Location: Dagenham Essex
Posts: 11,215
I'm Allen.
The OP is referring to lens cleaning cloths being used to clean a record just before it is played. These cloths do contain alcohol, but from experience in using them to clean my glasses, the moisture evaporates quickly so when the record is played it ought to be quite dry.
It seems an expensive route to take, and one which appears to me not to be that effective. Much better to invest in an RCM; especially if you have a sizeable record collection (say over 200 records).
Barry
Location: Dagenham Essex
Posts: 11,215
I'm Allen.
What sort of optical cleaner are you referring to, a cloth or a liquid?
I have tried many ways to clean records, documented in a thread on here. I do use a non-alcoholic cleaner as part of my cleaning regime called L'Art du Son, some like it other don't there are host of posts about it, first stage is a mix of 99.9% Isopropyl Alchohol mixed 25% to 75% Distilled Water and a Ilford Ilkotil grease agent, after using it I vacuum dry and then rinse with distilled water and then vacuum again, I then repeat with the L'Art du Son mix and then a final Distlled water runs and vacuum. Takes about 6 minutes per record but generally give a good result. Poorly soiled records may need to go through this several time, if still noisy after that get another copy.
Listening is the act of aural discrimination and dissemination of sound, and accepting you get it wrong sometimes.
Analog Inputs: Pro-Ject Signature 10 TT & arm, Benz Micro LP-S, Michel Cusis MC, Goldring 2500 and Ortofon Rondo Blue cartridges, Hitachi FT5500 mk2 Tuner
Digital:- Marantz SA-KI Pearl CD player, RaspberryPi/HifiBerry Digi+ Pro, Buffalo NAS Drive
Amplification:- AudioValve Sunilda phono stage, Krell KSP-7B pre-amp, Krell KSA-80 power amp
Output: Wilson Benesch Vector speakers, KLH Ultimate One Headphones
Cables: Tellurium Q Ultra Black II RCA & Chord Epic 2 RCA, various speaker leads, & links
I think I am nearing audio nirvana, but don’t tell anyone.
Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days
Posts: 4,779
I'm Shaun.
The last time I was involved in cleaning my vinyl records I used 80 of IPA to 20 of De-ionised water plus a tiny splash of wetting agent. Worked very well on my Moth cleaner.
Location: london
Posts: 59
I'm loheswaran.
Hi AJ
Well FYI
I am getting an ultrasonic cleaner. I don't have a vacuum based cleaning machine, as such the record will be air dried. I was considering to use a non-alcoholic cleaning spray with an optical cloth (as used for anti-reflective coatings.
You aren't the only person that has recommended L'Art du son - I understand that some use it with ultrasonic cleaners diluted, and nothing else. My concern is that there may be a residue.
if i was to use distilled water at the end it would mean that i empty the ultrasonic bath then refill with distilled water. I just think that's a bit clumsy.
An option i have is to use a wetting agent as used in photography as water apparently doesn't settle and just comes off.
I still have my Disco Antistat and that may be worth deploying as the final stage with distilled water at the end.
So my proposed regime could be one of the following:
1. L'art du son with disstilled water in the ultrasonic bath - then air dry
2. Isopropyl alcohol and wetting agent with distilled water - then air dry
as above plus:
a. optical cleaner and cloth, or
b. distilled water rinse on the disco antistat
with two young kids and very long hours I don't want to spend forever cleaning and perfecting. Hence all the questions now by those who've done it and experimented.
The method with the optical cleaner was to use a toothpick with strands of cotton wool wrapped around it with a bit of optical cleaner used on the stylus after a play - using a magnifying glass. This is because it cleans off the rubbish on a stylus tip without eroding the glue for the stylus.
Thanks for the contributions to the discussion everyone.