Acoustic Sounds
By: Michael Fremer

August 12th, 2023

Category:

Industry News

Curated Used Record Seller AudiophileUSA Adds GrooveWasher Record Cleaning Accessories to the Mix

you mean you have to clean records too?

Online used record seller AudioPhileUSA offers a few accessories on its website including Mobile Fidelity Original Master Sleeve, but until now, the company, which was founded in the U.K. decades ago by online record selling pioneer John Turton, who brought it to America before selling it to the current owner Mark Hoover, didn't offer record cleaning accessories. That's now changed with the introduction of the GrooveWasher record cleaner line.

While the basic product has a familiar look, especially to older vinyl fans, GroovWasher has updated it to include replaceable inserts that include more than one variant, each designed to perform different functions.

The line includes a variety of fluids for basic cleaning and for vacuum and cavitation-type devices. As you'll see in the video below, the company's founder doesn't see vacuum and cavitation cleaning as competition, but rather as alternative methods that his products can make more effective for those who wish to go further than the basic cleaning offered by the familiar wooden handled device.

For instance, rather than vacuuming a really dirty record or placing it into a cavitation vat, why not pre-clean it to remove contaminants that can foul velvet lips or the cavitation tank, requiring you to replace the water more often? GrooveWasher also makes a fluid made especially for cavitation machines, though powerful machines like the KLAUDiO KD-CLN-LP200T do not require any additives to effectively get the job done.

Adding record cleaning accessories like GrooveWasher's to AudiophileUSA's product offerings or to any used record seller's options is a really good idea!

Comments

  • 2023-08-12 09:40:08 PM

    Martin wrote:

    Hi Mike Been reading your reviews for now two decades. I bought the 2012 MoFi Music From Big Pink after reading your review on Analog Planet. I don’t know if we can trust the info from MoFi anymore, but it seems that this is indeed an AAA MoFi release, while all the Dylan reissues are cut from DSD transfers. It sounds great, and so does the RL-cut of the self-titled 1969 album. Deep detailed bass on both. Thank you for your efforts.

    • 2023-08-12 09:43:30 PM

      Martin wrote:

      Sorry. Wrong article. I was reffering to your ‘We can talk about it now’ piece.

    • 2023-08-12 09:43:32 PM

      Martin wrote:

      Sorry. Wrong article. I was reffering to your ‘We can talk about it now’ piece.

  • 2023-08-13 01:09:26 AM

    JACK L wrote:

    Hi

    "All roads lead to Rome".

    Thanks goodness. My cheapskate way of cleaning my small collection of LPs (only 1,000+) is using distilled water. It works for me bigtime since some 7 years back when I switched back to vinyl from digital as my prime music source from scrap.

    Only pure distilled water is contamination free - no microscopic particles left behind inside the record grooves. Best to clean vinyl records grooves, IMO. That said, not all distilled waters are made equal. With my digital water purity tester (used by water professionals), I find only one particular make of ozonated distilled water measured 0 parts per million parts (0 ppm) = 100% pure water !!!!

    Believe it or not, it comes in 4-litre bulk plastic bottles available dirt dirt cheap from a local nation-wide grocery chain store.

    This pure distilled water cleans up my LPs (99% pre-owned from my neighborhood thrift stores for a bulk a piece, including over 40 digital mastered LPs) so effectively to make them crackleless like brandnew. Likewise I use the same water to clean up my cartridges styli with a stylus soft nylon brush !!!

    I am always skeptical about any vinyl cleaning fluids blended with chemicals. Where do such chemicals go after the fluid is dried up from the grooves let alone the on-going cost for buying them ????

    JACK L

    • 2023-08-13 01:20:06 AM

      John Romano wrote:

      Jack L, how about a brand of this particular distilled water? No sense keeping it to yourself.

      • 2023-08-13 04:20:23 PM

        JACK L wrote:

        Hi

        "how about a brand of this particular distilled water?" qtd J Romano

        This brand owned by a nation-wide grocery store chain in my Great White North country. Not available in any other countries ! But of course you may order online to ship to yr direct. Give me yr email address then !

        Only USD0.75 for one 4-litre plastic bottle which can last months & months. Where can you find such 100% pure water for such unbelievable dirt cheap price ???? It works for my pre-owned LPs bigtime for 7 years now like a chime !!

        FYI, my city raw tape water I measured 150ppm, not suitable even for drinking let alone washing vinyl records. Those so called 'natural' bottled water measured 145ppm!!! My USD800 (10 year ago) reverse osmosis undersink water measured 12ppm not bad at all !!! Brita (one a few bucks a piece) filtered water measured 100ppm.

        Yet the purest water in this world (measured 0ppm) only cost me 75 cents a 4-litre bottle !!!!!! Imagine how much money I have saved in this last 7 years for cleaning my vinyl records instead of patronizing the vinyl cleaner vendors ?????

        Be vinyl smart !

        JACK L

        • 2023-08-14 01:10:37 PM

          Zaphod wrote:

          I cannot speak about its use as a Vinyl Cleaner but the best distilled liquid comes straight from where I live, Bourbon! I am not sure what its ppm is.

    • 2023-08-16 09:19:54 PM

      bwb wrote:

      "I find only one particular make of ozonated distilled water measured 0 parts per million parts (0 ppm) = 100% pure water "........ sorry, there is no such thing as "100% pure water" on a grocery shelf.... even the purest water it is possible to make in a laboratory only stays that way for a brief time because the water starts pulling ions out of whatever container it is in. ....... pure as you have found and pure enough to clean records , yes... 100% pure, no way.

    • 2023-08-20 05:29:44 PM

      SB Chase wrote:

      I've tried to clean things with plain water. But distilled water alone won't remove an oily fingerprint. I prefer to use cleaning solutions that are designed for the purpose. Tide for laundry. Dawn for dishes. Shampoo for hair. G2 for vinyl records. But that's just my preference.

  • 2023-08-14 01:30:32 PM

    Silk Dome Mid wrote:

    This looks very similar to the original Discwasher, doesn't it? I have two that I still use for light dry cleaning. Both in great condition.