Digitization Projects/CC-Zero-Project/Documentation by process/Cleaning

CC-Zero-Project

Cleaning Process edit

We use two liquids to clean shellac records, while vinyl is simply rinsed with triple distilled water. We have had good experiences with the discOvery Break the Mold (Pre-Wash Concentrate) and the discOvery 78 (Natural Precision Cleaning fluid) of Keith Monks. Today we use our own receipe to clean 78 rpm gramophone records. For 15'000 records, around CHF 2'600 were spent on cleaning fluids from Keith Monks. The most private archives do not receive government subsidies. That's why our own receipe is more economical.

Cleaning of 78 rpm gramophone records edit

  • Manual spraying of the pre-wash liquid (the disc side should be completely covered with a thin layer)
  • Leave on for one or two minutes (depending on the degree of pollution)
  • Suction by the vacuum pump
  • Spraying of the washing liquid through the built-in cleaning brushes
  • Let it run for about a minute
  • Suction of the washing liquid by the vacuum pump
  • Clean the dry side of the plate from the drips along the edge and leave to dry in a drying rack for dishes
  • Wash the next side of the record or the next disc