New ultrasonic vinyl cleaner in the works: Humminguru

folsom_lives said:
I have succumbed to the peer pressure and my vial of Groovewasher is out for delivery.

Also my replacement feet came in, and I argue that my Guru is now taller than any other and SUPER ISOLATED from external vibration!
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Have started cleaning using approx 5~6 drops in one tank, really happy with the difference so far.
 
I started out with some lps I’ve had put aside for a while because I noticed some issues with them. It wasn’t as fulfilling at first because some of them really did just have pressing defects but I’ve noticed some of them having major improvement. A couple records I had bought off discogs that I thought were bad sounding were just really dirty apparently. A new record I bought recently had surprised me because the black vinyl looked marbled. I ran it through just to see if I noticed a difference in sound between a wet wipe and then a humminguru clean. After the humminguru it wasn’t marbled anymore 👀
 
tvham said:
Totally agree, whenever I get the smallest amount on my hands I have to wash right away to get the smell off!
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Wow, not sure why my experience would be so different. Just opened the little bottle of G Sonic and took a whiff before responding to @folsom_lives and while there's a detectable, sort of chemical smell, it's very mild even at full strength. Guess I'll pay more attention next time I clean, but I've never noticed it.
 
On the fence about getting a Humminguru; I already have a Record Doctor vacuum that does a pretty good job. Anyone using the Humminguru as a second stage cleaner after a vacuum?

Also as I have seen comments about using a wetting agent, has anyone tried Jet Dry? I use it with my homebrew vacuum cleaning fluid and find it to be very effective. Jet Dry also does contain a small amount of detergent.
 
Angsty said:
On the fence about getting a Humminguru; I already have a Record Doctor vacuum that does a pretty good job. Anyone using the Humminguru as a second stage cleaner after a vacuum?

Also as I have seen comments about using a wetting agent, has anyone tried Jet Dry? I use it with my homebrew vacuum cleaning fluid and find it to be very effective. Jet Dry also does contain a small amount of detergent.
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I used a vacuum machine for a few years so the Humminguru was sort of a de facto second stage cleaner for any existing records I ran through it. I think the vac unit does/did a great job getting the big stuff and the Humminguru does a better job getting into the grooves. There's certainly no harm in running really dirty records through the vacuum unit first and then using the Humminguru for detailing.
 
Re: Groovewasher

Cleaned maybe 30 records this weekend with the addition of the G-Sonic. Noticeably better wetting over the entire record and I no longer get that annoying line of dust that lies on the water surface and then sticks around after the water drains. Considering the cost of the stuff and sparingly I have been using it, it seems like a no-brainer addition for those considering it.

Out of caution, I have been running a tank of clean water through the system a few times to clear the tank and pump of any residue since I know the suds may be accumulating in areas that would cause breakdown later. Seems to run clear after the second tank. (That is the same tank of clear water I run through multiple times, not a new clean tank each time).
 
Angsty said:
On the fence about getting a Humminguru; I already have a Record Doctor vacuum that does a pretty good job. Anyone using the Humminguru as a second stage cleaner after a vacuum?

Also as I have seen comments about using a wetting agent, has anyone tried Jet Dry? I use it with my homebrew vacuum cleaning fluid and find it to be very effective. Jet Dry also does contain a small amount of detergent.
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I have a Record Doctor V, but then I bought a HumminGuru. I firmly believe that the HG does a much better job cleaning than the RDV. And it is undoubtedly far more convenient to use. I have recleaned hundreds of records in the HG that I had previously cleaned with the RDV and observed a significant reduction in surface noise in many of them. I have also used the RDV in tandem with the HG on a few especially problematic records, but it didn't help, as the records are likely damaged.

I have wondered if my vacuum cleaning method/technique was flawed, as the RDV is very hands on. Others might get better results than I did with a vacuum cleaner. But for me, the convenience and results of the HG have been awesome.

Regarding a wetting agent, I have cleaned both with and without Kodak Photoflo ($12 for a 16 oz bottle at a local photography supply store) added to the distilled water. I can't say the results were better with the surfactant added. It also made the water a little bubbly/soapy, which I didn't like. I have switched back to just distilled water and have no complaints.
 
Angsty said:
On the fence about getting a Humminguru; I already have a Record Doctor vacuum that does a pretty good job. Anyone using the Humminguru as a second stage cleaner after a vacuum?
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One thing I've learned about myself is that the more work involved, the more likely I am to procrastinate about cleaning records, and thus the less cleaning I am likely to do. As great as the HumminGuru is at cleaning records, its convenience also really sets it apart from other options. So the mere thought of a cleaning process that involves first vacuum cleaning and then running the record through the HG is more than I can manage. Sure, on occasion there may be records that warrant some form of cleaning before HG treatment, but for me, a cloth and some cleaning fluid would suffice. (Also, having now cleaned over 500 records with the HG, plenty of which already had been vacuum cleaned but also lots that hadn't, I've seen no evidence to suggest the former offers any advantage over the latter.)
 
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