Cleaning Vinyl Records the Way Experts Recommend

To all the people complaining, just imagine if you had the power to skip to [what you feel is] the relevant section of the video! The guy is old school and has a fairly relaxed approach, but he is a pro and the knowledge he is imparting is beneficial. Instead of watching like 10 different videos, just watch this one and if you need to, skip to the relevant part. And stop moaning!

Two minutes in and I’m already loving listening to this guy

This video was thoroughly helpful. I just skipped to the bits I needed to know about. Its a shame about all the immature comments. If people are not interested in cleaning vinyl or in a lot of cases, vinyl, why would they watch the video? It's sad they waste their lives watching videos on subject matter they don't care about, just to vent their irrelevant negative feelings that they wouldn't even have if they weren't watching videos on subject matter they don't care about. Sort your lives out and chase your hobbies/passions and hopefully find enough fulfilment to stop the mindless spew of shit that are most of the comments on this video.

Thanks for this, as a total n00b to vinyl I found this very insightful, and can clearly see how many other "the ultimate vinyl cleaning youtube video" just get it so horribly, horribly wrong. Understanding the principles is key and this series was great for that.

Thank you for making the video and taking the time to detail out your thinking, experience, and guidance on this topic. For TL:DR types see bullet points at the end. Many are simply searching for bullet-point recommendations in life, whereas others are looking for the details that lead to a recommendations. There are plenty of videos out there with simple, short, bullet-point recommendations on subjects if you fall into the TL:DR category. Experience will teach you that there is often a price to pay for not conducting your research. Sometimes it’s a minor item, and sometimes it’s a major annoyance that makes you regret a purchase. Take your time, do your research, listen to a number of experts, use critical thinking to analyze and question the information they are proving. Feedback and advice is a gift. Even if you disagree with it, view it as that as someone spent their time to share their experiences and mistakes so that you could spend less of your time making them. TL:DR: 1. Person yells at internet commenters for being impatient. 2. Sometimes you need a deep dive to see the criteria decisions are based upon. 3. You’re watching a video on vinyl cleaning, at least have enough self-awareness that all things vinyl will err on the side of pedantic. 4. Life is complicated.

Feels like i've just done a post-grade. Thank you so much my friend! It's certain to improve my experience, and i've been collecting and doing all the trend for over 20 years now. Amazing how you can learn each day. I know that most people won't even have the ears to hear the difference (neither to watch something over 2mins, as we can see - remember: never read the comments), but you can actually hear the difference whenever you got a "scratch" or just the stylus bumping on that deeply encrusted dirt. Lucky that i can now have a cheap, honest and reasonably effective cleaning machine, made here in Brazil. Thanks again, for helping me conclude my research. My records deserve it. ;-)

tl:dw which fluid you use makes a huge difference, most basic recommended system is spin clean + L'art du son cleaning fluid. I enjoyed the full video, its worth a watch if you are really curious.

Definitely appreciate the in depth detail you go in to, as a younger generation just getting my start in vinyl, it's good to get some well researched advice

To the critics. I have been collecting vinyl records since I was ten when my Uncle Dodi gave me his PYE auto changer, if I had been given this information in 1969 my record collection would be worth considerably more. Top recommendation is to keep your discs clean in the first place, the warning about mat dust is a gem, and do not leave them on the platter for days on end, even with the lid down. Vinyl discs are the closest mankind will ever come to creating a black hole, nothing can escape their pull. Seriously though, anybody with an interest in the replay of vinyl records should give the OL website a visit, the information available there is priceless. And no I don't work for them.

Thanks for taking the time to make the video. I use a Spin Clean and while it does a good job, I do agree that it's pretty much worth what it costs. It's labor intensive and using the "diapers" to dry has always seemed to me to be a way of putting some lint back onto the record. BUT it's very effective on really dirty and smoke caked records from clubs and has saved more than a few LPs from the scrap heap. The only criticism I have (and I have the same issue with most LP cleaning videos) is that I never get to hear a "before and after" of a clean vs dirty record. I wold love to hear, for example, a dirty thrift store record go through the Spin Clean, then see how much more it improves when put through the Rolls Royce of cleaners. Not sure if it can be done with youtube audio quality though. Maybe if the LP in question was something with relatively quiet acoustic music that would be able to showcase the pops and clicks?

I watched at 1.5 speed. First time ever, worked well.

Having consumed the information here and there is a lot of it, I've employed some of it. My budget is not big so a Knosti cleaner and L'art du Son cleaner using distilled water and my Donna Summer records have never sounded this good. Somebody has lifted the cloud! Dynamically speaking things are a big improvement. The noise floor is somewhat lower too. Can't wait to wade through the rest of my collection.

when you said "this session" most audiophiles thought they were back in therapy again, or at the marriage councillor just before their wife left lol.

Excellent video, get deep into the subject. Very rare nowadays!

By the way, nicotine isn't the problem with cig smoke it'll be the tars.

@30.48 hey don't knock it the man's obviously a guru. Personally I put great store in getting the fluids VIOLENTLY SUCKED OFF

I love my Loricraft.  It's pricey, but worth every penny if this is your business, or you are a serious collector/enthusiast.  Not to mention it is almost half the price of the Keith Monks!

Thank you for covering this subject on this level. Very interesting and helpful.

I get used dirty records so, i clean all my records by hand. yes very time consuming, but i feel is most effective. i create my own solution. i clean records once. and store it well. im not going to be around long enough for the record to need a second cleaning....

Distilled water & soap solution, a clean microfiber cloth. And to rinse, pure distilled water and a seperate microfiber cloth. Cleaned many of my records to new condition.