Using the Keith Monks Record Cleaning Machine,
the Loricraft PRC, the Knosti/Disco Antistat, do the cleaning by hand, or construct an effective and safe cleaning
device yourself...

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Maybe you can learn from some of the improvements I made on the Keith Monks Record Cleaning Machine.

1. Locate the machine in a separate room, an attic or in a (dry) garage.

2. Build a cabinet to place the machine on. Calculate the height of the cabinet in such a way that you can easily put a record on the platter without damaging it.

3. Build a roof over the machine. Make a hole in the center and add a ventilator (fan) with an exhaust pipe The pipe should end in a hole in the outside wall, door or window

4. Take the vacuum pump out of the Keith Monks Machine's cabinet and place it on a wooden base and decouple it with springs. Buy extra lengths of tube and wire to connect the pump.

5. Mount to the left and right of the ventilator small 25 or 40 Watt bulbs. You can connect the lamps and the ventilator to the same switch so both will function when you are cleaning records.

6. Buy a new belt and improve the drying of the record. The suction arm should move slowly from the center of the record to the periphery. Many users complain about the fact that the arm skips a few grooves and leaves some liquid on the record's surface. The best thing to do is to use a new arm belt that you can buy at a camera repair shop where they also sell belts for movie projectors. Take the old belt with you and ask for a similar new one. In most cases they cannot supply a belt with the same thickness but just smaller. That will do the trick. Now the arm will move slower and will not skip part of the record. Of course drying will take a bit more time. But who cares if one has a valuable record collection. So many times I read in threads and lists that a virtue of this or that machine is that it cleans in just X seconds. I do not understand those people. What is it that you want? Saving 30 seconds? Just do not start cleaning a record when you have to catch a train.

7. Check the functioning of the vacuum pump. Check the pump from time to time and clean the innards carefully and put everything back the same way you took the various parts out before you started to clean the pump.

The result is:

a. The exhaust prevents you from being exposed to the cleaning liquid which contains a high percentage of alcohol.

b. Because the pump has been placed underneath the machine and on springs, the machine does not vibrate and the platter turns in a silent way without the suction arm being moved by the vibrations. The effect is a smooth and even drying of the record.

c. The record is cleaner and it is also completely dry.

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If you own a Keith Monks Record Cleaning Machine and there is some problem with one or more of the functions of the machine, related to the pump, the suction arm, the thread or the small liquid pump, you can contact the firm on the Keith Monks website. The service of the firm is rather bad. Maybe you have to improvise. Furthermore the prices of the spare parts are relatively high. You better look for alternatives first. First of all for the nylon thread. The thread which is sold today is not the thread which Keith Monks used to sell to owners. The new thread is thin and deteriorates. Better find an alternative. And if you do not find what you need in local stores, you still can contact the manufacturer of the machine in England.
A new belt, for example, can be obtained from a camera repair shop which sells all sorts of belts for movie projectors and tape recorders. Or you can find a company on the Internet like Elexatelier in the US.

If you have a machine which uses the Lenco/Goldring variable drive and you need a new idler wheel, you can try to find one of the Lenco turntables second hand and remove the idler wheel plus attachment and mount it in your KMRCM. Or again you can try the Internet. There are addresses where you can have an idler wheel made to your specifications by sending the existing wheel and they will refurbish it.
It is not surprising that some day the toggle switches do not work properly any longer, especially when you have cleaned 20.000 records (40.000 record sides). Various machines use different toggle switches in different configurations. Make a drawing of the existing wiring before disconnecting the switches and exchange them for new one. They should of course work exactly the same way.

If the liquid pump does not work any longer you can reconstruct a pump by using the parts of the original pump (choke), or search for a hand pump or some device you can use or construct the hand pump(s) from. Or make something similar as the drawings tell you when it is necessary to repair/reconstruct the existing small pumps.

If you want to repair the original vacuum pump, than you have to be ingenious and find a way to replace plungers, rubber rings and make the small round "valves" yourself.
If you need a new pump, you can contact the representative of knf.com (KNF Neuberger, Germany). I recently bought the KNF N022ANE. It is the pump in this image.

