I am curious to know if a lot of members clean their lp records without using a machine.
Are you satisfied? Do you observe a degradation of your lps or stylus using vinyl cleaning fluids?
I personally used to clean my lps with isopropyl diluted in distilled water during the last 15 years, without observing problems.
Wanted to change recently, so I am using now the Art du Son fluid and rinse after with distilled water.
Next I will try the Groovewasher.
I used to but I found it too slow and ended up with damp labels on the records as they got dripped on drying in a rack. I’m sure there’s a simple way around that but still in comparison with a vacuum machine I found there was more surface noise, maybe the vacuum actively removed any dirt still not 100% removed from the surface.
I’ve always used a 2:1 solution of distilled water/alcohol with a drop of pure detergent, never tried one of the proprietary cleaning solutions
Just a carbon fibre brush …
I’ve just got back in to playing records and the question of how best to care for them is of interest to me too.
I had some of my records professionally cleaned, and got myself a carbon fibre brush. Now I’m thinking of buying a record cleaning machine, so will watch this thread with interest.
Without vacuum it’s like using a Eubank to clean your carpets 
Thanks for this thread!
Starting my collection right now, waiting to invest in a turntable. Just bought the humble Knosti Antistat. Will likely purchase a RCM in the future, will follow this closely.
I stick mine in the dishwasher on the glass cycle. Also stick a few CDs on the upper tray at the same time.
They come out really clean.
FR please don’t link to commercial sites or commercial videos on YouTube, thanks.
That Groovewasher looks very like the old Discwasher D4. I still have my D4 set from my school days. Haven’t used the main brush in ages (the stylus brush is quite handy though) but I keep it as a bit of nostalgia…
Yes it’s the same, groovewasher is reborn recently.
Personally I use only sterile pads.
The key is to remove the debris/dust and other junk from the groove. So long as whatever method you use does not damage the vinyl and not take too long/ cost too much, I guess it does not matter how you do it.
Removing contamination is about transferring stuff from one place to another.
I know I have done this to an extent when using my RCM because the fluid goes in clean and comes out yellow. I’ll assume this yellow is grot in suspension and dilution. The more yellow the better.
And the noise on the records is almost always significantly lower.
No doubt this will horrify true vinyl junkies, but I use the Spin Clean record washer. I started this when I realised my (fairly old) collection of LP’s from the 70’s sounded in some cases a bit crackly, so went trough them all and then stored them in MOFI Original Masters sleeves, and I’ve found this helped a lot. I used the Spa Clean fluid which is alcohol free. They look cleaner and crackle less which I suspect is because the static they had collected had been lessened. Anyway they sound better now and if I buy new vinyl I give the disc the same treatment. I’m sure a proper machine would be much better but as well as cost I don’t want the hassle of a biggish box to store, set up etc. I couldn’t say if the stylus has been affected, I wouldn’t know how to measure that, butI don’t hear any degradation of sound.
I tend to think like you. And I have no real space to bother with a cleaning machine too.
However if the turntable was my primary source and if I had a very big collection, maybe I would change my mind.
We will see what others will say 
I’m sure that using a RCM would give good results, but I don’t want to spend time on that. Cleaning the stylus with a (dry) stylus brush and using a carbon fibre brush for the record is enough for me personally.
I have never cleaned lps unless something sticky got on them. The stylus cleans the groove. At the most I keep a brush for the occasional hardly ever played lp that comes out of the DUST jacket with a bit of static dust on it.
Sticky discs get a solution of warm water and a just a drop of johnsons baby bath followed by a clear meths rinse to remove the water.
I rarely need to clean my records, I don’t play them much these days, but having been given the opportunity, I tried one of those low cost manual record cleaning machines, they work, but then so does using a soft sponge in warm water in the sink which is my current method.
I considered a VCM but am too miserly even for L’art du Son so bought a £15 kit from an online store. It works a treat.
It basically consists of a spray bottle and two microfibre cloths but also came with a small bottle of stylus cleaner.
It’s made a huge difference to my old LP’s that needed a clean. I’m sure a VCM is superior but a microfibre cloth is surprisingly effective at removing grime from records.
I use a Knosti disco antistat Mk2. I guess you might call that a machine but it’s certainly at the lower end and is very much a manual process.
It seems to work fine to me.
Having never used an RCM in my life before I purchased an Audio Desk System Pro, I could not believe my ears how much clearer everything sounded, at that time a massive upgrade. I now use a Degritter RCM and in my opinion much a much better machine in all departments. It even allows software updates via a SIM card. I am now in the habit of cleaning new vinyl and yes it does make a difference. An RCM is an upgrade I wished I made many years ago.
