Will Alcohol Ruin Your Vinyl Records?
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- čas přidán 5. 07. 2024
- Will cleaning your vinyl records with isopropyl alcohol harm them? Searching for the answer will lead you into a rabbit hole. While there is no definitive answer, I do have some advice.
Find out more at JoyOfVinyl.com
Written & Produced by Rick Coste
To learn more about Rick and his work go to RickCoste.com
Alcohol can definitely damage your records. After a couple of glasses of bourbon, I accidentally tripped over my record rack and stepped on a copy of Led Zeppelin IV. It will never be the same. 😁
Good one @Neil Fisher - thanks for the laugh
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords On a serious note. I use the Groove Washer cleaning kit which is similar to the old Discwasher, with a solution you apply to a soft microfiber brush. The solution doesn't say what is in it. It only says it is biodegradable. Should I be concerned? I haven't detected any adverse effects and it seems to clean new records ok.
No need to worry @Neil Fisher. Groove Washer does not contain isopropyl alcohol. It contains a mix of detergent and surfactants to allow the fluid into the groove. They have stated they very minimum amount of slow-drying alcohol (just not the type), but they have been clear it's not iso.
Excellent video. My personal primary way to clean is the Spin Clean system. Any idea what the heck is in their solution? Without a full blown series of lab tests I don't know what it contains but I do know it works well for me. Just wondering if it's something you can make at home or some super secret compound. Thanks
@@Kalprog The folks at Spin-Clean are very protective about what their fluid contains. They've stated in a number of places that it does not contain alcohol and that it's safe to clean 78rpm shellac records. If I were to guess they use a surfactant (like Kodak Photo-Flo) and distilled water. It might explain why they only recommend a capful to be used over the brushes. With Photo-Flo it doesn't take muc to be effective.
I've used it on records for years with no discernable ill effect so I imagine I'll continue to. I'm 53 now and still have records I got when I was 7. I'm not getting any younger and I won't be taking them with me when it's my time and when I'm gone I won't be giving a fig if the isopropyl from years ago is breaking down what I can no longer hear, lol.
There is nothing wrong with that @Rebel9668. It’s all about enjoyment. My hearing isn’t what it used to be either. I blame loud headphones in the 80s.
The only other thing (and maybe a follow up to this video) would be a side by side waveform comparison. Another more extreme test would be to soak the record in alcohol for an unreasonable amount of time (1 hr or something like 6 hrs). Again, do a side by side comparison. "The only way to test the strength of something is to break it."
Great work, and thank you!
Theres clearly no immediate affects to the vinyl that damage the sound. The issue is knowing the long term effects of it but so far Ive not seen any tests indicating alcohol as harmful, only chemical hypothesis.
Agreed @Leon. I used alcohol for years (diluted). At this point I'd rather not chance it and there are other options. But I too have not seen any conclusive tests as to harmful effects.
Great video! I have tried a variety of homebrew solutions I found online in my (also) homebrew ultrasonic cleaner. Solutions using alcohol produced an undeniably clean record. However, even the small amount of alcohol produced a very strong smell when combined with the cavitation and heat. I couldn’t help but think this wasn’t a great idea. I’m now using just the Tergikleen and distilled water. It’s hard to say if the records are as clean as they would be with alcohol, but there is still a significant improvement and I’m fairly confident I’m doing no harm.
Thanks @Timothy Cunningham - sounds like we both landed on the Tergikleen/distilled water mix. Awesome that you made your own ultrasonic as well. I plan to tackle that project someday.
I remember an old record store owner telling me using ammonia, distilled water and dish soap was a good solution. I stopped using that solution once I ran out and instead use vinyl styl cleaning fluid which I believe contains isopropyl alcohol. I think what's good is that in small quantities it helps to dry quicker.
I usually use 'revolv' or audio intelligence.
neither of which contains alcohol. I once heard Michael Freemer advise white vinegar as an alternative to Alcohol I enjoyed your video have a nice weekend.
Brave effort into cleaning up records. I use a factory made 0,5 liter of 'Audio Tonar' which is a vinyl cleaner bought for 12 euro. Used it for 5 years and there is still 1/3 of the liquid in the bottle.
It is produced in the Netherlands, where I live. I suspect some alcohol in the content because there is a sign that it is flammable. I don't know the long term effects (>5 years).
The very best procedure I have chosen is to use the Audio Tonar once. Then convert the vinyl into a digital recording and clean up clicks etc. in the software of Adobe (Audition or Studio).
