Ten Tips For Cleaning FILTHY Old Vinyl Records

Some records are tougher to clean than others. We uncover ten top tips for cleaning very old vinyl records.
Unlike day-to-day record cleaning, these tips are for those well-loved records that have seen better days. By following the tips in our video, you'll stand a better chance of restoring your records to their former glory.
For more information on how to clean vinyl records, check out our full guide:
www.yoursoundmatters.com/clea...
________________________________________
Products:
AudioQuest Carbon Fiber Record Brush: geni.us/projectvce (Amazon affiliate link).
ProJect Record Cleaning Machine: geni.us/projectvce (Amazon affiliate link).
________________________________________
Partner/Sponsor Discounts:
GrooveWasher Record Cleaning (Use code: SOUNDMATTERS10 for 10% Off)
www.groovewasher.com/
Twelve Inch Record Displays (Use code: SOUNDMATTERS10 for 10% Off)
twelve-inch.com/
VSS Record Sleeves: (Use code SOUNDMATTERS10 on checkout):
vinylstoragesolutions.ca/soun...
Vinyl Pursuit - Vintage Vinyl Online: (Use code SOUNDMATTERS15):
vinylpursuit.com/
Vinyl Moon - Record Subscription (SOUNDMATTERS10)
vinylmoon.co/
________________________________________
#vinylrecords #recordcleaning #vintagevinyl #groovewasher

[@soundmatters]

Thanks for watching! 🎶🎧 Do drop your comments and questions below. If you'd like to support the channel, check the video description for many DISCOUNT CODES codes to enjoy money off various products and feed your vinyl habit! (I earn a small commission - no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support!

[@rockytopkg]

If I watched a hundred of these videos I'd see a hundred different ways to clean vinyl. It would be impossible for it to be more confusing.

[@i.n.o.productionscompany9699]

I have recently bought a Billie Holiday shellac78, thank you so VERY much for that last tip seriously, I'm glad that I hadn't tried to clean it yet

[@soundmatters]

Glad to help! Enjoy the music. Nice shellac pick up :)

[@Level10Productions]

I could try cleaning my old CD collection too but they play just FINE, thank you very much.

[@prockrog5219]

To really clean a record you need pure distilled water in combination with a non-damaging cleaning fluid. The point of the cleaning fluid is to resolve the water into smaller droplets so that it will go into the grooves and resolve any dirt. Most fluids doesn't resolve the water enough to get into the grooves and not be of any help other than to clean the surface of the record.

[@mjevermore9123]

Thank you for all of the wise tips!

[@Drivehead103]

As an experiment I cleaned a old vinyl album with 190 golden grain alcohol and a paintbrush about a year ago in 2021. Album appears to be okay so far. I think Dawn dish detergent does a great job at cleaning, it would remove grease and grime from my hand that Gojo hand cleaner would not remove after a day of diesel mechanic work. I currently use tergitol for cleaning vinyl albums but they get rinsed under the sink if they are extremely dirty because I do not want to push contamination into the grooves.

[@mikekuhn214]

I add Tergikleen to a gallon of distilled water. U can add between 17-20 drops of Tergikleen to ur Distilled water mix

[@steve_skinhead339]

Thanks so much. I just cleaned up my Ramones rocket to Russia album from 1977. Sounds so much better

[@soundmatters]

Great stuff. Enjoy - great album

[@tturner12341]

I’ve been cleaning 🧼 my records lately with a micro fiber cloth and a little bit of water 💦. That’s it. Of course I have a brush that I use first. Also remember to clean your stylus too. Brushing forward only.

[@agegroot5666]

I clean records with a washingmachine detergent for wool in the knosti ,than clean them with fresh tapwater. After the cleaning dry them first a little bit with soft toiletpaper, place them on a newspaper and dry them with another piece of soft toiletpaper. Then i use a fibrecleaner to to get rid of dust and make them anti-static and the result sounds fine.

[@popeye807]

I'm relatively new to looking after vinyl. What are your thoughts on the Orbitrac 3 Pro? I recently picked one up and I was wondering what your thoughts were

[@yorkemar]

Machine clean is good. Half price sale pro ject last year. Lately tho, the quota of second hand records with annoying scratches..has increased 75%. I take them back. ...if over 30$..so back to second hand and new cds.but it makes a great great every play cleaner!.

[@mojodanslabiblioteque]

Liking the Meters lp in the background, my German reissue is scratched 😢, great tips though and needs those brushes, thx

[@soundmatters]

Love that record. It's the VMP Reissue from last month :)

[@martinmullen71]

Really like this video, many handy tips. What was the name of the light that you use above your turntable please possibly where would I get it ?

[@soundmatters]

Really glad you enjoyed it! The LED light is called the UberLight Flex. I love it - sticks exactly where you place it, unlike many LED lights with a gooseneck... Here's a link (Amazon affiliate link for full disclosure): geni.us/uberlightflex Let me know how you get on with it. Happy spinning

[@martinmullen71]

@@soundmatters Thank you very much for your help, kind regards Martin.

[@robertcudny1839]

Try "Bed, Bath and beyond". This is where I got mine.minę. That is if you are living in the US.

