Power Wash Your Records Automatically (Almost)

This is an improvement to the Powerwash that uses a commercially available high pressure dental spray.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Power-Wash-Your-Vinyl-Records/

The spray in my shop sink was too messy as it would ricochet off of the album and soak all my tools at the opposite end of the shop.  I started using the Oral Breeze in our bathroom... And that's when the trouble started.

My wife would want to use the tub to take... of all things... a shower.  She'd be faced with my equipment strewn all over, plus once, came out with a story of how she had to fight a wildly careening Oral Breeze hose because I'd forget to turn the valve to the off position.

Now, I've re-engineered my design so I can once again retreat to the safety of my shop and wash my records there... In peace.  Only this time, both sides will be washed at once, with no mess, an automatic detergent applicator, an easy one-handed turn of the disc and one hand free to do other things while my records get cleaned.

Step 1: What You'll Need:

First, you'll need to construct the simple powerwasher box at:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Power-Wash-Your-Vinyl-Records/

You won't need to purchase an oral breeze dental spray from www.oralbreeze.com, even though it might be a good idea for personal health reasons.

You will want to make one change from the original instructions. Do NOT mount the bracket that holds the record on the hinge side of the box.  mount it on the latch side of the box.  attaching the record bracket opposite the hinges allows the cover to close easier.  The cover will be closed when you clean your record.

You will also need these additional parts:

1.  Two Flexible lawn sprinkler risers. One 12" long and one 18" long.
2.  One PVC 3/4"  "T" Connector.
3.  Two PVC adaptors matching the threads of the risers.
4.  Two Lawn sprinkler head adaptors to fit the opposite ends of the risers.
5.  Two Lawn sprinkler heads, with an adjustable spray pattern.  The brand I used was Rainbird.
6.  One rubber gasket sized to fit over one of the PVC adaptors.
7. PVC pipe cement

Unless you plan to use a garden hose to clean your vinyl records outside, you will need a short Washing machine water attachment hose. and a hose-to-pipe adaptor in order to connect your power washer to a threaded faucet in your laundry sink or other convenient point in your water system.  Alternately, a snap-fit adaptor on a bathroom sink's faucet would be another possibility.

My shop sink uses a 5/8" hose for high pressure cleaning, so that's where my vinyl record cleaner will be used.  Try to keep as large a volume of water possible traveling through the lines at low pressure and low friction all the way up to the spray heads.  

Comments

[WorldOfTanks]

if you angle the sprayers you can get the record to spin on its own :)

[bfk]

Possibly, but that seal keeps it pretty snug. Of course, it the sprayers were pointed downward, maybe there wouldn't be a geyser... or... use a box that covers the entire record so no seal is needed... Hmmmm

Wonder how fast we could get it going?:)

[WorldOfTanks]

haha mabye fast enough to power a tesla turbine :P jk. but the vinal would have to be loosly spinning or with ball berrings. and if the jets faced down then you would need a drain at the bottom to prevent a flood in the chamber :)

[bfk]

And, of course, any energy being applied to spinning the record will be subtracted from its cleaning...

The records would still be dirty, but the fun quotient would be greater:)

[WorldOfTanks]

very true. unless you have 2 seperate jets with a small stream to push and wider jets to clean. but still lowers the cleaning power. also you might want to use a bucket with distilled water and a pump. because if its tap water it can harm your disks :)

[bfk]

Oh, the tap water argument again :/ That may have been true years ago when the smallest brush couldn't reach into the grooves far enough to dig out hard deposits left by tap water before the needle melted them in place. As long as the record is dried with a micro fiber cloth and brushed before playing with a carbon fiber brush, any minerals left behind should be cleared out. Soap also helps wet the surface so those things shouldn't be in there anyway.

I'm re-thinking the angled spray concept anyway in favor of a rubber wheel attached to my electric drill. A slow speed rotation would do a better job and allow me to spend more time doing something else while the record cleaning machine whirrs away for hours at a time, forcing out every last bit of non-vinyl material out of the grooves,

[WorldOfTanks]

hahaha. but im saying the fast jet of water will scrape it, because of the minerals.