The advantage is that you can use it in compressed MP3-format in your Walkman as well, for recordings that were never digitalized. Of course, no issue for common Michael Jackson recordings. But for more specialized recordings with a small audience which are commercially not interesting for record companies it is a good solution.
New subscriber - 51 years old and have been getting into vinyl. Thanks for the video, i had been using a bit of iso alcohol with distilled water first, then straight distilled water afterwards. i'll have to rethink it
First - thanks for subscribing @Conrad Vogel!
If you're diluting the alcohol with the first clean and then straight distilled after I don't think there's much to worry about. Granted, I would still recommend not using alcohol, but I don't have any scientific data, or seen any controlled tests, to back that statement up. It's more a general concern and not knowing the formula used to create the PVC and how it might react when exposed to isopropyl.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords Cool, that's what i've been doing 🙂
I have been useing a squirt bottle with distilled water and a few table spoon of 91% isopropyl alcohol. Its seem too work find for cleaning. Good video too
Thank you @zombbiedestroyer9 !
I think isopropyl helps with the evaporation of moisture...definitely don't want to trap water under protective plastic outer sleeves
I use IPA, i put the drinkable stuff in myself and the stuff you're probably not supposed to drink on the records
My preferred way is to take any rag, microfiber cloth too if you like that kind of thing but that's just for drying, a bit of soap, a paintbrush, and some water. You might have to repeat it once or twice, but it's definitely improved. You'll notice a lot of stuff coming off the record and it'll sound way better.
Thank you Rick! I am in Boston this weekend for FanExpo. Question does the white vinegar smell bad? I use 50 or 60% isopropyl alcohol
Hi! It's diluted so the vinegar odor is minimal (and doesn't stick around). That being said - I now use a much different formula and am no longer against isopropyl. I'm happy to share the mixture if you want to email me? You can get in touch with me at joyofvinyl.com/contact/
Have a blast this weekend!
I make my own Turgikleen using Tergitol. That way I know what I am putting on my, quality control! And be sure to rinse extremely well.Rinse, rinse and repeat.
I always rinse after too. I'd love to know your formula sometime if you ever care to share.
Vinyl Shelter made in UK is the best cleaning fluid, any kind of water alone is too dense to reach the bottom of the grooves, it needs a small amount of alchohol to lower the surface tension of the water.
I've come around on the use of alcohol in cleaning solutions since I made that video a couple years ago. I now use it as well.
I get drunk when I listen to vinyl all the time and I enjoy the music just as much as when I’m sober
I’ve been using 1 pt 91-99% iso with 3 parts dist water. Sometimes it leaves surface noise sometimes not. I’m gonna try the dawn thing.
How many drops do You use or iApproximately in tablespoons per gallon .
And do you rinse with a dist water spray after the solution ?
Hi @Clock1130 - For one gallon of distilled water i wouldn't use more than 3 drops. And yes - I always rinse with pure distilled water after cleaning. That's where the Spin-Clean comes in handy.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords I clean records for a record store that’s what I use. My personal vinyl is clean so I just use anti stat brush. Im thinking of just using distilled water only and micro towel.
How can it be grease on your vinyl if you only touch the vinyl on the edges? I think that what is on your vinyl is dust and how do you get rid of dust? One way is using a vacuum cleaner another way is using compressed air.
I agree. The only time I've ever seen grease or fingerprints (or any other oily substance) is when I've bought a used record.
Roughly 70/80 % 99%isapropal 20/30% de ironised water , been using for 30odd years , the reason you mix with distilled/de ironised water.,is so it doesn't dry quickly, I've been collecting for 40years I've only had 1problem with a sixties compilation lo which sounded hissy after ,so down to vinyl mixture.Any anti static solutions make the record surface greasy ,but stop crackle 🇬🇧🍀👍🏼
I've been watching a LOT of vinyl cleaning videos lately. I've been using a VPI 16.5 for years but I'm considering making the jump to ultrasonic soon.
I will eventually too. Budget has kept me from doing so since the one I’ve had my eyes on is on the expensive side. It’s not like my records are lacking from attention. It’ll be a fun experiment though when the time comes.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords exactly. I think many of us are taking care of our records. Whether it's a Spin Clean for now or a Degritter eventually.
@Infectious Groove Vinyl - when you do take the ultrasonic leap let me know what you think. Would love to hear your opinion of it.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords I definitely will. Right now I'm just trying to decide what price level I want to be at. Once I make that decision and pick one, I plan to REALLY put it through its paces and probably do a video on it.