[@turtletronify]

Thanks for the video. What is the picture behind the cleaner at 09:33? I'm thinking it's The Doors - where did you get it from and do they do other bands?

[@soundmatters]

It was part of the VMP release of the Doors self-titled album. A really nice illustration! www.vinylmeplease.com/products/the-doors-the-doors

[@americanpatriot9865]

Dish soap and water work for me. Forget those expensive doo dads

[@iliasmastoris529]

I am thinking of adding a dash of distilled white vinegar (made from ethanol not wine vinegar) because it contains acetic acid.

[@buckkuhlmann3461]

I've just cleaned all my records with water and vinegar and a microfiber cloth. They all play great even my old original Kiss albums. It's not rocket science. Just clean in a circle and shine.

[@KelliGrrrl]

I have a Kirmuss Ultra Sonic Record Cleaning machine. Do you know if the G3 cleaner is compatible with the Kirmuss cleaning solution? I've read that some chemicals should not be mixed.

[@soundmatters]

GrooveWasher make a specialist fluid called G-Sonic for Ultrasonic machines. I've used it with the Humminguru and now also the Degritter

[@angusmclean4783]

Shellac is a given, but why no isopropyl alcohol (IPA) on vinyl? Polyvinyl chloride is the preferred storage medium for IPA because they both consider the other inert. Are you confusing IPA with acetone (Propan - 2 - One, Dimethyl Hetone) (which would certainly do a good job if you wanted to drink your records after cleaning!)?

[@budsmoker4201120]

Thats what I am saying. I love chemistry and I was thinking the same thing.

[@999webby]

Can you purchase the Groove Washer Black Magic pad in the UK?

[@soundmatters]

I will check with the company and let you know. Twelve-Inch.com distribute a selection of the products. And, from what I understand, there are developments in place to improve UK availability of all GrooveWasher products. Watch this space, and I'll message the GrooveWasher team now to see current availability.

[@jeffguevara5967]

I'm trying to clean records made in the 60s. Nothing seems to really work. I inspect them using a loupe or microscope after repeated cleaning. I always find what seems like hardened mould stuck between the grooves. I'm not sure how to get it out & I will not try doing it by mechanical/physical means. Any advice? Thanks

[@soundmatters]

What methods have you tried already?

[@chuckmaddison2924]

New improved OMO for front loaders.

[@doorran]

what about shellac records?

[@blackdawg7778]

But what do you do when you get a brand new 180g record, clean it, and it still sounds noisy. My new copy of Automatic for the people which was brand new sounds rubbish. Even on my new project turntable

[@soundmatters]

Difficult to tell unless I heard it for myself. It could be release agent of dirt from the factory, or, it could just be a noisy pressing. It's worth giving it a clean and seeing if the sound clears up

[@blackdawg7778]

@YoUtUbEOFFICIALrealnotrick Maybe, but my Jason Isbell sound crystal clear. They sound even better now on my Rega Planar 3 50th anniversary

[@budsmoker4201120]

Flaws not all records or noisy. Sorry you're just wrong, and 1200 dollars is not that much lol to flaunt. Lol. 😂😂😂

[@Beatgeneration2010]

Why no narration when the video was speeded up???? Cheers, Ken

[@martinbenzonline]

He was playing it at 78rpm

[@alanbud5181]

How about hand sanitizer?? Just curious.

[@clarification007]

Thanks for the important tips! ----- But I see a #11 tips, nobody mentions: Don't wear synthetic clothing during this cleaning process, even when manipulating records near record player it will attract dust or cat's hairs! 😉

[@soundmatters]

It certainly encourages static in many cases! Thanks for the tip.

[@puddle5ofmud599]

Dust is everywhere cats you can kill.

[@dtracy03ss]

​@Puddle5ofMud ! ASSININE comment, If you don't like Cats , keep your comments to yourself, especially "Cats you can Kill" and to the Idiot that agreed with this Comment same thing, you have Both Ruined an Otherwise Very Good Video and any Pet can cause dust and its Your Responsibility to Clean up, @sound matters this comment should be Deleted and the Poster should be Blocked

[@tturner12341]

Also remember to clean your brand new records too. Get the factory gunk off before you play your records.

[@francisanosissi1]

Wash em like dishes.. paper label dries fine..

[@ICU81269]

None of these record cleaning videos show vinyl actually being cleaned. My video shows a actual record cleaning.

[@BlueBeeMCMLXI]

Best is a pro record-cleaning machine. You go to them. With your unloved long-players...

[@lylechipperson3407]

You can wash microfiber cloths. You don't need to throw them out

[@soundmatters]

So long as they're not washed in the washing machine, which will pick up lint from clothes. I suppose you could use distilled water to wash them by hand if you wanted to and this would avoid the lint issue. Enjoy the music and thanks for watching

[@thetownspeople6486]

I find nothing works better than alcohol when cleaning records

[@joshroyale7678]

Weed is nice too, but whatever works to break up the monotony, huh?

[@vitocasola4309]

@@joshroyale7678 😂

[@milesrout]

spelling mistake in title btw it says FILTY

[@soundmatters]

Thanks for spotting that typo and giving me the heads-up. Much appreciated.

[@madcrabber1113]

Nice commercial.

[@Level10Productions]

Best Tip: Don't buy them in the first place.