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When buying a second hand Keith Monks Record Cleaning Machine you have to pay attention to a few important points. You must check if the pump is working and if it is not, you probably can detect what the trouble is. If the pump does not function at all and is irreparable, you should order a new pump with a similar capacity.
Next question when examining a second hand machine: Does the motor for the movement (rotation) of the arm work all right? If not, can you detect the cause? Maybe it is the belt. Or the little motor does not work at all. Then it probably should be replaced.
There is a third small motor for the unwinding of the nylon thread. If you do not know about the working or the value of the machine offered, you can mail me.
Keith Monks manufactured the twin machine shown at the beginning of this page and there is also the single machine. At one time a smaller, somewhat less desirable (in my view) machine was manufactured (picture at the right). Only if you can obtain that machine for just a few $$$, it is an option. You probably will use the parts and built these into a new cabinet which makes cleaning easier than the machine shown in the picture at right suggests.

What does the cleaning liquid do? The cleaning liquid probably does not exist as there are many solutions possible and these are propagated by thousands of collectors. There are many different cleaners and as many different views on how to clean vinyl long playing records. At the end of the nineteen fifties, the problem of dirty records became more and more an urgent topic for the record collector. The stereo groove and the elliptical diamond had been introduced and these prompted many audiophiles to rethink the best way of how to achieve a as perfect a reproduction as possible. It was legendary audiojournalist and inventor Percy Wilson from Great Britain who started to consider using a machine for cleaning LP records. The aim was to restore as much as possible the physical aspect of a record. Hitherto the advice had been given to use a damp cloth, or even a flat, round white sponge like the Rimington. That worked all right when playing the old mono records with a spherical (conical) diamond tip which rides high in the groove.

With the increasing refinement of the vinyl compound, the cutting of a wider frequency band, dedicated cleaning became even more urgent. So record cleaning machines were constructed. In the beginning it was advised to use equal parts of industrial alcohol and destilled water. But various people started to devise and try specific liquids which were made up of various ingredients. Various brands have been marketed since. They all have their benefits and they all have their inadequacies as they are mostly not suitable to deep clean the groove so the signal is restored as much as possible.

LAST (Liquid Archival Sound Treatment) offers an array of products for restoring the groove of records which are still in relatively good shape: special liquids and brushes. Also Nitty Gritty and Knosti provide a relatively good clean. The same goes for L'Art du Son. They all want to retain the original sound of the record. These all have ingredients which make the diamond tip ride a smooth groove.

But if the groove is more than dirty and dust and debris may have been "burned" into the vinyl, these products hardly fulfill the promise that the groove is cleaned. That is why a thorough cleaning with a mix of water and alcohol may be undertaken first and then have the record treated in a second wash with these high end formulas, if you wish. But also here your ear is the best judge.

Here is the formula which I have used already for many years:

The alcohol should be of the industrial kind without any additive. This alcohol is cheaper than the medicinal type bought in the pharmacy which contains a small percentage of fat and is called 'spiritus ketonatus fortior'. Let yourself be advised by experts from the art supply shop or the paint shop. Take care because the isopropyl is very poisonous; you need ventilation.
And ventilation will also be to the satisfaction of friends who bring their records for cleaning.
If you cannot find the fat free alcohol, you may use the 'spiritus ketonatus fortior' type which is always less greasy than some commercial record cleaners with greasing additives. The addition of isopropyl is specifically advised if you cannot find the fat free alcohol. Be sure that the distilled water is really distilled water, the type you buy at the pharmacy, not the demineralized water!
Note: Never use a glass cleaner or other aggressive product.

Use a large plastic container that is big enough to hold 4 to 5 liter. First put in the contents of two bottles (2 liters) of distilled water and add the drops of detergent. Shake very well. Than add 1 liter of the alcohol and if you wish a little bit of the isopropyl alcohol. And again shake very, very well. By shaking the container, the liquids will mix well and the detergent will foam. After you have stopped shaking the foam will go away after about 5 to 10 seconds. If it goes away immediately you probably have not added enough detergent. You will notice this when you put the liquid on the spinning record on the cleaning machine: the liquid does not spread evenly. So, add a few more drops more and shake again. But be careful not to put too much detergent.

Many formulas work with the Keith Monks machine. You can try whatever combination of ingredients and eventually adjust the formula according to your experience and the audible results you obtain. You can leave out the isopropyl altogether if you wish.
In general one wash will be sufficient to clean a record side. The result depends also on the time you leave the record spinning under the brushes. If you use a Keith Monks or Loricraft, the time of the brushing of a record side should be about the same as the time it takes to dry one side.
If you use a different machine do take some time to brush the record. Do not forget to keep the record wet all the time while cleaning!

