What is the Best Vinyl Record Cleaning Method?

At CleanerVinyl we often get the questions "what is the best vinyl record cleaning method?" and "why should I use ultrasonic cleaning?".

The first question is actually not so easy to answer (the second is!-see below)! It really depends what your objective is. If you just want to wipe a bit of lint off the record before playing it, then we would recommend using a carbon fiber brush. If, on the other hand, you want to get a record ready for playing that you bought used in a record store or on ebay/discogs etc..., then a simple brushing does not cut it in most cases.

Then you want to use at least a bit of liquid to help dissolving the dirt out of the grooves. And then ultrasonic is really the way to go! Caked on dirt, mold, fingerprints and similar contamination are difficult to remove with traditional methods since it is difficult to get to the bottom of the grooves with a pad or sponge, or brushed wand, like you find them on classic cleaning devices such as the well-known Spin Clean or devices like the Okki Nokki. This figure shows the principal differences between the cleaning methods:

Penetration depth of record cleaning methods.

The ultrasonic method is able to enter the most intricate of features with its microscopic cavitation bubbles (see our previous post about how ultrasonic cleaning works). Each of these bubbles is a microscopic 'blaster' that blows dirt from the surface. These bubbles are so small, they can easily make it to the bottom of the grooves on the record where they release their cleaning jets. The cleaning fluid then carries the dirt away from the groove. This process can be further enhanced by adding cleaning fluid filtration to the mix. The CleanerVinyl Micron filtration system with its industry leading 1 micron rated particle volume filter is able to remove even the smallest dirt particles from the cleaning fluid while the cleaning process commences. This dramatically reduces the likelihood that a dirt particle makes it back to the surface before the cleaning process is over. 

CleanerVinyl Micron in-tank filtration system.

The Micron filtration system is able to circulate a 6 liter tank in about 4 min, and a 10 liter tank in about 6 min. This means that the cleaning fluid is pushed several times through the filter during a 15 min cleaning run. Another advantage besides eliminating redeposition is that the cleaning fluid can be used for many batches of records before it needs to be replaced.