Hi Ron,

Guess I missed what led to the suggestion of using soap or household detergents to clean 78s. Such materials usually leave residues even with a rinse & do not afford thorough cleaning.

We have successfully used & offered pure cotton terry cloth with a high density of small loops for removing fluids from disc phonograph recordings. Shaking such rags before each cleaning session removes most of the lint problem & recommend applying a dry velvet duster before & after every playback whether electrical or manual.

I could not set a date for when shellac or shellac blends stopped adding a pumice [perhaps too kind a word for some products] to the mix and thus we recommend using a soft synthetic velvet brush to remove traces of this dust the are produced even with modern pickups. Playing over this rock dust can permanently increase groove noise.

Regards,

Duane Goldman

ps Local Sam's Clubs offer a white 100% cotton hand towel that should be fine. Try 7" squares. Rinse 3X in very hot water prior to 1st use, followed by a rinse with distilled water [same as used for steam irons].


On Apr 10, 2012, at 8:36 AM, Ron Houston wrote:

>> even simple sponge-and-Ivory Soap cleaning in a sink (dry
>> with a very soft shammy cloth). Something like a VPI machine
>> really does the job.
>
> Anyone found a reliable source for inexpensive lint-free drying cloths?
> Thanks,
> --Ron
>

H D Goldman Lagniappe Chemicals Ltd.
PO Box 37066 St. Louis, MO 63141 USA
v/f 314 205 1388 [log in to unmask]