NOTE: G2 Fluid is a light cleaner, by design. Multiple cleanings may be necessary. If you hear pops or the stylus plows out the gunk, clean again. Take your time; patience will be rewarded.” The photos of the Splash Landing Record Towel are for illustration only! This Kit does not include the towel. One 4 ounce bottle of G2 Fluid with spout top. Use to refill the 2 oz mist spray bottle. 900+ mist sprays in this kit. This is a common issue with pure distilled water that is usually rectified by adding a tiny amount of surfactant to the water. Adding just a small amount of surfactant can break the water tension and aid the cleaning process.

In my experience, the above, pragmatic approach is the best advice you can follow when cleaning used records. You have to remember, some of these records are decades old, who knows what might be lurking in the grooves after years of potential use and abuse. These microscopic bubbles implode with such force that contaminants adhering to surfaces are dislodged. The topic of how to clean vinyl records is fairly contentious. After all, each record collector has their preferred method and products for maintaining clean records that sound great.The microfiber cleaning pads should be cleaned regularly and occasionally replaced for best results. The downside of cloths for cleaning vinyl records is, of course, that a dirty cloth or pad could spread dirt and dust to the next record you clean. To ensure this isn’t the case, regularly remove the pad and clean it by applying dish soap and distilled water. Massage the pad and thoroughly rinse it, followed by a squeeze to remove moisture. Allow it to air-dry overnight before using. It’s worth investing in a few copies of the removable velcro pads so that you can rotate and clean them regularly. The Bottom Line It’s made of very fine split-fiber microfiber for a very soft suede feel. It’s recommended as a pad for light cleaning before spinning your record. All the fluids mentioned in this article contain either no alcohol or a minimal trace amount and are considered perfectly safe.

I would advise steering clear of record cleaning kits that contain fluids with high amounts of isopropyl alcohol. While the jury is still out on what level of alcohol (and type) is safe to use in record cleaning fluids, it’s best to steer clear of formulas with very high amounts. Ultrasonic cleaning for vinyl records is an interesting concept. It works by using high-frequency pressure sound waves to agitate a liquid, producing tiny cavitation bubbles. Lots of tiny bubbles produce forces, which help to gently lift dirt, dust, and grime from the record grooves. The two ounce mist spray bottle has more than 300 fine mist sprays. With the 4 ounce refill bottle this kit provides 900+ fine mist sprays. Enough to clean both sides of more than 100 records! (YMMV) Some vinyl cleaning fluids on the market are plain distilled water with limited cleaning action. Others have a high level of alcohol which can harm vinyl records. Some leave a layer in the microgroove that reduces sound fidelity. Only time will tell over the coming months whether or not the HumminGuru replaces my Pro-Ject cleaning machine or not. Watch this space as I continue to test the machine with vintage vinyl finds.

Genre

GrooveWasher recommends spraying a little G2 Fluid on the leading edge of the pad before gently applying it to a spinning record. Rotate to the dry side of the pad, and then let it air dry for a few seconds before lowering the stylus. Old records often come dirty, with years of old, oily fingerprints, dust, and other foreign debris (free of charge, naturally). Removing this dirt from the record grooves can take multiple cleanings, and GrooveWasher are careful to make this clear in their instructions: Curious to see how a surfactant could improve the result, I added a drop of GrooveWasher’s G-Sonic concentrate to the water tank. G-Sonic is a surfactant and emulsifier blend that helps aid the cleaning process and break water surface tension.

Disco-Antistat Ultraclean concentrate (article no. 1302000) for record cleaning (makes 5 liters of cleaning solution) GrooveWasher Record Cleaning Booklet. Featured in this book are some clear instructions on how best to use the cleaning kit – a basic (but essential) detail that is surprisingly absent from competitor products I’ve sampled.

Format

Lightly apply the leading edge of the pad to the record and wipe the record in concentric arcs – with the grooves, not across. Wipe the entire record at least 3 times with moderate pressure. Borrowing a concept from the computer accessories industry, numerous companies have released gel-based vinyl record cleaning kits.

Designed for use with the GrooveWasher cleaning pads. But you can use G2 Fluid with your preferred absorbent brush or fabric. NOTE: Carbon fiber brushes are non-absorbent and not designed for wet cleaning. Use of G2 Fluid with a carbon fiber brush is not recommended. One 8 ounce bottle of G2 Fluid with spout top. Use to refill the 2 ounce and/or 4 ounce mist spray bottle. 1,000+ mist sprays in this 8 ounce bottle. For the listening test, I sampled the record onto my computer to compare the record pre and post-clean. The record did sound significantly better. Not perfect, but better nonetheless. Several cleanings using GrooveWasher G2 Fluid may be required to remove these difficult contaminants. At risk of sounding like a broken record (pun intended), we’re big fans of the GrooveWasher record cleaning kits here at Sound Matters. Their flagship G2 record cleaning fluid is our go-to day-to-day record cleaning fluid.GrooveWasher does offer G3 Fluid for heavier cleaning needs. G3 is a more powerful formula that does require a rinse with GSR Super Rinse or distilled water. G3 Fluid requires a rinsing step. Either use GrooveWasher's GSR Super Rinse Fluid, or distilled water. In the HumminGuru, HappyWell (the company behind the product) has succeeded in making ultrasonic record cleaning easier and more accessible. For that, they should be applauded, and we can’t wait to see how they develop the product from here. It’s nice to see GrooveWasher’s continued commitment to developing new tools that complement their cleaning fluids and we can’t wait to test the new G-Sonic ultrasonic cleaning surfactant (watch this space).