Re: [ARSCLIST] Highly unorthodox cleaning methods for LP's...

[Jerome Hartke <jhartke@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Detergents serve as surfactants that aid in wetting, and aid soil removal by
other liquids. Alcohol is a solvent that can remove some organics. Either
can be effective, depending on the nature of the contaminant.

Photo shops sell professional grade surfactants that would not leave a film,
as Ivory Soap might. Also, be sure to use99+% pure isopropyl alcohol, not
rubbing or methyl or another (there are many alcohols).

Jerry
Media Sciences, Inc.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
> [mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Steven Smolian
> Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2004 12:38 PM
> To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Highly unorthodox cleaning methods for LP's...
>
> I use all kinds of liquids in the studio to prepare records for copying.
> Unsceneted Ivory detergent gives the chemicals you want and none (scents)
> that you don't. It works on lots of stuff, but don't leave it undried or
> your records will get acne.
>
> Steve Smolian
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jeanette Berard" <JBERARD@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2004 11:33 AM
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Highly unorthodox cleaning methods for LP's...
>
>
> I've never used this technique as a professional archivist on any
> collections material, but I have to admit to getting good results at home
> in
> the 1970's with a drop of "Basic-H" dishwasing liquid, lots of water, and
> then a distilled water rinse (Dad developed film at home, so there was
> always a lot of distilled water about), and then using the plate section
> of
> the dishwasher to air dry (no, the dishwasher was never turned on!)
>
> We started doing this after a friend recommended it to my sister.  The
> records we can still find are still playable, so no damage seems to have
> resulted.  I don't think any of the records were pressed earlier than
> about
> 1958 or 59.
>
> Maybe it helped with the static build up - it was a drier climate here in
> Cal. in those days, and in the right light you could see the lint jump
> back
> onto the record while you tried to clean it with the alcohol based record
> cleaner.
>
> Jeanette
>
> Jeanette Berard
> Special Collections Librarian
> Thousand Oaks Library System
> (805) 449-2660 xt228
> jberard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> >>> aaron.levinson@xxxxxxxxxxx 05/18/04 07:22AM >>>
> I have been a collector for many years and have had some records
> that I have encountered that are visually perfect and still with
> successive
> cleanings, both manually and with a machine, the sound remains distorted
> and gritty sounding. This conditions persists with every alcohol based
> product
> I have encountered.
>
> I took a copy of a record which suffers from this disease, NRISSTB,(no
> reason it should sound this bad) and I cleaned it with one tiny drop of
> dishwashing soap. I made sure to add ample water to it and cleaned it
> till no
> visible residue was on the disc. I then cleaned the surface again with
> a record cloth to remove any late arriving airborne residue. The results
> have been really amazing. These records now sound infinitely better than
> the ever did with alcohol based cleaners.
>
> These dish products are designed to "cut grease" and as I understand it,
> a thin layer of oil can exist on  LP's as a result of the stamping
> process
> itself. It is my belief that this oil coagulates with time and sits in
> the grooves
> attracting all kinds of contaminants and grit and particulate matter in
> general.
>
> When the old lemon joy gets in there it seems to dissolve the oily
> residue
> and in the process let go of a lot of tiny noisy particles that have
> been resting
> there for decades...I have done this in the presence of other
> collectors who were
> horrified and then amazed by the procedure and the results.
>
> Obviously, I suggest trying this first on a valueless, noisy record to
> see if what
> I am saying is true.
>
> Has anyone else out there tried weird counter-intuitive "solutions" to
> record cleaning and if so what have been your results?
>
> I am sure many ARSC people and all polymer chemists will tell me I am
> doing more harm than good in the long run but the immediate results are
> in some cases nothing less than dazzling in my experience.
>
> BTW, this seems them most effective on records from the mid-60's and
> earlier, did the vinyl manufacturing process change after a certain
> point, thus using less oil or something like that when making LP's?
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Aaron (Don't try this at home kids) Levinson