I’ve used the same VPI 16.5 for 30 years. Still working wonderfully and cleaning records just fine!
What are you using for a cloth?
@Paul Wooten - I use a microfiber cloth. I don’t need to use it often. I’ve also used the cloths that come with the Spin Clean but I prefer the microfiber.
I speak from my personal experience: Isopropyl alcohol does not turn out to be very good at cleaning Lp's, it takes longer to evaporate and if the records aren't completely dried with a solution that had this type of alcohol, you can spoil several of your inner sleeves already that generates a reaction that gives off stains to the LP. The 96% grade alcohol has been much better for me in terms of cleaning and drying time. I have not seen with this type of alcohol a deterioration in both the records and the audio quality.
Thanks for posting this @AG. I have no doubt it will help others who either use alcohol to clean or are curious about what others are doing and why😎
The best thing to clean the vinyls is isopropyl alcohol 99% for its quick property of evaporation, cleaning for fat and dirt in general, and most importantly, it does not contain water.
Distilled water has a treatment to remove much of the minerals, however, it does not achieve its mission to eliminate the minerals; such that even the same MOFI has a water cleaner with a four-stage distillation process.
Quite apart from what it may cost, there is nothing like isopropyl alcohol 99%, which I have been using since I bought vinyl.
I respect the opinion of the author of the video, but personally, I do not recommend using distilled water, unless it is that of MOFI.
Liquinox is the bomb. 10% iso in distilled water is perfectly fine. 🎉🎉
My take on cleaning records is to keep it simple, effective, minimize the OCD level ...and only ever have to do it once. And by "cleaning" I'm talking *deep* cleaning a record ...not the light cleaning we do after putting the record on the platter. I'd never use Iso alcohol for deep cleaning records ...it's not very good for that kind of cleaning and best left for heads and pinch rollers of tape decks or in a light solution applied to a Discwasher brush. Alcohol in a cleaner is primarily to get it to evaporate faster.
My secret deep cleaning elixir, at the moment, is a spray bottle of Fantastik Orange Action all purpose cleaner. Sounds like heresy. But ...what's the purpose of (deep) cleaning records ...what do we want to accomplish? I want to remove as much of the deep down crud in the groove as possible, along with any other dirt accumulation on the record, while not harming the vinyl. Since all my record purchases, these days, are used LP's I wanted a cleaning process that would restore the record as close to new as I could get it ...at least from a cleanliness standpoint. As such, my cleaning regimen might be considered harsh. I want any cleaner I use to have decent surfactant capabilities and be safe to use on plastics. There are any number of household, all surface, spray cleaners that will do this. I figure they're all made using highly-filtered de-mineralized water and, once mixed up, are filtered again before bottling. The orange oil in the Fantastik is minimal but enough to be an effective detergent; wouldn't be much of a surface cleaner if it left a greasy coating behind. I use my tap water to initially rinse the record before applying the Fantastik and to rinse it when done scrubbing the record. My water has a nominal amount of dissolved minerals; I've never worried about these minerals effecting the "cleanliness" of my records. If I had exceptionally hard water, then yeah, I would be concerned and opt for distilled water. I use a disposable 2" paint brush, the bristles evenly cut back to about 1/2", to scrub the records with the Fantastik.
In the end it all works quite well and I've taken some incredibly foul-looking records and made them playable and, best of all, surprisingly quiet. And if done right, I'll never have to deep clean a record again ...just a nice sweep with the anti-static brush followed up by a lightly dampened Discwasher.
This is very interesting! This is the first time I've heard of this method. Thanks for sharing that!
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords I suggest you try it. Find a used album as a "test subject" ...preferably one with a lot of surface dirt. Understand this process is to remove dirt & oils ...deep cleaning the collected debris from being handled and stored all those years. It will remove, ideally, all the potential pops & clicks from the loose garbage on the disc and in the groove. The process of cleaning also negates static charge. The modified paint brush is to make a "scrubber" to work the cleaner into the groove. Records are not as fragile as one might assume ...after all, we drag one of the hardest natural materials across it every time we play it. In choosing cleaner, stay away from any that are highly alkaline. Most multi-surface, spray on wipe off, cleaners will work. Cheers!
50/50 mix isopropyl alcohol.distilled water and a shot of jet dry works fine.
3:29 is that a greasy surface ?