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It is possible to play records wet with distilled water. It will lower surface noise during play. At the same time however the movement of the tip is somewhat reduced also. But that does not impair the sound too much.
What is important however if you play records wet, it is necessary to dry the record before putting it back into the sleeve and cover. It is better to clean the record after wet play. So that is where your vacuum cleaning machine comes in handy.

Playing wet is quite a hassle. Playing records using a special liquid like Lenco Clean (cleaning solution) is even more complicated and because of the viscosity of the liquid will impair the transient in the signal. There will be a reduced attack in the drum, the cymbal, the piano and other percussion instruments. I strongly advise against the use of Lenco Clean or similar product. There are other solutions to arrive at a reduced noise floor and a more controlled signal. Try a Record Stabilizer Weight or a Stabilizing Ring.

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Do not believe the so called expert who advises you to use a window or glass cleaner, or a bathtub product to remove dirt from the record's surface. Never use these products. Also do not use solvents, thinners, etc. for removing paint, glue or whatever is sticking to the vinyl.
There are only a few liquids that you can safely use: industrial alcohol, methylated spirit and turpentine.
Especially turpentine is useful for removing stickers (if you do not use a commercial sticker remover from the chemist's), and for dissolving and removing glue or a drop of paint stuck to the precious record.
What to do?
Go to the art supply shop and buy a brush. I use the Royal Talens 6 - 350. It is a relatively soft brush, but the hairs are sturdy enough to rub against any glue or drop of paint, or whatever is on the vinyl and needs to be dissolved and removed.

For removing stickers: dip the brush in turpentine, press the hairs against the bottle's opening to remove excess liquid and wet the sticker on the record cover with the brush. Leave it for several minutes. Then you can try to pull at a corner of the sticker and see if it detaches. If not, apply some turpentine again and let the sticker soak. It may be necessary to use just a little bit of force. But be careful! If the sticker can be taken off, the cover will show some residue. Just brush that spot once more and then use a paper tissue to wipe off the rest of the turpentine, sticker and glue. If a stickers is put over another sticker, you will have to repeat the procedure for each sticker. Turpentine should not be used on the jewel boxes of CDs!

There are stickers that do not soak up the turpentine because the surface is not porous, as is the case with "golden" stickers. These cannot be removed with any liquid and need some warm air from a hair dryer or should be held carefully over an open fire (stove). If it does not work, leave the sticker on.
Also be careful if you want to use turpentine on very old printed cardboard/Kraft covers, because it may dissolve and smear the old printing ink.

Turpentine can be safely used on laminated covers and actually most modern covers. If some of the turpentine is soaked up by the Kraft, cardboard or paper, just leave it, it will eventually vaporize. Turntable can of course be used on vinyl also. It is however greasy and you should clean the record very thoroughly again after serpentine has been applied.
I recently acquired a few first pressings of a vintage label. They had been advertised as being unplayed and unopened. However three of the five albums had been opened and glue of the sticker was smeared on the vinyl over a wide area. There turpentine possibly could help. I soaked the brush in the turpentine and gently moved the brush over the large spot and let it soak. After a while I moved the brush again over the area, always parallel to the groove, waited again and repeated the action. The glue was dissolving gradually and nicely, and I could wipe it off with a tissue. After that of course I applied turpentine once again. All residue had to be dissolved and removed. This has to be done carefully and with patience. But the reward can be that the record surface will be neat and the groove can be played again, only of course after a few cleanings on the machine.

Another disc had a sort of debris in circles stuck to a wide area. I was not sure whether this could be removed or if it was not vinyl grain and the groove was really damaged by playing it with a worn needle. The only way to be sure was to apply turpentine with the brush. Again I moved the brush in circles. Very gently. Than waited some time and with the brush I could take off the residue of the pressing which was made 50 years ago. And finally I could use the tissue to soak up the rest of the turpentine. After that the disc needed two cleanings on the machine. Surfaces of the other discs were also showing some residue -they were first pressings that never had been played- and before cleaning the record on the machine it was the turpentine that helped.