[bfk]

Nah... Vinyl is resilient and won't be harmed by little bits of hard stuff thrown at it. Where minerals become a problem is when after the water dries, they're left in the groove and the needle comes along and runs into them. The temperature of the needle tip is so high it melts the mineral into the vinyl where it's extremely difficult to get out. Power washing helps, but you need to dry the record with a micro fiber cloth and then use a carbon fiber brush to knock the rest of it free. This will sound like I'm bent on wrecking my records, but I use Goo Gone after I wash my records. It works wonders and loosens up any grit still left in there where the carbon fiber brush can clean it out. I designed vinyl products for years and know how rugged it is. We have the tools today to reach into the record's groove and get all that 1960 crud out of there:)

[WorldOfTanks]

ok. i see. and wow thats preatty cool. but goo be gone? haha. anyways nice job mate!

[mdog93]

How does this effect the labels/ centre parts- does it ruin them?

[bfk]

I haven't ruined any yet. The gaskets keep the labels dry while washing, the only water that makes it onto them is when the album is taken out of the box. Water doesn't seem to have any effect on the labels. There may be some out there that could be damaged, but I haven't come across any. I think most albums post 1960 used water resistant materials for their labels, so it shouldn't be a concern.

[mdog93]

Ok, thanks. This is a good instructable but I don't really have the budget or space for a special machine, can I get the same result by just doing a simple hand wash on my records?

[bfk]

Not really... However...

Here's an instructble that has a number of inexpensive solutions to record cleaning (and repairing).

http://www.instructables.com/id/Unconventional-Record-Maintenance/

Check out "Goo Gone and wood glue. Goo Gone dissolves the grease that holds the dirt and wood glue seems to be able to remove the imbedded dirt that the needle melts into the plastic (that's what power washing does). The nice thing about these is, they can also be used for cleaning other things and repairing broken furniture, so you have rationalization for getting them.

Also, check the the companion instructable to this one:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Power-Wash-Your-Vinyl-Records/

You don't really need the box and the dental sprayer is very inexpensive. And of course, you also have rationalization for getting that as well.

Good luck, and let me know how things work out.

Thanks,
bfk

[mdog93]

Surely washing them with soap and water must do some good, do you not believe this process:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Cleaning-Vinyl-Records/

has any merit at all?

[bfk]

You're putting words in my mouth...

You asked if I thought you could get the same result with a simple hand washing. You can't. Washing should be a regular part of your record maintenance, but it won't be able to get the grime and vinyl residue that's embedded in grease or the vinyl itself out. That requires a mechanical means, like thread, PVA, or pressure washing to dig out the stuff that has been in there for years. Hand washing KEEPS the record clean and prevents oils from your hands, the dust in the air and the occasional sneeze from embedding more dirt in those grooves. I power wash my albums once. After that, it's regular cleaning with a carbon fiber brush and liquid cleaner every time its played and (hand) washing, once in a great while, if it needs it.

When you get your records back to the way they were when new and you keep them properly sealed, there's no need to wash them. If you're like me, and leave them sitting on the turntable for days at a time, you'll need to wash them more often.

[mdog93]

I might try the glue methdo then if that works ok. I don't know if goo gone is available in the UK...

Will cleaning and the sanding method fix a record the 'sticks' recently bought a couple from a charity shop and they look visually not too bad but they got stuck in a few places.

[bfk]

Try the PVA wood glue and see if it stops the skipping. Goo Gone is a citrus based cleaner for removing grease. You may have something equivalent on your side of the pond. If you sand ,be sure to use light pressure. The first thing you should notice after you deep clean your records is an immediate reduction in static and pops.

If the records still skip at the same spot, check for physical damage at the point they skip. If there's no visible damage to the records, check your needle or your tracking force.

Good luck.

