EXPOSED: Are These Record Cleaning Kits Worth It? Testing 8 Bundles!

I tested eight popular vinyl record cleaning kits to see which one had the best design from a usability viewpoint and record cleaning ability. The results were quite surprising, with a clear winner.

Disclaimer: GrooveWasher is a sponsor of Sound Matters -- each kit stands on its own merits and disadvantages.

Resources & Links: (AAL = Amazon Affliliate Link):
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Partner/Sponsor Discounts:

GrooveWasher Record Cleaning (Use code: SOUNDMATTERS10 for 10% Off)

Twelve Inch Record Displays (Use code: SOUNDMATTERS10 for 10% Off)

VSS Record Sleeves: (Use code SOUNDMATTERS10 on checkout):

Vinyl Pursuit - Vintage Vinyl Online: (Use code SOUNDMATTERS15):

Vinyl Moon - Record Subscription (SOUNDMATTERS10)
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#vinylrecords #vinylcommunity #audiophile #vinyl #hifi

[soundmatters]

Thanks for watching! Do drop your comments and questions below. If you'd like to support the channel, check the video description for many DISCOUNT CODES codes to enjoy money off various products to feed your vinyl habit! (I earn a small commission - no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support!

[tomvincent]

This is a fantastic video Mark!
I have an original Discwasher brush (walnut with black velvet pad)/Discwasher D3 fluid (prior to D4, dates itself)/small brush to clean the velvet pad/instructions on how to use, that I bought around 1978, still works great, and is a classic. It has a Discwasher/arrow on on end to indicate direction of fibers for proper usage. Currently using the Groovewasher fluid with the Discwasher, as the D4 fluid is discontinued. Also have the Discwasher SC2 stylus cleaner/SC-2 stylus cleaning fluid which has a brush on one side and a mirror on the other, comes attached in a walnut holder. This is all that I used to clean my records until last year when I bought a Vinyl Styl (like a Spin Clean) record washer system). I use the Spin Clean to clean before storing the record, and the Discwasher brush before I play the records. If you look on Youtube there are videos which show how to properly use the velvet brush, rotating from front (arrow faces) of pad to rear as the record is rotated. Really enjoy watching your videos, thanks!!

[phill_strange_media_]

Great informative video! I picked up a 'Hama' vinyl cleaning kit a few weeks ago, cones with a curved velvet brush & cleaning fluid and to date it seems to work very well.

[surfer]

Groove Washer has been around forever. Congratulations !!! I have been using KAIU for for awhile, , seems good for quick clean. Disc Doctor for deep clean . Lots of distilled water to rinse, micro fiber cloth....? Yup, still didn't buy the degritter yet. Great vlog !!!!

[SwampFox]

Thank God I still have my old school Disc Washer.

[artprince]

Thanks for the info. I had a Discwasher system back in the 70s-80s and no longer have the brush but I do have some solution. Think I will go with the groovewasher!

[thomas_n_OH]

Still using my Discwasher kit from the 70’s. Using the One Cleaning Solution from MoFi. Will be checking out GrooveWasher next time I’m looking for a replacement.

[wesleyburks]

I love the GrooveWasher cleaning systems and their cleaning fluid! I have all 3 pads plus the big gray sponge that came in the introductory kit along with the stylus brush. The only issue I’ve had is after cleaning a record following the manufacturers instructions I noticed a very heavy accumulation of debris on the stylus so bad that I could barely get through one song on the lp. GrooveWasher stated that if this happens it means the record needs another cleaning. So I repeated the process and even though the collection of debris was less it was still there. I love the products and didn’t want to abandon the cleaning fluid. Previously I used distilled water with Terg-a-Kleen as my solution with distilled water as my rinse along with my Vinyl Vac for drying my records. Worked awesome! But what I like about the G2 fluid is that it’s a one step process. With that said, I now use the vacuum system after I’ve used GrooveWashers method and haven’t had any issues with debris buildup on my stylus since! I know they have a G3 cleaning fluid out now but I like the ease of the G2 one step process and fulfills my vinyl needs! I have a modest collection of vinyl with about 3, 000 records not counting my 45 records. I was a club dj back in the late 70’s till the mid 80’s when i became a mobile DJ with my own company. I loved vinyl then and I love it now! One of the things I dislike the most is the cost of new and old vinyl! It has really curtailed my collecting. I guess I’m becoming an angry old man because unless it’s something really special I refuse to pay more than 22.00 usd for a record! Sorry for the rant but I love what you put out on YouTube. Thanks