That is why I generally do not buy factory sealed records. I only buy them if I know I can trust the seller and the record can be returned. 'Factory sealed' is definitely no guarantee that they are MINT. Actually they can be less than pristine. In some cases even the seller may shrink-wrap the item.

Always remember: Before cleaning a record on the cleaning machine, in the basin, or by hand, do always clean the record with a carbon fiber brush and if necessary with a soft velvet record brush before wetting and/or spinning the record. Get rid of all the dust and debris without applying force. And if this advice and these methods are new to you and you want to be sure that they work, try it first on an 'old' record. Once you have learned what you can and what you cannot do, you can start treating your precious discs.

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If there are stickers on the record label, I would advise you to leave them there and not to manipulate them, because the situation only can get worse. But if you insist...
Removing stickers can be done by using a special sticker remover, a solution which can be found in the drugstore or a specialized shop with office or art materials. You better try the effectiveness of this liquid on a dispensable record/record cover. Sometimes a label is easily damaged. Apply the liquid and let the sticker soak for some time. Then carefully try to lift the sticker at a corner. If it is not detachable, do apply some more liquid and take more time.

You can combine this method with the use of a hairdryer if it concerns a cover. The hot air will generally soften the glue so the sticker may come off easier. If it is a sticker on a label you can try the same liquid. Sometimes labels are made of hard plastic or gold. Those stickers may have a hard upper layer which makes soaking difficult. Then the hairdryer comes in handy. Place a cardboard roll (the basis of a wide packaging tape) on the label, around the sticker. Do not position the roll over the dead wax or over the groove. Now hold the hairdryer in the opening of the roll and blow hot air for a few seconds inside the roll. Check if the sticker can be lifted at the edge. Do this carefully. Do not use force. Then blow again for 5 seconds. Try to remove the sticker a bit more. And so on and so forth. You probably can also try the hairdryer method without the use of the sticker remover solution if the remover does damage the color of the label. But that can be a dangerous affair.
The special sticker remover liquid can probably also be used for removing ink. Try again on a dispensable record. I can not give you a brand name of the sticker remover as every country has a different brand name and probably a different composition of the liquid.

The use of a hair dryer is not necessary if lighter fluid is applied as Dan Prothero from San Francisco advises. He wrote: "I use Ronsonol brand fluid and it quickly unseats most any sticker from any surface including vinyl LP labels. just a few drops onto the sticker, wait 30 seconds, and it peels off neatly. any residue is easily removed by wiping with a cloth that contains another few drops of fluid. Lighter fluid works on uncoated stickers the best, but it's worked for me on almost every sticker. if the sticker is metallic then the fluid obviously wont penetrate it from above, but it's likely you can get at it from beneath.... soak the sticker edges first, wait, then re-soak and start peeling towards the center. repeat the process until it's all off. don't rush it or you can pull up the paper with un-loosened adhesive. My dad collects stamps and he uses lighter fluid on his stamps to verify watermarks. It evaporates without a trace in about a minute. it has never damaged his stamps, and so it should be considered safe on LP labels too."

Always remember that I am not responsible for any accident or damage of a record or label if you experiment. Always let the record cool down gradually, never put a "hot" record or record label under the cold tap. You can use this method first with an old record that you would dispose of anyway. Do not do it on a collectible item without having experience and without knowing what the result will be. In most cases it is better to leave the sticker on the label. The success of this method also depends on the sort of paper used for a label.

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Does Cleaning Damage The Vinyl?

Some people claim that cleaning a vinyl record will damage the groove. Somebody wrote in a forum that he had talked to people from a record company and these people said that a record should never be cleaned with liquids, even if these liquids have been specifically designed for vinyl record cleaning. But what if you have a really dirty record that you want to play and you do not want to damage the fine, polished diamond tip? Some people argue that these record producers want vinyl records to sound mediocre, so the CD will be more appreciated and the new SACD will count on new enthusiasts who have enough of bad sounding, romantically crackling records.

There is much turbulence going on when a stylus follows the groove. A record can collect small particles of dust and will get dirty in time. Before playing a record it needs to be wiped gently with a soft velvet brush or with one of these special carbon fiber brushes. Naturally these brushes are only effective if the record's surface is relatively clean.