[mdog93]

Is goo gone exensive in the US? I can find it online but it costs about £10-£15 per bottle, that seems a lot to me...

[bfk]

That sounds about right for a quart size (exchange rates and shipping disregarded), but I wouldn't pay that for a 12oz spray bottle size ( in the states between $5-7).

Is that the best internet price?

[mdog93]

Seems I could get hold of an 8oz pouring bottle for about 8.50 in total from here:
http://www.buybrandtools.com/acatalog/Magic-Cleaners-Goo-Gone.html

I have also found this product which sounds the same but is cheaper in the uk:
http://www.lakeland.co.uk/8976/Sticky-Stuff-Remover
the label says: "contains amongst other things Aliphatic Hydrocarbons >30%"

I've read online these fliuds that remove sticky residues and things like that include:lighter fliud, white spirits, rubbing alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, WD40 and even petrol.
But one of the main things people say is oil- baby oil, veg oil, olive oil etc. to remove sticky residue and grease, but surely if that worked you'd have to find something else to remove the oil residue otherwise it would due more damage to the record?

see this homemade goo gone recipe:http://www.ehow.com/how_8260209_make-own-goo-gone.html

Can you see any of these alternatives working?

[bfk]

Vinyl is pretty tough material. It's resistant to many chemicals that would destroy other plastics. Any cleaner that's capable of penetrating decades old grime and wetting the surface underneath should do well. I like GooGone for its ability to disolve, separate and lift ancient dirt and adhesive materials from all types of substrates without a lot of mechanical scrubbing. Probably vinyl's greatest weakness is it's low durameter (softness) making it succeptable to gouging, about the only thing that can permantly ruin the groove.

[mdog93]

I may try lighter fluid then, and that sticky stuff remover when I get chance to get to the shop.

I have some wet and dry paper at home but I think it's too coarse it says P400 on the back so I guess that's just 400 grit.

I also need to get some microfibre cloths and things like that- at the moment I just cleaned the record with a new toothbrush bent back at the neck with a lighter, and I used a solution of roughly 50% water, 50% distilled white vinegar with a drop of washing up liquid. Seem to do an OK surface clean but as for ingrained marks, not a lot, I guess the bristles are too thick.

[bfk]

I'd test that lighter fluid on a non-needed record. I have no idea what's in that stuff.

[mdog93]

I tried it, and white spirit.. neither really worked at getting one particular mark out. It's actually visible to the eye as a white spot but its something in the grooves.

Another update: I peeled the glue off some of the other ones I did and I have to say I'm dissapointed with the results. Appears to have made no difference at all, some seem worse..

[bfk]

Possibly, the glue pulled a lot of stuff off the bottom, allowing your needle to sit lower in the groove, increasing its contact with the upper portion of the sides ( modern needles will have more surface area contacting the sides of the grooves as compared to older needles which spent most of their time running along the upper portion, causing the damage).

If this is the case, your needle will pick up more of the imperfections, causing more noise.

Take heart, I won't abandon you. I'm confident you'll get to listen to your find and enjoy what you hear. That deep gouge may still be there, but there are ways to make that as small as possible as well... Even stopping it from skipping, if that's what is causing it.

[bfk]

Jul 23, 2012. 8:59 AMbfk (author) says:
Here's a thought... And an experiment for you, so there's no guarantee. But on the positive side, the idea is logic based:

Carbon fiber brushes are coming down in price, and they are fine enough to reach all the way to the bottom of your record's groove. Manufacturers warn not to wet them, but the only reasons I can think of for the warning is to prevent clogging the fibers and possibly degrading their electrical properties.

With this in mind, you might try sacrificing a brush and use it in conjunction with a wetting agent to "dig out" all the little bits of debris embedded in the grooves.

Theoretically, with diligence, this would be as good as an expensive and large cleaning system (but not as fun).

