american flyer talking station

[rlassoc12]

Does anyone have a safe way to clean the 75 year old record?

[pennytrains]

Soak it in dush detergent and use a soft toothbrush?

[El Fixes Things]

I know that some folks swear by cleaning traditional vinyl records with wood glue- the idea being that it sticks to all the old dust, but will peel right off the plastic disc. I tried it once on an LP I didn't care for, and it didn't go so well, but I think I made a few mistakes in my method.

That said, even if you did want to attempt such a thing, I'm not sure if the Gilbert discs are traditional vinyl records. Intuition says they probably need the same sort of care as older '78 rpm records, which I think are usually shellac over another material like pressed fiber, rather than solid shellac.

-Ellie

[Flintlock76]

El Fixes Things

Intuition says they probably need the same sort of care as older '78 rpm records, which I think are usually shellac over another material like pressed fiber, rather than solid shellac.

My guess would be the same, those Gilbert records undoubtedly pre-date vinyl.  You can try something like Becky suggested, soaking it in warm water with dish detergent in the mix and then a light scrubbing with a VERY soft toothbrush.  I've done the same with old 78 RPM records with some success.

Keep in mind though if the record surface itself has deteriorated from use, and who knows how long Gilbert expected those records to last, nothing you can do will restore the sound quality. 

[Laurastom]

It is not necessary to soak the record in anything. Most Talking Station records are just dusty with maybe a little greasy dirt. Usually, wiping it along the grooves with some distilled water on a cloth will clean it. Adding in some mild dish soap is OK if needed, follow with pure water on a damp cloth. If there is a sticky substance that will not come off, it is OK to use some orange cleaner on the cloth to disolve it as a last resort. I use water from a reverse osmosis dispenser in place of distilled water.

The reality is many of the records have groove damage from worn, never replaced, needles so cleaning the record does not help.