A couple of 2nd hand records I have just purchased have hand written notes on the back of the covers.  The notes describe when cleaned and with what.

Both appear to have come from the same careful owner, and the covers and discs are pristine to look at.

Record 1 - the.note says "Cleaned Wynns & meths 31/12/89", and the other note says "Cleaned dishwasher & dilute Wynns & meths 3/10/98"

I've been buying LPs in a serious way since the early 1970s and have read lots of hifi magazines over the years where the subject of Record cleaning was discussed, but do not recall Wynns and methylated spirits being recommended!  Dishwashing liquid though has often been recommended.

So, does anyone recall Wynns and or meths being used this way?

I won't t be home for just over a week, so not able to play the records just now to see how they sound, but I think they will get a more orthodox clean before I play them.

only wynns i know of is the oil company.
did they use it to make the record all black and shiny ?

a not uncommon practice.
there used to be a secondhand shop in town where the owner would sit at his desk with a pile of new arrivals and a bottle of 3-in1 oil.

Jun 3, 2017 11:58:43 GMT 12 michaelw said:

only wynns i know of is the oil company.
did they use it to make the record all black and shiny

Yes, Wynns make a large range of vehicle engine additives.  Whoever wrote the notes on the album covers did not specify which one they used.  Perhaps something like Wynns injector cleaner or oil treatment for keeping engine clean?  It appears whatever they used it was mixed with meths. Would have been done years ago by the original owner for aesthetic reasons rather than re-sale.  The records now are perfectly dry with no signs of tackiness. 

Bought the records at the fantastic "junk" shop/second hand emporium at Royal Oak in Auckland.  Selling 2nd hand records is not their main line of business.  Their stock of LPs, probably obtained as part of estate lots, is very large but virtually inaccessible.  There are shelves and shelves full and full  cardboard boxes stacked randomly completely blocking access to the small alcove in which they are kept.  Could only look through the two nearest boxes. $2 each!  Love to be able to look through the rest.

I'm guessing it was possibly Wynns glass cleaner.. an old recipe was 5 litres of distilled water or deionised water  and a capful (@25ml) each of meths and glass cleaner (eg Mr Muscle) washed in the kitchen sink circular scrubbed with a baby's hair brush, rinsed with a laboratory water bottle and stacked to dry on the dish rack.

Never play Leapfrog with a Unicorn.

Jun 3, 2017 14:09:35 GMT 12 nakmad said:

I'm guessing it was possibly Wynns glass cleaner.. an old recipe was 5 litres of distilled water or deionised water  and a capful (@25ml) each of meths and glass cleaner (eg Mr Muscle) washed in the kitchen sink circular scrubbed with a baby's hair brush, rinsed with a laboratory water bottle and stacked to dry on the dish rack.

That makes sense, had overlooked that Wynns also make/made glass cleaner.

no doubt someone has tried using Wynn's 'stop leak' to try and fix the hole in the middle.....

Never play Leapfrog with a Unicorn.

which sounds better ?

wynns, bardahl, stp or good old castrol r ?

My Dad swore by Bardahl, used it to good effect on my old 850 mini to keep it going when it developed a head gasket leak..

which of course has squat to do with vinyl. Bardahl would be rubbish as record cleaner as it was a powder, not a liquid. Always seemed gritty, but not in a nitty way.

Never play Leapfrog with a Unicorn.