Another poster has informed me that sandpaper with grits as well as 2000-3000 are available on the internet. Sanding the surface and removing the gunk in the grooves may be enough for you to clean up both the both the bottom of the groove and the imperfections at the top that are most likely causing the most problems for you. 1500 grit is the finest I've been able to find locally and it works fine, but leaves a haze on the record. It doesn't effect the sound, but may be undesireable aesthetically.

[mdog93]

Ok i'll bear that in mind thanks.

By the way I have a brush like the carbon fibre one you show but it doesn't say it's carbon fibre on it- it says on the side 'microniser' I'm presuming that's the same type of product?

I've looked and don't think I can find particularly find very fine wet and dry paper locally. However I haven't checked automotive supply stores. At DIY shops they sometimes don't tell you the grits they're giving you they just say coarse medium and fine on the packets, which is useless..

[bfk]

DIY store "fine" is probably around 200. Probably a bit too coarse for your purposes. Automotive shops will definitely have what you need. They'll also cary vinyl cleaners (much of the interior of your car is vinyl). Rejunative cleaners, that add chemicals to reduce the effects of lost plasticizers seem to be popular now. While I don't think this would necessarily be a bad thing to put on a record, I wouldn't base my choice on it. I'd go for the most powerful grime remover and not worry about added bling.

That brush sounds about right. What color are the bristles and what is the handle made of? Black bristles and a metal handle are the traits of a carbon fiber brush. Carbon fiber is the only material I'm familiar with that has small enough and stiff enough bristles to do the job I'm thinking of. I may very well be wrong about this. If you don't mind experimenting with your brush, try washing your record with it. You'll know if it's working if the record is significantly quieter (pops & ticks).

[mdog93]

Yeah sounds the same. I don't think I'll wet that brush in case it does ruin it.

I tried the glue method and I have to say I'm rather disappointed, it seems to have the same amount of crackle and ticks as before I did it, and perhaps I haven't done it perfectly but in places it has left marks on the record.

The kind of marks I sometimes see that look to fbe very ingrained in the groove, I can't help but think even pressure washing wouldn't get it out...I can't speak from experience though of course.

[bfk]

What you've done with the glue will have cleaned out your groove every bit as well as power washing ( most likely more clean, but not as fast, nor as fun as playing with water). The interior of the groove is as clean as it was the day it was made. There will have been an improvement in sound, but hidden behind all that other noise.

Your deep cleaning job is done, but you're only half done with your record's restoration.

The reason you still hear pops and ticks is because the needles that had been used before you took ownership weren't as good as the needles available today. They weren't as narrow and would run along the upper portion if the groove, wearing it away. This is also the area affected when the needle skipped across the record's surface making scratches that impact the groove as they pass over it ( also causing the needle to skip). The record's groove, like a worn chisel, has raised material and chips along the upper edge, and that's what you're hearing.

Ultra fine sand paper will remove all but the deepest of these imperfections, sharpening up the transition between the surface and the groove, bringing the record back to its original, sharpened, configuration.

400 is way too course and would possibly add more scratches than it removes. Try an ultra-fine wet/dry paper and (after washing with soap & water as you originally posted) and play it again. Please let me know how it works. I'm betting you'll be amazed by the difference.

Good luck.

[mdog93]

I'll do a sanding job then when I can get hold of some finer paper. I learmt to be more careful if I ever do this glue job again, I did about 6 45's at once and left them spread out on newspaper on the floor of my living room, came back later (some of them weren't dry for about a day and a half) and dropped my cricket bat mallet on one... completely cracked :( should have taken more care near them.

Regarding to your post, I am not entirely sure whether the needle I'm using is any good anyway, until I saw your 'ibles and have now watched some YouTube vids, I never bothered to clean records that hadn't been played for a long time, or charity shop finds before playing them so I could have damaged the needle and I don't know if it's a good quality needle anyway.

