they sell.
Forgive the ignorance ( I don’t have a machine; I do it manually) but after cleaning, I let the record play through once (usually some surface noise etc), then clean the stylus and play again - noise and pops etc greatly reduced, even vanished.
Is a record supposed to be pop free at the first play after cleaning on a machine?
What is Eh?…… The OP stated he was mixing the solution with distilled water, and having issues vacuuming the fluid off after a few months of the fluid sitting and does not like the sound. I am saying it is possibly the solution mixture.
Scott
I thought you were questioning whether “Wash-It” and distilled water was a bad combination. Are you intimating that the solution has gone off, perhaps?
A vacuum RCM is really good at removing dirt. I use a Project VC-E model and it can transform the listening experience on old and dirty vinyl.
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Yes, that is a hypothesis, distilled, vs deionized, vs RO (reverse osmosis) all produce different results in metals in the water. Just a theory though.
Scott
This is important for sure. It’s possible the OP’s platter support has slipped downwards. For me, this is the Pro-ject’s biggest weakness - the grub screw that holds the platter support on the spindle isn’t robust enough to support the platters weight over time and I find the platter keeps dropping a bit too low and this means that the vacuum arm doesn’t make an even and ideal connection. Not serious, but does at least double the number of rotations needed to dry the record. It should still clean just fine though. I can’t explain the OP’s poor results.
Good point. You should be able to see the record lift as the vacuum is switched on.
Wash-it works just fine. I use it diluted with distilled water.
I discovered some months ago the Art du Son vinyl fluid. I am amazed at how good and nice work it does. I was using Isopropyl diluted in 60% distilled water since many many years,
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The right one 