Cleaning Vinyl with dish soap and... wood glue!?

mcrieckenmcriecken Posts: 265
I was up late last night reading about different methods for cleaning vinyl records and I stumbled across this method. Basically you just coat the record (minus the label of course) with wood glue, let it dry for 5 - 10 hours and peel it off - if done right it peels off pretty easy apparently. The glue binds to any dust/dirt that might be deep in the creases, but does not form a strong bond to the vinyl - leaving you with a crispy clean record. At first I thought it was a joke, but after reading more about it I think I might give it a shot on a few used records I've picked up for cheap.

Here is the link to the thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=99837

Has anyone here tried this? Seems like a pretty viable method, although not sure if there are any chemical side effects between the wood glue and the vinyl..

I've also read quite a bit that regular tap water and dish soap can be safely used. I just picked up a few used records yesterday and tried this - worked pretty well! Just have to be sure to let them fully dry before playing them.
St. Louis, USA 10-05-2004 | Chicago, USA 08-23-2009 | Indianapolis, USA 05-07-2010 | Hartford, USA 10-25-2013 | Lexington, USA 04-26-2016 | Chicago, USA 08-20-2016 | Chicago, USA 08-22-2016 | Chicago, USA 08-18-2018 | Chicago, USA 08-20-2018
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • appieappie Posts: 1,441
    Better safe then sorry.... :mrgreen:

    http://www.spincleanrecordwasher.com/
    Pearl Jam 4 live
    h8 2 w8 for concerts
  • chadwickchadwick Posts: 21,157
    that's pretty fucking slick
    i like the way some people think up these kindsa ideas
    very nicely done @ whomever

    for dusty records
    i simply put the record on go
    and as it spins
    i hold a feather duster on the record
    using very little downforce
    to prevent any sorta drag in the motor

    if i ever come across any filthy vinyls
    i will coat them with wood glue
    wait a long time
    then peel off dried glue
    put needle to it
    and rock out a bit

    sounds like a fantastic plan
    for poetry through the ceiling. ISBN: 1 4241 8840 7

    "Hear me, my chiefs!
    I am tired; my heart is
    sick and sad. From where
    the sun stands I will fight
    no more forever."

    Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
  • 8181 Posts: 58,276
    i've never cleaned a record...but no way am i using wood glue
    81 is now off the air

    Off_Air.jpg
  • chadwickchadwick Posts: 21,157
    81 wrote:
    i've never cleaned a record...but no way am i using wood glue
    ever cleaned a cd with something other than a general cleaning kit purchased at the cd store? ever cleaned an 8track or a cassette tape?
    for poetry through the ceiling. ISBN: 1 4241 8840 7

    "Hear me, my chiefs!
    I am tired; my heart is
    sick and sad. From where
    the sun stands I will fight
    no more forever."

    Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
  • 8181 Posts: 58,276
    chadwick wrote:
    81 wrote:
    i've never cleaned a record...but no way am i using wood glue
    ever cleaned a cd with something other than a general cleaning kit purchased at the cd store? ever cleaned an 8track or a cassette tape?

    :lol:

    cd's you run under water and dry from the inside out.

    not sure how you would clean an 8 track or cassette beyond cleaning the plastic case.

    if you want to try the wood glue...by all means go for it....i'm just unwilling to try it
    81 is now off the air

    Off_Air.jpg
  • chadwickchadwick Posts: 21,157
    81 wrote:
    chadwick wrote:
    81 wrote:
    i've never cleaned a record...but no way am i using wood glue
    ever cleaned a cd with something other than a general cleaning kit purchased at the cd store? ever cleaned an 8track or a cassette tape?

    :lol:

    cd's you run under water and dry from the inside out.

    not sure how you would clean an 8 track or cassette beyond cleaning the plastic case.

    if you want to try the wood glue...by all means go for it....i'm just unwilling to try it
    i believe i want to smoke pipes with you
    for poetry through the ceiling. ISBN: 1 4241 8840 7

    "Hear me, my chiefs!
    I am tired; my heart is
    sick and sad. From where
    the sun stands I will fight
    no more forever."

    Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
  • Dr. DelightDr. Delight Posts: 11,210
    appie wrote:
    Better safe then sorry.... :mrgreen:

    http://www.spincleanrecordwasher.com/
    Thats what I use. Works great.
    And so you see, I have come to doubt
    All that I once held as true
    I stand alone without beliefs
    The only truth I know is you.
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 41,694
    appie wrote:
    Better safe then sorry.... :mrgreen:

    http://www.spincleanrecordwasher.com/
    Thats what I use. Works great.
    Same here. And to make the job go a little faster for when I'm cleaning several records I bought a few extra drying clothes (they get damp pretty quickly) to get the worst of the moisture off and set them in a rack (make sure the grooves don't rub on the rack) placed in front of a fan for thorough drying. Safe and works great!
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • HeisenbergHeisenberg Posts: 4,957
    I may give this a shot just for the hell of it.
    Jim Nabors Xmas record...prepare to be wood-glued!!!!
  • 8181 Posts: 58,276
    Heisenberg wrote:
    I may give this a shot just for the hell of it.
    Jim Nabors Xmas record...prepare to be wood-glued!!!!
    No superbowl shuffle?
    81 is now off the air

    Off_Air.jpg
  • HeisenbergHeisenberg Posts: 4,957
    81 wrote:
    Heisenberg wrote:
    I may give this a shot just for the hell of it.
    Jim Nabors Xmas record...prepare to be wood-glued!!!!
    No superbowl shuffle?

