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Drying time after a VPI record cleaner?

Hello everyone, I am curious what you all are doing in terms of drying time for your records after you clean them on a VPI vacuum record cleaning machine.  

I am using the VPI model 16.5.  My routine lately is to put the record on the cleaning plater, blast with an air compressor to remove the easy dust, apply 1 step cleaning formula with brush for 1 minute, vacuum for 3 revolutions, flip repeat.  After that, I set the record vertically in a small kitchen dish drying rack made of plastic coated metal.  I can fit 13 records in the rack, all vertical, none touching, and only coming in contact with the rack on the extreme edge of the vinyl, so no contact to the actual grooves.  I then leave them to fully dry out for several hours or overnight.  The thought is, I do not want any liquid that didn't get vacuumed up to remain. (though they look more or less dry to me, I figure it is possible to have some moisture still in there somewhere)

My question is, is this last step necessary?  Do you just put the record back into the sleeve after vacuuming?  Or, if you do use a dish rack like I do, how long to you let them dry?
marktomaras
marktomaras OP
535 posts
 
Whart, I am impressed by your attention to detail!  How do you go about cleaning the vacuum lips in a relatively easy but effective manner?
whart's avatar
whart
1,930 posts
 
Toothbrush is fine. I also use a solution of very pure alcohol and lab water to clean all the brushes and applicators, and rinse with lab water after a cleaning session, but if it is a nasty record, i have other brushes set aside for those, that will not be reused until fully cleaned. 

pryso
1,501 posts
 
Mark, my VPI came with a small brush, like a miniature bottle brush.  It has very stiff bristles and seems to be effective cleaning the pads on the vacuum tube.  I use that every 2-3 records when cleaning several, depending on how dirty the records.

marktomaras OP
535 posts
 
Thank you everyone!  This is all valuable insight.  I have not been a very detail oriented record cleaner.  Time to buckle down!  Thanks again.
lewm
6,770 posts
 
Perhaps my HW17 has a slightly stronger vacuum sucker than does the 16.5, but I find that my LPs are very nearly bone dry after vacuum.  I usually just wave them around in the air for a minute or two before re-packaging them, always using a new envelope.  (Lately I've realized how important it is to discard the old envelope, no matter how nicely preserved it may be.)

I clean the velvet pad mostly by flicking the visible residue off using my fingernail, on the premise that if it looks clean, it is clean enough. I do that after each LP.
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