I've been using Audioquest carbon fiber knock-offs, actually the same thing without the label,for wet and dry cleaning. Never felt like they were doing anything on a wet album.

Recently got a Mobile Fidelity felt-pad type brush and liked it better for dry cleaning. More recently (yesterday) received a pair of the Disc Doctor felt pad brushes, one to be used with RRL Super Deep Cleaner and the other with Super Vinyl Wash.

Oh how they scrub!

You ever look at a record turning on the platter with a strong light? After you just finished brushing it? Yikes! Look at all that dust, lint and shmutz! After the two-step cleaning and vacuuming,there's a lot less. Maybe when I get a $99 Mapleshade electric brush it'll all go away. For now, wet scrubbing with RRL and Disc Doctor brushes, then vacuuming, will do. Noticeably quieter and 'better' sounding.

What? You say you don't have $600 for an RCM? How about $24 and no excuses....

I've been using strips of 'paint pad refill' on either side of the 1/8" slot I cut in the vacuum crevice tool. Seems soft enough but the DD brushes came with a set of refill pads. I'm going to use them instead.

Glue'm on the crevice tool with Carpenters or Plumbers Goop, heavy bodied contact adhesive so good it'll glue your side view mirror back on the car in Winter. Ask me how I know!

Then all's ya need is a broken turntable to support the record whilst cleaning or better yet a working direct drive that'll turn the record for ya.

Take a look at the Loricraft site for their cleaning tutorial. Best I've seen; all the info is backed up by my experience. No way I'll ever afford one. The main quibble they have with cheaper RCMs with cleaning wands like the VPI is the uneven suction on warped records. My handheld tool appears to negate that.

You will hear a difference and not just less noise but a resulting improvement in fidelity from, I suppose, the higher S/N.

• Loricraft