Manual Cleaning

What I use

When I find a tool I like, I tend to stick with it. It takes a lot for me to switch. When it comes to manual cleaning, that means brushes, and I have my favorites. The tools I use here mostly fall into two categories: cleaning and maintenance.

For cleaning I use the Clean Sweep brushes from Record Doctor. These are the ones with the nylon bristles. They’ve since come out with a goat hair version, but I’ve never been a fan of goat hair brushes. All of the ones I’ve ever used tend to shed bristles at some point.

I was first introduced to the Clean Sweep brush when I purchased my first vacuum machine, the Record Doctor VI. It’s the perfect brush for spreading liquid over the surface of a record. Not only is it effective, but it’s comfortable to hold.

I use two of them when I clean records. One is used to apply the Liquinox/distilled water solution in the first step of my process, and the second one is for the Citranox/distilled water solution in the third step.

The reason I use two is to avoid cross-contamination of cleaning fluids.

Of course, you need something to place the record on when you’re applying the solution. Because I apply the solution to both sides, I need to keep the record off a flat surface. I fashioned a simple round platter out of cheap pine with a dowel in the center. I modeled it after the transit platters made by Stable 33.33. I have one that I use in the vinyl room that my wife Mandie designed.

And speaking of the vinyl room, that leads me to the other brush I use: the AudioQuest Anti-Static brush. I don’t consider this a cleaning brush as it’s strictly used for maintenance. It has two parallel rows of carbon bristles that are great at sweeping away dust before playing, and a rotating handle to keep the bristles clean when not in use.

In Brief:

1. Record Doctor Clean Sweep brush: to apply cleaning solutions

2. AudioQuest Anti-Static brush: everyday dust removal

3. Homemade transit platters: support records during manual cleaning