It's hard to say given the magnification, but it appears to be dust and particles within the grooves.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords what i saw, once, was a PVC from the production, a splitter ...
what are your thoughts on vodka for cleaning records I am serious
@Anjo can Dijk - I have honestly never heard of that. I’ll have to ask some of my Russian friends :)
No good.... purest alcohol at 99.7%
Vodka is full of impurities
The solution that works with the Nitty Gritty Dirt machine is the best.
I’ve heard good things about it as well @Jim Da
My records became alcoholics so I had to cut them off......
But kidding aside, those records behind you at a 20 degree slant is a warp risk.
Good one! And you’re right. I had a bunch off the shelf to clean. Very observant!
A good scotch tends to make them sound smoother.
Completely agree @Jimi Lee. Enjoyed an 18 yr Glen Livet with Coltrane’s “Blue Train” last week.
Been using straight isopropyl alcohol for 40 years. Jimi Hendrix has never sounded better.
I've actually changed my opinion in this one. I should create a new video about it.
Cleaning is the most frustrating subject in this hobby. How do you really compare? I get two injections a month in my eyes for a serious condition. People ask me if it helps slow down the progression of the disease - I don't know. I tell them I need a clone who doesn't get them so I can tell. Give me 6 LP's pressed at the same time with the exact same wear/contamination etc. and it would be a hell of a lot easier. I have some things I think are good. Some I don't care for. I have no answers and am not an absolutist. I am a rinsing freak. I rinse with distilled water and on my best stuff, and most all of my classical, I follow with a pure water, laboratory grade Tye I, rinse. I'm not put off by alcohol, especially good Scotch, but in very small concentrations and immediately thoroughly rinsed. A chemist wrote a paper where he made the point that distilled water is not good enough to rinse alcohol - it still has contaminants. I buy 2 gallons of Type I at a time and use sparingly. My current method is a Degritter with Tergitol, two rinses, last being Type I (also dries faster). Is it the best? I dunno....
Can you still see?
sorry,but what about with 50 years old records....which could be (and being) played even with a fork...?
In that case I might try a single malt scotch :)
Try cheap spray perfume from the dollar store, it has a little alcohol in it and distilled water and it smells good and it cleans good and evaporates cleanly and it's cheap.
Do you use different scents depending on the record? I'm thinking Ozzy records should be cleaned with jack Daniels and Johnny Cash with either cocaine or old spice. When I think about it, cocaine would probably work on the Ozzy records too
@@simonpettersson6788 originally bought to wear as cologne but found out it cleans records better than it smells on me
I don't get how you need more than a couple of decades of your own experience.
For me it seems I can never settle on one solution. I don't know what it is but even when I am satisfied with a method I will learn something new and incorporate it and tweak my previous method.
I clean my records with spin clean record washer it's very well for me.
I do recommend the Spin-Clean as well @Daryl J Spetz. Great product.
@daryljspetz2967 Not me! I wouldn't recommend it. It doesn't clean very good. Bad design in my opinion!
too much surface contact, and also open to atmospheric dust.
A proper clean should not go over the surfaces so many times, and they are too open to atmospheric dust
You need to inspect and keep those pads clean, or you will put scratches on the surfaces.
Get a spot if grit on a pad, and you can utterly destroy a record.
It is the 1 in 100 that makes these dangerous, but 99 in 100 will damage the surface, even if it is only slightly.
Shellack does not résister alcohol!
Very true @Marc Begine!
Yes ! Alcohol will damage both vinyl and shellac records .. period ! I've done years of testing with different things .. I'm almost 60 and been a vinyl user since I was a kid. If you'd really like to know how to clean filthy records just let me know.
I’d love to know personally, I have plenty of records that could use a good cleaning
I have been using a bit of isopropyl alcohol with distilled water for quite a long time and there has been no harm done to the vinyl. I have to say that all of my albums are in excellent condition and really clean anyway, so that make a difference as far as sounding quiet. Sometimes this subject is really over thought to the point of being ridiculous. There is no scientific proof of doing harm to the vinyl that I have seen.
@johncicci917 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I've seen plenty of drunks scratch albums. I say yes alcohol will hurt vinyl.
Alcohol will not damage at less than 20%, as long as it is the first, or very early step, and purest water is the last step.
The key to a clean record is always done in stages, and the most important is the final wipe.
The final wipe should always be the purest, and softest water (demineralised / softned water only, and lots of it.... puddles worth, and it will lift any remaining particles from the grooves, but make sure that you protect your labels....even if you wipe it, but a vacuum system is far better method)