[bfk]

I use 2 cartridges, each attached to their own head which I'll switch out for albums I haven't cleaned or listened to. The first cartridge is a generic $20 variety and the other is an AT440MLA micro line that runs deeper in the groove and tracks an ounce lighter. The difference between the 2 is noticeable, but only if I listen to one immediately after the other, and only when my ear is attuned to the specific qualities that are important to me (like art, music is all about personal preference... Don't let anyone dictate what your likes and dislikes should be).

In my case, I have some yard sale albums that are more noisy when played with the Audio Technica cartridge, most likely because there are imperfections deeper in the groove where sandpaper can't reach. I'm also not as stressed playing albums on the less expensive cartridge. Unless all is quiet, I'm alone in the theater and I plan on concentrating on the details of the music I'm playing, there's no sense in using the expensive cartridge. I will confess, I'm in the market for a new turntable and that may change my ideas about what is important to me.

Take a close look at your needle with a magnifying glass if you can get one. Make sure it's perpendicular, not leaning over to one side or the other. If the sound is muddy or garbled, it could be the needle is dirty. I'll stick mine (gently) into some blue tack, which I know is available in the UK. Others swear by brushing. Whatever you do, be careful not to tear the needle out of its mount. Follow the manufacturer's tracking weight, but don't assume the light end of the range is going to be better for you. Your records may sound better at the heavier end, on your equipment. Light tracking allows for quicker response, but unless you're using equipment costing a gazillion pounds, you won't hear the difference, and your records won't last any longer or shorter.

Sand your records (those that are left:) and listen to them with the needle you have. If you've sanded them well, the difference will be noticeable. If there isn't any difference, then suspect your needle.

Something you said makes me put a caveat on what I just said. You mention your records are 45s. I've never tried sanding 45s, only 33-1/3 long play albums. Theoretically, everything I said should be valid, but I have no historical proof of it, so you're on your own with that. I don't even have any 45s I can experiment with here. Try it on one and let me know what the results are.

[mdog93]

Well as long as the grooves are the same depth/height they shouldn't, *shouldn't* be any different or damage them. But that's just my reasoning...

[bfk]

You're right, but the speed difference "may" make the damage more excessive. for instance, any vinyl that's knocked of the edge of the groove and lands in front of the needle on a record spinning at 45rpm, theoretically will be heated to a greater degree than at 33-1/3 and possibly be imbedded more completely into the substrate. Also, the increased speed might cause greater wear of the groove edge.

The good news is, the vinyl at the bottom of the record, no matter 33.333rpm, 45rpm, 78rpm or whatever has most likely never been touched by a needle, therefore should be in its original condition. Wood glue is excellent at removing all the debris that has been buried there, at the expense, as you discovered of being somewhat time consuming. The white stuff you mention may be glue, and if it is, it should come out with your micro brush (with bristles aimed forward like a shovel), water and soap. If it doesn't want to come out easily, chances are it may have latched onto something tenacious and will pull it out when you finally get at it.

Once the glue is out and your grooves are clean, you'll have to remove the upper layer of vinyl, containing all the damage caused by old needles and careless handling, so your needle can reach that virgin vinyl further down and has a smooth path to run against. Just don't take off so much that the needle hits bottom... That wouldn't help the sound at all. Sand lightly, listen to the sound, sand lightly again, and so on (don't forget to wash in between). When the record begins to sound good, with far fewer pops and snaps, stop sanding the entire surface and work on the more difficult deep scratches and gouges.

The grooves in your 45s, if like those in albums, have walls that are 90º from each other, with a small flat spot at the very bottom. They're like looking at 2 house walls as they meet in the corner of a room. There isn't any place for dirt, glue or anything else to hide, so if it's in there, it can be removed... By some means. You just have to find what those means are. i've tried it on a few albums and the PVA glue method is one of the best I've seen for cleaning out the grooves of a record, even though it is sometimes difficult to get out completely.

[mdog93]

No, this mark was there when i bought the record, the record skipped at first so i looked and saw that mark and partially removed it and it played better but still crackle but only as bad as the others. So i'll sand one first and see how it works before i do them all.

[bfk]

Great. Keep me posted, good or bad.