77
by Christopher_Archive
The Flying Ninja wrote:I'm curious if people here think tap water damages records? I've read diverging opinions on this topic.Everything I've read about homebrew fluids recommends against using tap water due to its inconsistency from tap to tap and impurities that can, over time, collect in the grooves. The most common ingredients in good cleaning fluid tend to be some variation on distilled water, isopropyl alcohol (90% or higher), and a surfactant (necessary to break surface tension and actually penetrate the grooves). The mix will be something like 75% water, 25% alcohol, and one or two drops of surfactant.There are differing opinions on what surfactants to use, with some using regular unscented dishwashing detergent, while others claiming it can be leave behind a harmful reside. Kodak PhotoFlo is one I see mentioned a lot, but again, there are some who claim it causes buildup.I like the Laura Dearborn recipe, which I found here. It's a simple three-part archival-grade mix pulled from a book she wrote called Good Sound. The water and alcohol are easy enough to obtain, and I was able to order the awesome-sounding Triton X-114 here. As you only need a drop of surfactant per batch of fluid, the smallest bottle should have you set for life.Holy shit, are commercial record cleaning fluids ever a ripoff.