The very first question to ask is -
How much money do you have to spend?
The second question is -
In a given cleaning secession, how many albums do you expect to clean?
Next we must make a distinction between
- Cleaning Record before you Play them.
and -
- Thoroughly washing and cleaning the records in an attempt to restore the sound quality.
For myself, I'm not too elaborate. Until recently, I use a microfiber cloth that I sprayed with a DIY fluid. Just a fine mist to dampen the cloth, then a quick wipe of the records.
However, recently I was in the fabric store and found a remnant of stretch Velvet for next to nothing. So, I took some small 1.5" (ID) PVC Pipe about 3.5" long, I wrapped that with some Poly batting I had laying around; a couple of layer. The took the Velvet, and sewed a seam making it into a Tube. Slipped that over the Poly batting which itself was slipped over the PVC. I tucked the ends of the Velvet into the tube, and shoved in some 3/4" (ID) pipe end caps to hold it all in place.
For my Cleaning Fluid, I use a 2 ounce Spray bottle from Walmart Drug/Cosmetics department, to which I add Distilled water, and 2 or 3 drop of 70% Isopropyl Alchohol.
Recently I discovered I has an old bottle of
Radio Shack Professional Anti-Static Record Cleaner Fluid. Don't know if it is any good, most likely it is a vast majority water, but since I have 4 ounces, I add a couple drops to the spray bottle.
Note Alcohol will make your vinyl brittle over time, so don't use it in excess. Really one drop per ounce is more than enough. With the light mist on the cloth or the Velvet, the actual amount of alcohol is very minimal and evaporates virtually instantly.
For Record WASHING, that is a completely different method.
https://www.avforums.com/threads/wash-your-vinyl-records-easy-cheap.1583453/
This is a UK forum, you might have to join to see the Graphics and Photos.
I use a label Protector I made from Plumbing parts. Initially wash with mild dish soap and tepid tap water. I scrubbed the records with mildly soapy water and a natural bristle paint brush.
The Brushes and Painter's Pads I use are used for one purpose only, and that is cleaning records. It is important that the brushed and pads stay clean and that there is no cross contamination.
I scrub it, the run a Painter Pad on the surface following the grooves. The Painters Pad, the fuzzy type, gets down in the grooves pretty nicely. Rinse with Tap Water and dry with a micro-fiber towel.
Then spray with Alcohol, scrub again with a DIFFERENT Painter's Pad, rinse with Tap Water, the dry with a DIFFERENT micro-fiber towel. Note: the Alcohol is only on the record for a few short seconds before it is rinsed off.
Don't be tempted to use Vodka, much of the Vodka sold has Glycerin added to give it a better mouth feel. If you are unsure, invert a glass glass, and put a few drops on the bottom and let it evaporate. If there is a sticky residue left behind, the alcohol has Glycerin in it.
The final stage is to spray with Distilled water, scrub with a DIFFERENT Painter's Pad, and dry with a DIFFERENT micro-fiber towel.
So, one natural fiber paint brush, three small painter's pad, and three mico-fiber towels.
Make sure the records are 100% dry before you put them back in the Sleeve or mold/mildew will grow on the records.
That's one method, I suspect, there are as many methods as there are people to think them up. I research on line many methods, then using that information, I made up my own.
Steve/bluewizard