[jimhunsberger]

Thanks for the helpful reviews. You are spot on with the difficulty in finding quality cleaning options via the web. I had difficulty finding quality options in my quest to “upgrade or resurrect” my Discwasher D3 cleaning system (purchased in 1978). Unfortunately I think the effective cleaning ability of those 45 year old well used cleaning pad fibers have passed their serviceable lifespan. The brush has not been able to effectively restore the “loft” on the cleaning pad for quite some time now. A sign of many decades of use I reckon. As such, I’m going to give your recommended Groove Washer a go, so thanks for sharing your findings.

And, as a new subscriber, and a very limited follower of content providers in general - I am looking forward to catching up on your past posts, and following along with your new posts going forward.

Thanks for doing.

[dhala]

With all due respect, a tiny bit of isopropyl alcohol in distilled water has never hurt my vinyl albums at all. Usually I just use the distilled water, but to my knowledge there has never been any information that a bit of alcohol harms a record.

[bacarandii]

If you look at where the stylus is attached to the cantilever on your cartridge, the stylus tip itself is about the depth or a fingerprint, so I don't think you'd want a brush that had bristles spaded any farther apart than the grooves in a microgroove record. I've made my own washing fluid (from distilled water and Triton X surfactant -- sometimes with a few drops of alcohol) but, in my ultrasonic cleaner I like the concentrated GrooveWasher G2 fluid best (10 drops per gallon of distilled water) for cleaning power, convenience, and no detectable residue after drying.

[markpocock]

Thanks for this video, I think you did a very fair evaluation. I still use my diskwasher for a light touchup before every play, but for deeper cleaning use a vacuum system followed by Humminguru ultrasonic.

[paulguy]

Great video. I enjoyed every minute of it (so much so that I just subscribed).

[SkiBumMSP]

I currently have the LP Gear "X3 Three-way Record Cleaning" carbon fiber brush. I also have that Boundless stylus brush that was shown in this video. It is actually a decent brush and when used correctly, is perfectly fine to clean the stylus. I also have the LP Gear "N23 Super Natural Cleaning Solution", which does claim on the bottle that there is no alcohol, ammonium or detergents. I just use a microfiber cloth. However, I would not mind getting a good record cleaning brush like that GrooveWasher one. I saw and heard good things about that Groove Washer kit and seems to be the one recommended by several vinyl discussion groups and other videos on the topic. I also could use one of those mats, as I just use a towel to lay my record on while cleaning it. Seems I might be doing a little bit of shopping to step up my record cleaning kit. I don't know if I want to go and spend the money on a record cleaning machine quite yet, as I don't have all that many records yet. I have about a hundred or so records. I do have over a thousand CDs though, although about to add another to my collection. Holy crap, the new Harpazo "The Crucible" album is just friggan incredible, and I so want it as a physical copy on CD (alas, no vinyl). Anyway, as I add more records, I may eventually make the investment in a cleaning machine.

[greywolfca]

Very informative video and well presented. I'm just returning to my small vinyl collection from the 70's. I'm curious why your review did not mention any cleaning kits from turntable manufacturers, such as Audio Technica or Fluance? Seems like their products would be reputable.

[metilaful]

If I had to pick a pad, I would choose the velvet. You can get a package of microfiber towels for pennies.

[Chekmate]

any thoughts on Gruv Glide... since this is an arsenal spray would love to know if this product does any long-term damage to the record - like 10+ years later will it cause any damage to the vinyl...

[Bondrkmz]

What microfiber brush do you recommend? Unless I’m missing something, it doesn’t appear that Groove Washer sells one.
I’m currently using the one from the Vinyl Buddy kit. Seems like it’s alright, but would like to know how it stands up against the others.
Thanks, love the channel.

[JANEWAY]

It would be a great service if you’d do a video on record cleaning solutions that don’t have alcohol in them. I am in the camp that says you don’t need alcohol to clean your records, and besides, the less ingredients used on your vinyl records, the better. Thanks!!!

[thatdudeACES]

I wish i saw this video first lol i just got the boundless kit, im going to keep using it till its done then switch to the groove