It cannot be said often enough, cleaning your vinyl records and stylus of your cartridge is essential to obtain a sound of quality! In order to do so, Hi-Fi brands offer different solutions and different possible uses. To help you make your choice, in this shopping guide we offer a selection of cleaning products and their different uses.
1. Cleaning products for vinyl records to use with a brush
The most common way to clean vinyl records comes in the form of a cleaning fluid that you apply using a brush. Simple, fast, and relatively efficient, several manufacturers offer this type of cleaning products.
The Audio Technica AT 634 cleaning solution is a 60ml cleaning fluid that is very simple to use. Thanks to a velvet brush such as the Milty Duopad dual antistatic brush, this cleaning fluid is to be applied on the surface of the vinyl record. The velvet brush deposits with precision the Audio Technica AT 634 cleaning solution in the grooves of the record. Your record will be free from impurities and static load. You will therefore obtain clearer and more detailed sound.
The Clearaudio Pure Groove vinyl record cleaner is a cleaning solution which enables you to efficiently remove any grease on your vinyl records, eliminating all fingerprints and other impurities. To correctly apply this product to the surface of the disc we recommend you to use the brush from the same brand, the Clearaudio Pure Groove Brush. Efficiency ensured!
And if you wish to clean the grooves even deeper, know that you can also use this Clearaudio Pure Groove vinyl record cleaner with a vinyl record vacuum cleaning machine such as the Clearaudio Smart Matrix Pro to only name this one. According to your needs and use, we offer this cleaning solution in different quantities: 0.25L, 0.5L, and 1L.
The Simply Analog vinyl record cleaner is a 200ml concentrated fluid that is necessary to dilute in 5L of distilled water before use. Once this has been completed, you will be able to clean your vinyl records. In order to do so, all you have to do is deposit a few drops of the solution on the surface of the vinyl record and spread it using a microfibre brush such as the Okki Nokki brush. Your record will come out shining and all clean.
If you have the chance of owning a record cleaning machine, whether it is a manual such as the Spin Clean Record Washer System or an automatic such as the Clearaudio Smart Matrix Pro, know that you can also use this Simply Analog vinyl record cleaner as a cleaning solution. This cleaning product perfectly adapts to whatever your cleaning method is.
2. Cleaning products to use with a cloth
However, rest assured, there also exists cleaning products that do not necessarily require the use of a brush. Indeed, some brands also offer cleaning solutions that can be applied using a simple microfibre cloth. Guaranteed results!
The WINYL cleaner spray for vinyl records with cloth comes in the form of a small 250ml flask, with a microfibre cloth. It is very easy to use since all you need to do is spray a small amount of this cleaning solution on the vinyl record and then clean it using the cloth. This WINYL spray is ideal to clean and remove any grease or static electricity that is on your record. And this, at a very affordable price!
The Pure Vinyl Mist cleaning product is the essential cleaning product to have in your at home. It comes in the form of a spray and is to be used daily, or at least every time before you listen to your turntable. The principle is always very easy: A few “pschitt” of the Pure Vinyl Mist on the microfibre cloth (included) and then use it on the rotating vinyl record. The effect will be instant! It will remove static load as well as dust. Believe us, your sound will immediately be more precise and of far better quality. Here at maPlatine.com, we have definitely adopted this product!
3. Cleaning products for stylus
It is important to properly clean your vinyl records in order to have a nice sound restitution. However, if the stylus of your Hi-Fi cartridge is not clean, cleaning your records will be of no use! As time goes on, dust and other small impurities can rest on your stylus, and in consequence decrease the sound quality. In order to avoid this, there exists cleaning products for stylus.
The Audio Technica AT607 stylus cleaning solution is especially made to clean the stylus of your cartridge. Thanks to its small applicator brush, this cleaning product is very easy to use and you will no longer be afraid to break your stylus when using this product (you still need to be a minimum careful!). The brand Audio Technica offers an efficient cleaning solution which will increase the lifespan of you stylus.
We can name the Pro-Ject Vinyl Clean as a less ordinary cleaning product. Do not let its atypical aspect deceive you, this cleaning compound is efficient and will remove all dust and other impurities from the stylus of your cartridge. It is also very easy to use. All you have to do is “push” the compound in the tip of the stylus, very gently of course! The Vinyl Clean can also be used to clean vinyl records. All you have to do is simply make it roll on the surface of the LP.
The MoFi LP 9 Stylus cleaner is offered by the very famous brand MoFi. In this kit, you will find a cleaning solution as well as a small anti dust brush. This is all you need to properly clean your stylus. After using this product, the stylus of your phono cartridge will be free from all impurities that decrease the sound quality. Say goodbye to cracking noises and other surface noises! Your listening experience will be largely improved!
At the top of stylus cleaning products, there is of course the fluid used with the Flux-HIFI Sonic stylus cleaner. This cleaning product is one of our top picks in terms of cleaning and it has spectacular results. Even if it seems complicated to use, this stylus cleaner is finally quite easy to use. Simply deposit a few drops of the fluid for Flux-HIFI Sonic cleaner onto the cleaner pad. Then, simply place the stylus onto the cleaner pad and launch the ultrasonic device. In a few seconds your stylus will become once again magnificent! We were won over, and we are not the only ones since the Flux-HIFI Sonic has received multiple awards for its performances.
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We hope that this shopping guide on cleaning products was useful in helping you discover the different ways to clean a record or a stylus. For more information, do not hesitate to contact our technicians by phone (0033 299 654 163) or by email (contact-inter@maplatine.com).