A few months back there was a guy on the market who was selling a lot of old records. I overheard him advising a client. He said that the record should be cleaned with window cleaner. I corrected him and from now on he no longer advises his clients to use window/glass cleaner. Using glass cleaner definitely will ruin the vinyl. Never use that stuff, it takes of the shiny glow of the vinyl and gives persistent hiss and background noise. You easily can distinguish such a disc from a copy not being cleaned with aggressive glass cleaner.

And there is another possibility that a groove may be damaged. But that is during the cleaning process and you do not dust the record's surface with a carbon brush and get rid of dust and debris first before applying the liquid. Many people just put the record on the cleaning machine and start cleaning,. They forget that the dust and particles will be accumulated by the cleaning brush and will ride over the vinyl and in the groove, round after round. You can imagine what the result is.

Cleaning a worn record will show a bad groove to advantage. But playing the record after the cleaning process, and then cleaning it again, may actually improve the groove. Only of course if the groove suffered from dust and dirt. Not if it has been damaged by a worn stylus tip. Then a record can not be bettered.

The climate in the listening room has its influence also. Heavy smokers should not be invited. Heavy smoking is not advised. The record can collect greasy particles which float in the air.
Not carefully slipping the record in its sleeve after play will increase the possibility that it collects dust and gets dirty.
And as said earlier: the use of grease/oil during the pressing process in the factory is a necessity so the matrix and the vinyl record can be separated easily. But the fat or oil hardens when the record cools off. This hardened grease can give a ticking sound or a sound as if there is a bump or other unevenness in the vinyl. Especially in the nineteen seventies the application of the pressing oil or fat was not always done carefully. Many buyers and also the personal in the record shop thought that the records were damaged and traded them in and they were sent back to the factory.

If a record sounds bad even after cleaning, the groove must have been damaged by playing on a bad turntable. Or the plastic of an old inner sleeve may have been in contact with the vinyl over decades. Another possibiliy is that the record can never be improved because the vinyl is of bad quality and is not pure enough and contains a high percentage of filler material. Such a record can hardly be improved.

And last but not least, sometimes when pressing 180 gr. records, the matrices and the vinyl have not been heated enough and the vinyl did not "flow" during the pressing process. So the surface has a "bump" or can have "loose particles" which will be transported by the cleaning brush of the machine; especially if it is a sturdy nylon brush.

The only remedy to restore the signal of a dirty record is cleaning the record with cleaning solutions. And these should be safe! The cleaning solutions advised on this page will help you to restore the quality of many records, in some cases completely, in others only to some extend.

Do not forget to clean the brushes of your cleaning machine from time to time by letting them soak overnight in a basin with water and with ample washing detergent added. Rinse them thoroughly the next morning, and dry them with kitchin paper.

Does cleaning a record damage the vinyl? When did you stop washing your hair?

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Seam splits are a nuisance. They can get longer and longer and they can damage the record if the inner sleeve is not new and does not protect the rim of the record. The drawings show what can be done. Of course, it is not easy. But if you are handy, you will experience here too that practice can make perfect. Take a long piece of 200 gr. paper or Kraft. The length should be a little more than the split. Fold it along its length. See to it that the paper stays folded. If you want to make it last forever you can cover it entirely with a piece of wide transparent adhesive tape. Then fold it again. Now cut the piece more or less to the needed size. Fold it again, so it will better remember the fold. Spread it out on an old newspaper and then put on the glue and smear it out. Now comes the difficult part and that is slipping the piece into the inside of the cover. You can bend the cover somewhat and than put the piece in place. If you can get some help it will make things easier. Clamp the seem for some time. This method works best with covers made of thin cardboard or Kraft. For sturdy, thick cardboard you could probably fold the piece that you want to insert over the edge of a ruler and than carefully move the ruler to the desired spot.

If the entire seem is split it is best to open the cover and make two long strips as described above. Glue these to one inside and press. Add glue to the other part and press the front cover to the new seem. Clamp again for some time.

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This cleaning formula works also very well when using the DISCO ANTISTAT (Knosti) device, as friends and collectors have told me, and some have shown me. If you find the right balance of the ingredients you will notice that there will be hardly any residue, hence not much dirt does accumulate on the needle tip when first playing a record cleaned with this ingenious device.
To eliminate the residue to the max you should use a second basin (brushes included) just filled with distilled(!) water and rinse the disc after being washed in the first basin.

