Groovy Record Cleaning Kit - Opinions?
braitman
Folks:
I was looking to replace my D4 Discwasher brush-and-liquid system with
something adequately updated. All I've found is the Groovy Record
Cleaning Kit, sold by Bags Unlimited. I was a bit surprised when I
received it to see that it requires you to spray the alcohol-based
liquid directly onto the vinyl, then use a very tiny soft bristle
brush to "work the solution into the grooves and over the record
surface." Then I'm supposed to use a lint-free cloth to wipe the
surface dry.
This sounds like contrary to everything I've known before about vinyl
disc care. The Discwasher system uses a non-alcohol liquid to lightly
moisten the textured fabric of the cleaning brush (more a textured
fabric attached to a wooden handle). The brush is just supposed to be
moist, not wet. The brush is then used on the disc as it spins, first
on one edge to wipe up the dust and dirt, and then on the opposite
edge to dry.
The Discwasher system is very non-invasive yet has always been
effective for my relatively clean discs. (I'm not looking to resurrect
discs with mud, grease, and glue, jeez!) This Groovy system looks very
old school, and I'm not inclined to use it.
Any comments, pro or con? Anything comparable to Discwasher out there?
Thanks!
Stephen M.H. Braitman
Walter Traprock
> Folks:
>
> I was looking to replace my D4 Discwasher brush-and-liquid system with
> something adequately updated. All I've found is the Groovy Record
> Cleaning Kit, sold by Bags Unlimited. I was a bit surprised when I
> received it to see that it requires you to spray the alcohol-based
> liquid directly onto the vinyl, then use a very tiny soft bristle
> brush to "work the solution into the grooves and over the record
> surface." Then I'm supposed to use a lint-free cloth to wipe the
> surface dry.
>
> This sounds like contrary to everything I've known before about vinyl
> disc care. The Discwasher system uses a non-alcohol liquid to lightly
> moisten the textured fabric of the cleaning brush (more a textured
> fabric attached to a wooden handle). The brush is just supposed to be
> moist, not wet. The brush is then used on the disc as it spins, first
> on one edge to wipe up the dust and dirt, and then on the opposite
> edge to dry.
>
> The Discwasher system is very non-invasive yet has always been
> effective for my relatively clean discs. (I'm not looking to resurrect
> discs with mud, grease, and glue, jeez!) This Groovy system looks very
> old school, and I'm not inclined to use it.
The RCA Discwasher kit that costs about 17 dollars? The fluid
that comes with the kit is rubbing alcohol, try smelling it.
I've read an amazon review that says the brush is different material
than it used to be, but all I know is the Discwasher kits that are
currently sold in more than one record store I've seen.
I don't follow the Discwasher instructions exactly, but use more
of the fluid than they say but do dry it with the dry edge of the
brush. I place the record on the cover on the table, and circle
with the brush. It is an initial routine for all records I
acquire, but generally I never clean it more than once. I've
used up old Discwasher brushes and bought new ones, keeping a
spare.
braitman
This is what I'm talking about:
http://www.needledoctor.com/Discwasher-D4-Kit
Walter Traprock
That is exactly what I'm talking about, I think:
http://www.amazon.com/Discwasher-D4%2B-Record-Cleaning-Kit/dp/B000EHYNFW/
It is cheaper in stores than online. The bottle of fluid alone
is priced more than twice as much at amazon as at record stores:
http://www.amazon.com/D4%2BVinyl-Record-Refill-Fluid-1-25/dp/B0009LAYSI/
ScottW
"braitman" <brai...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:d3614161-1cb7-4d50...@l32g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
The new discwashers are crap IMO. The new fluid is indeed
rubbing alcohol. Though it was widely reported that the old
D3 was nothing more than deionized or distilled water wetting
the brush is adequate for what they did.
My new RCA brush was poorly assembled in that they pull the
brush cover so tight over the pad there is no flat surface.
You have to compress the brush very hard to contact the
entire surface or rock the brush back and forth.
I had a discwasher and tried to replace my brush,
I'm still using my 20 year old one.
IMO, this is the way to go now.
http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-Record-Cleaning-AT6012/dp/B000EHYBRC
But these kits and the discwasher aren't for more than picking up
surface dust that gathers on the stylus.
They don't really get into the grooves and clean dirt or fungus or
mold release etc.
If you really want to clean your records, this is the way to go.
And with a record vacuum like a nitty gritty or VPI the results
are even better. You can't rinse away everything and letting a
record air dry just leaves on the record what you couldn't rinse
away.
Vacuuming it up is a huge difference IME.
ScottW