Professional Record Cleaning Services
Tips for the vinyl enthusiast:
Protecting and maintaining your record collection will prolong the life of your collection and enhance your musical experience.
- Wipe your records every play with an anti-static record brush (be sure to clean the brush off after each use).
- Deep clean your records regularly (we can help!).
- Handle your records carefully. Oil and dirt from fingertips can damage vinyl. It's best to touch a record only on the outer edges or label.
- Keep your records in proper anti-static and anti-scratch inner sleeves (get rid of those paper sleeves).
- Store your records properly. Records should be stored vertically, in a cool, dry place. Avoid direct sunlight and other heat sources.
Hear what you've been missing; we use archive grade solutions and machines.
We are passionate about music and are pleased to offer professional record cleaning as part of our suite of cleaning services. The record cleaning services we offer will meet the needs of anyone who has phonograph records to be cleaned (78's, 33's, and 45's). The cleaning methods we use are similar to those used at the Library of Congress and at many radio stations years ago when vinyl was the only medium. We use only premium cleaning solutions designed only for cleaning records, there's no potentially dangerous, too aggressive "home-brew" formulas here!
Any number of contaminates can cause noisy playback or lead to damage to a record. The cleaning solutions we use contain no isopropanol and pose no risk of damage to any type of record (shellac, vinyl, acetate, colored vinyl). Our solutions do not contain harsh detergents or lubricants which can affect sound and trap contaminates on the record; therefore, no additional residue is introduced into the cleaning process. All of our solutions, like our floor cleaning products, work based on the principle of using purpose-designed cleaning enzyme components to gently and effectively dissolve contaminants. All of the formulas are mixed using only pure, laboratory-grade water.
The solutions would not be done justice without the use of a high quality record cleaning machine. Our machines have self aligning vacuum suction tubes for accurate cleaning and are designed to accommodate records of any size and thickness. Our cleaning process ensures that no liquid touches the record label and leaves a pristine, dry, static-free record.
Our solutions and machines can leave a record sounding its best, but no amount of cleaning can repair damage to the record (scratches, scrapes, groove damage, scuffs, etc.). You may still hear the signature "clicks" and "pops" if such damage is present.
If you want to know how the ultimate archivists at the Library of Congress take care of their vinyl, click here.
Rugsuckers, Inc.
763-614-7279
Four step archive grade process ($5/each):
- Step 1: pre-cleaner (a complex blend of multiple enzymatic cleaning agents and specially designed lab-grade detergents).
- Step 2: enzymatic formula (loosens and dissolves contaminants - including protein-based and organic contaminates)
- Step 3: archivist formula (unique cleaning solution without alcohol - resist reattaching of contaminates and cause dissolved contaminants to rise for easier removal by the vacuum)
- Step 4: ultra pure water rinse (you wouldn't shower without rinsing - filtered and de-ionized in a 6-step process to produce laboratory grade water that won't leave any mineral spotting)
This 4 step process takes no less than 10 minutes per album side to complete, so at three albums per hour, its not very lucrative. But, we are passionate about quality sounding music and are happy to provide this service to you!
One step cleaning process ($2/each):
- Step 1: premium one step formula (contains no isopropanol - based on enzyme action philosophy - requires no rinsing)
This one step process does a fantastic job, but is no substitute for the 4 step archive grade cleaning described above. It is a great economical choice for listeners with larger collections or budget conscious music lovers.