Do not think that by a few turns the record groove is well cleaned. As on a Keith Monks the record turns for about a minute, you should turn the record in the Disco ANTISTAT quite for some time. Here again your experience will tell you if the wash is too short or is effective.

Since isopropyl can cause leakage of the vinyl (as I am told), you should avoid cleaning with just isopropyl. But you can use it in a mix. Just add a small percentage to your formula. However the Library of Congress once proposed a mixture of 20% isopropyl and 80% de-ionized water. I tried that solution and it worked all right. A long time ago I was told that isopropyl was toxic, more than any other solvent. But recently Dr. Pekka Keski-Rahkonen from Finland wrote to me: "I would like to point out that using isopropyl alcohol should not be avoided due to toxicity reasons. As per classification according to EU Directives 67/548/EEC or 1999/45/EC, the substance is not classified toxic, and is even used for skin desinfection purposes as a main constituent in "rubbing alcohol". In contrast, methanol, which has traditionally been used in "methylated spirits", is toxic and should be avoided."
I myself use both methanol and isopropyl. In any case building an exhaust is no luxury. Even though I have returned to my original formula. By the way, the Library of Congress (LOC) have devised a new formula which I did not try, but looks rather promising viewing its ingredients.

Whatever machine or cleaning device you use, it is important to take dust and other particles off the record before you start cleaning it with a liquid. If you use a Keith Monks or other high speed machine, put the record on the platter of the machine or on the platter of an old turntable like a Goldring/Lenco (which you may have installed for this purpose) with the B-side facing up. Then switch the machine on and dust the record with a carbon fiber record brush. Stop the spinning. Turn the record so that Side A is facing up. Dust off this side.

If the record does not have rough particles, dirt and dust, you may start the liquid cleaning process. Always put enough liquid on the surface and spread it around before spinning the platter. The liquid will prevent the record from being damaged by any left particles. If you start cleaning now, you will automatically do Side A first. And then Side B. So you will not get confused.

Another important thing is to clean the brush(es) of your cleaning machine at regular intervals. Dirt may stick to the brush(es) and eventually will harm the groove.

In case the dirt is really sticking to the vinyl and cannot be taken off with the carbon fiber brush, than you will have to gently clean the record under the tap first and dry it carefully with soft paper tissues. Do not exercise pressure and do not smear the tap water plus dirt over the record's surface, nor its label. Once you are satisfied with the result and have dried the surfaces with tissue paper you may start cleaning the record on the machine.

If dirt, glue and other unknown materials were not removed from the disc by the cleaning process, you can try other liquids like turpentine, benzene and methylated spirit for removing persistent dirt. These liquids will generally do no harm to the vinyl. Use a small brush to apply the liquid and give the liquid time to do its job. In certain cases you also may use cotton tips. After the dirt has been removed a paper tissue will absorb excess liquid. Then the record can be cleaned again. In case of the turpentine you may clean it more than once, or add an extra drop of washing detergent.

Some turntables have rather large spindles. And some records have spindle holes which are too narrow. Most of the time it is the paper label which is pressed at the edge into the spindle hole of the record.

You can 'create' your own spindle hole enlarger Buy a pair of small kitchen scissors with blades that are about 8 mm wide in the middle at the pivot (screw). Cut off one eye. Now you can fold the blades so that they shift further over each other. The cutting edges are now at the outside. Fold the two blade together so that they fit into the spindle hole.

Take the record in one hand and with the other you put the scissors blades into the hole. The blades will always adjust to the size of the spindle hole. Gently turn the scissors. The amount of pressure you apply will determine the extend of widening the spindle hole. In most cases a few light turns at one side will do.

Take care that the debris (paper, vinyl) is taken off the record. Do it with your finger. You can turn one finger nail in the hole and flatten/clean the edge and blow the debris away. Try if the record fits on the turntable without having to apply force. If it does not fit give the scissors another light turn.

I have been using this method for many years and it provides an even widening. This is to my knowledge the best way to go about and will give good results. Most of the time it is not the vinyl which is obstructing, but the edge of the paper label that will prevent the record hole to slide over the spindle.

RESPONSIBILITY: Every so often you will find a link to the website of this or that manufacturer, shop, or designer. These links are there for you to inform yourself about interesting facts, products, views, etc. There ends my responsoibility.