Record-playing Rituals?

After 10 years of spending hours cleaning and scrubbing dirty garrage sales records, you will have to pay me to clean another. I stopped buying used records also, unless if they are spotless. I got too old to continue to be anal-retentive!

thanks guys

After an evening of listening, I'd like to come back to this thread. I still find, that some LPs profit immensely by my cleansing procedure described above both in sound stage and frequency expansion and some simply do not and sound washed out with pun certainly intended. I still do not know, why this is so, but I suspect it must be the vinyl, because those that do not profit, but actually lose in presence and directness are mostly very early stereo LPs. In spite of that, even with records of the late fifties early sixties the ratio of cleansing profit and cleansing detriment is still 4 to 1 in favour of definite improvement. Again, I find though, that in our hobby there are few definite answers and my suspicion of those who have found absolute thruth ( or absolute sound ) has certainly not diminished. To the contrary, it is fun to experiment and to discover..... Cheers,

Great Thread! I recently picked up a used VPI 16 and upgraded it to the 16.5. Thing is, the instructions that came it leave a bit to be desired (basically, turn it on, wet LP& brush, scrub & vacuum a couple turns).

I've developed my own 'ritual' but it's not as involved s some I've read here (although now mine might become more so ;). I use VPI solution and Last preservative. While I've been leaving the LAST treatment on (as my last step) it sounds to me like I should be cleaning the LP once more after I've applied the LAST?

At the end of the cleaning I then replace the orig liner with a new rice paper one and the Album cover in a new plastic sleeve.

Also, my particular VPI has a foam cell mat. I see the replacements are cork. Wouldn't cork retain dirt/grime on the surface (whereas dirt/grime would 'fall'into foam cells)? What kind of mat do new VPI's have and/or what would you recommend as a replacement?

Finally, I use a couple nylon record brushes I had laying around to 'scrub' the LP's. One is somewhat stiff, the other is softer. What kind of 'scrub brush' are the experts using?

I've been reading this thread with great delight. I have been cleaning my rag-tag collection with Alcohol and a sponge brush. To my dismay I have read this is not wise. I have many really dirty records, and some sweet ones. UNfortunately I do not know of good sources for record supplies such as new sleeves, cleaners, cleaning machines, cartidges, etc. I've been studying digital and it is cool but lately analog stuff has been falling into my lap. I just picked a reel-to-reel up off the curb on trash day! I must admit it sounds pretty good. I think God is looking out for me because I was just looking for one on Ebay. Or maybe I'm just schizo? But really KUDOs to anyone who can help me get those old records off the shell. I must have a few jems in there. Also, any links to sites where I can evalute my old albums is appreciated.