[78-L] Windex

[David Lennick]

Before I bought the Monks Record Cleaning Machine, I used Windex on some 
shellac discs (I already knew it would do nice work on lacquers and yes I know, 
we'll hear from Dr. Goldman if we haven't already). It removed gunk but it also 
left stains on 40s shellac, notably Decca and Capitol.

Graham Newton and I tried Windex in the mid 90s after Gilles St. Laurent, the 
technician at the National Library in Ottawa, recommended a solution containing 
a small amount of ammonia as perfect for cleaning palmitic acid off lacquers. 
Graham then went after the secret formula and determined that the stuff was 
safe. Don't use store brands, knock-offs or colours other than Original Formula 
Blue. Or the Doctor's great products, of course.

By the way, I have some 16" discs which have some other kind of crud which will 
not respond to Windex. Haven't figured what it is yet.

dl

Royal Pemberton wrote:
> Sounds like palmitic acid, that waxy stuff.  Reeves Soundcrap discs (as
> David Lennick calls them) are notorious for this substance leaching out of
> the lacquer coating.
> 
> On Wed, Dec 9, 2009 at 1:13 AM, DAVID BURNHAM <burnhamd at rogers.com> wrote:
> 
>> I have gotten amazing results from cleaning "softcuts" with Windex.  I was
>> given a few of these from 1950 to transfer to CD and the records looked like
>> write-offs.  There was a grey grundgy waxy looking material all over the
>> surface which almost obliterted the grooves.  Trying to play them yielded
>> little but noise.  I applied Windex to them and the results were
>> unbelievable.  The records now look brand new and when I play them, there is
>> no surface noise whatsoever.  They sounded so clean that there was no need
>> to apply CEDAR or any other noise reduction system.
>>
>> The way I do this is as follows:  I went to a local "Color your World"
>> store and bought a couple of paint pads.  I shoot Windex at the surface and
>> let it sit for a few seconds, (no longer than 5).  Then I use a paint pad
>> and follow the grooves two or three times.  I then take the other paint pad
>> and holding the record under a tap running luke warm water, I follow the
>> grooves again two or three times.  I shake off the excess water and pat it
>> dry with paper towels, and Voila!  a new looking record.
>>
>> Does anyone know if Windex is safe for shellac 78s?  I'm certainly aware of
>> what alcohol can do to a shellac surface.
>>
>> Even if you use dish soap and water, paint pads are excellent for digging
>> the dirt out of the grooves.
>>
>> db
>> ____________________________