So vinyl fans always ask me about cleaning records without wrecking em. Used to swear by manual washing but wow what a chore. Had this beat-up copy of Miles Davis' Kinda Blue that crackled like bacon even after scrubbing with velvet brushes and fancy fluids. Took forever plus still heard pops.

Decided to hunt for better options

Saw ads for spin-clean types that looked like salad spinners. Almost bought one til Dave from the record store showed me his busted unit leaking everywhere. Then YouTube reviews pointed me to Degritter. Liked how it was sealed up tight and pumped liquids automatically. More cash than others though so I nearly chickened out.

Took the plunge last month

Ordered directly from Degritter. Box showed up Wednesday. First thing I did:

• Plonked it down on my garage workbench near the outlet
• Poured distilled water into the tank till it beeped
• Squeezed cleaning fluid into the smaller hole - smelled lemony

Setup took maybe 3 minutes total. No tools or hoses.

Tested on my grimiest record

Pulled out this Muddy Waters LP covered in fingerprint smudges. Just:

• Slid it face-down onto the holder pins
• Poked cleaning mode on the touchscreen
• Walked away making coffee

Heard whirring then vacuum sucking noises. Machine beeped after 6 minutes. Flip side took another cycle. Dude not a single water spot or scratch.

Mind-blown hearing difference

That same Muddy Waters track? Background hiss dropped like 80%. That piano intro came through clean like church bells. Even played through my old setup:

• Project Debut Carbon turntable
• Basic Ortofon red cartridge
• That ugly 90s Sony receiver

Forget ultrasonic science stuff - thing just beats manual washing period.

Why bother paying more

Yeah Degritter costs heavy. But think about weekend mornings wrecked hand-cleaning piles. This machine chews through twenty records while you eat breakfast. Your rare pressings won’t get water damage either. Saw another collector cry over warped Bowie picture disc ruined by cheap cleaners. My rule now: if vinyl costs over $50 it gets Degritter treatment first spin.

Now my messy stacks are shrinking every Saturday morning. Even bought thrift store dollar bins just to deep clean em. Machine pays off when each record shines like it’s brand new.