    Im gonna use super glue on that super piece of shit :D
  • 8181 Posts: 58,276
    :lol:
    81 is now off the air

    Off_Air.jpg
  • Just went to Target and all they had was Gorilla Wood glue... doesn't sound like the best idea. I think most people were saying Elmer's Carpenter Wood glue was the way to go. Looks like I'll have to make the drive to Home Depot today - wanting to try this out! I'll let you guys know how it goes. If anyone else has some results before me please post! :D
    St. Louis, USA 10-05-2004 | Chicago, USA 08-23-2009 | Indianapolis, USA 05-07-2010 | Hartford, USA 10-25-2013 | Lexington, USA 04-26-2016 | Chicago, USA 08-20-2016 | Chicago, USA 08-22-2016 | Chicago, USA 08-18-2018 | Chicago, USA 08-20-2018
  • I'm back with updates!

    I gave this a shot on a Jimmy Buffett record I picked up for cheap this past week. After washing it with a very small amount of soap and lots of water (and of course letting it dry thoroughly) I gave it an initial spin. Margaritaville skipped like crazy, and there were a few other skips here and there on other songs, but overall the rest of it was decent.

    Here's the journey:

    Adding the glue
    I squeezed the glue onto the record in rings about 1/4 of an inch apart all the way around the record. I then used my finger to spread it out to make sure it was covering all of the areas. Once you've got a pretty good covering the glue will settle itself and form a nice flat surface like you see here:
    6899929813_37fbccb855.jpg

    Overnight drying
    This is what the record looked like in the morning (after about 10 hours of drying).
    6899930691_4a7f86988f.jpg

    And this is where it was at around lunch time. All-in-all it took about 16 hours to dry completely.
    6899931299_d8e341210e.jpg

    Peel it off
    The glue peeled off very, very easy. After I removed the chunk of glue I rinsed it in water to remove any remnants that might have been left behind, dried it well with a micro-fiber towel, and let it dry for another hour.

    6899931827_bc4c62ef24.jpg


    I just gave it a spin about 30 minutes ago and I am amazed. Not only does the record sound great, there were absolutely no skips at all, even on Margaritaville which was skipping every 5 seconds before the cleaning.

    I'm pretty blown away by the results. Especially since Margaritaville was impossible to listen to, even after cleaning with soap and water. I'm definitely going to give this a go on a few other records I have that could use the clean. Not sure I'll get the nerve to do it on my more expensive records though - at least not for a while.
    St. Louis, USA 10-05-2004 | Chicago, USA 08-23-2009 | Indianapolis, USA 05-07-2010 | Hartford, USA 10-25-2013 | Lexington, USA 04-26-2016 | Chicago, USA 08-20-2016 | Chicago, USA 08-22-2016 | Chicago, USA 08-18-2018 | Chicago, USA 08-20-2018
  • There's tons of videos of this on youtube
    350x700px-LL-d2f49cb4_vinyl-needle-scu-e1356666258495.jpeg
  • Dr. DelightDr. Delight Posts: 11,210
    Thats a lot of work to clean 1 record. Grab the spinclean and save yourself the hassle.
    And so you see, I have come to doubt
    All that I once held as true
    I stand alone without beliefs
    The only truth I know is you.
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 41,694
    I'll probably stick with the Spinclean as well but that visual demonstration, mcriecken, is fascinating! Nicely done. If I ever come across some vinyl that doesn't respond to my Spinclean I might just try it!

    By the way, specifically, what brand of glue did you use?

    Thanks.
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • chadwickchadwick Posts: 21,157
    mcriecken wrote:
    I'm back with updates!

    I gave this a shot on a Jimmy Buffett record I picked up for cheap this past week. After washing it with a very small amount of soap and lots of water (and of course letting it dry thoroughly) I gave it an initial spin. Margaritaville skipped like crazy, and there were a few other skips here and there on other songs, but overall the rest of it was decent.

    Here's the journey:

    Adding the glue
    I squeezed the glue onto the record in rings about 1/4 of an inch apart all the way around the record. I then used my finger to spread it out to make sure it was covering all of the areas. Once you've got a pretty good covering the glue will settle itself and form a nice flat surface like you see here:
    6899929813_37fbccb855.jpg

    Overnight drying
    This is what the record looked like in the morning (after about 10 hours of drying).
    6899930691_4a7f86988f.jpg

    And this is where it was at around lunch time. All-in-all it took about 16 hours to dry completely.
    6899931299_d8e341210e.jpg

    Peel it off
    The glue peeled off very, very easy. After I removed the chunk of glue I rinsed it in water to remove any remnants that might have been left behind, dried it well with a micro-fiber towel, and let it dry for another hour.

    6899931827_bc4c62ef24.jpg


    I just gave it a spin about 30 minutes ago and I am amazed. Not only does the record sound great, there were absolutely no skips at all, even on Margaritaville which was skipping every 5 seconds before the cleaning.

    I'm pretty blown away by the results. Especially since Margaritaville was impossible to listen to, even after cleaning with soap and water. I'm definitely going to give this a go on a few other records I have that could use the clean. Not sure I'll get the nerve to do it on my more expensive records though - at least not for a while.
    that is badass
    for poetry through the ceiling. ISBN: 1 4241 8840 7

    "Hear me, my chiefs!
    I am tired; my heart is
    sick and sad. From where
    the sun stands I will fight
    no more forever."

    Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
  • rollingsrollings Posts: 7,124
    mcriecken wrote:
    6899930691_4a7f86988f.jpg

    that's a regular eclipse
  • chadwickchadwick Posts: 21,157
    rollings wrote:
    mcriecken wrote:
    6899930691_4a7f86988f.jpg

    that's a regular eclipse
    haha yeah it is
    for poetry through the ceiling. ISBN: 1 4241 8840 7

    "Hear me, my chiefs!
    I am tired; my heart is
    sick and sad. From where
    the sun stands I will fight
    no more forever."

    Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
Sign In or Register to comment.