Thanks, Neil. I've passed on the warning about IPA at the temp he is using.
Myself, I do a 60sec scrub with liquinox, then let it soak for another 60secs before vacuuming it off - then it's on to the ultrasonics, but am wondering about experimenting with a Citranox (which I'd need to import)/White Vinegar step for those stubborn records that remain crackly to see if I can get any further improvement.
His success with "hot washing" had me wondering about efficacy and optimal application of such a method as well as the potential for damage. My thought was that I'd buy a baby bottle warmer for this use - I've seen one that can give constant heat from 37-60C and would seem ideal for holding a bottle of warmed spray to use during cleaning.
First - do not use acid with your vacuum-RCM; they will corrode it. If you want to try an acid - it should to be done with a manual process. You do not need to import Citranox to determine if an acid may work for some records. Following what I wrote
https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/thre...-lps-2nd-edition.1064753/page-2#post-27517018 and
https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/thre...-lps-2nd-edition.1064753/page-2#post-27632025, you can try 5% DWV as follows:
1. Acid Wash: For records already cleaned - apply record label protector and pre-clean with Distilled White Vinegar (DWV) 5% acidity and add ~5 drops Dehypon LS54 to 1-pint (~500 ml) DWV so that the DWV wets the record.
Spray-on and gently agitate with brush for 1-2 min/side and then rinse (with tap water) and continue to UT final clean. If the record after ~3 plays is still noisy, try an acid soak:
2. Acid Soak: Apply a label protector and just elevated the record (with label protector) on a plastic container. Put it in the sink, applied a liberal coating of the DWV/Dehypon LS54 to the record, adjust container to keep the record/acid solution level - and let sit for 15 min. Then rinse with tap water. Reapply DWV acid solution and then brush - this removes any swollen but not dissolved debris. Then rinse/brush away the acid with tap water. Then rinse away the tap-water with DIW spray. Then repeat the process for the other side. Yes - its a 30+-min process. Then finish with a final clean process.
3. Keep in mind some records are a bad pressing and the bad pressing can be the result of the stamper. If the stamper was contaminated with small particulate during plating - that will carryover to the stamper. Essentially, the record surface roughness is higher than normal - ergo the record is going to playback noisy. No amount of cleaning is going to fix this.
4. For the neutral pH Liquinox you can increase the concentration to 2% and you can try using warm. Its unlikely that this is going to remove what the acid is intended to remove. If there was dried paper on the record, heat will accelerate rehydrating the paper to get it to swell and get removed. But you can try. Also, some types of protein-based soils (i.e. human detritus) are better cleaned with room temperature cleaner.
5. Do not use heat with the acid DWV/Dehypon LS54. The cloud point (surfactant comes out of solution) of the Dehypon LS54 is not very high; also heating accelerates chemical reactions (~doubles for every 10C increase) and what was compatible at room temperature may now not be compatible with the record. Also, heat will make any odor objection of the DWV worse.
Acid soak and heated cleaners are really targeted at used records. I have used acid soak on used records with good results, for NOS records there has been some benefit, but for new records - acid wash is good, but acid soak has had very limited benefit.
Neil
PS/Has your friend tried Liquinox? Keep in mind that dish detergents are probably the worst possible cleaner to use for a record - they contain moisturizers that are added to protect your hands. Yes, Dawn is good for cleaning oil from water-fowl, its gentle enough and the moisturizers help to not harm the animal - but this is not what you need to clean a record. The better alterative for those dead-set on doing the DIY chemistry is to use a name-brand clear, fragrance-free liquid laundry detergent that has surfactants and enzymes and other additives to keep soil suspended and are relatively easy to rinse.
Had no idea that would be doable in any sort of a reasonable time. A BIG BIG THANK YOU Neil, Tima, and the rest of the enthusiasts here for paving the road.
