strip
plasticisers and increase wear."

Pisha, "Record cleaners revisited", Audio Magazine 1976, May, pp.
40-42, 44, 48, 50

"Record cleaning fluids are generally mild detergents such as Alconox
or a formulation containing varying strengths of alcohol. From our
experience, we question the use of these types of cleaners,
particularly since it has been established that contact with alcohol,
Alconox, and certain anionic detergents does, in effect, oxidize the
surface of the vinyl disc after a period of time. Alcohol, in almost
any strength, has been identified as one of the cleaning fluids that
leech out from the vinyl surface the important stabilizers and
lubricants necessary for the longevity of records. Stabilizers are
needed to counteract the high-heat conditions created by the stylus
and for subsequent vinyl integrity, while lubricants assist in good
stylus/surface contact and slippage. Unfortunately, these important
chemicals are extractable from the record surface by almost any
solution, but in varying degrees. By way of comparison, on a 0-100
continuum, extractions of fatty acid chains and the polyolefin groups
from vinyl records by three solutions are shown in the accompanying
table.

Fatty Acid and Olefin Extraction
(Volume/Volume GLC Quantification)

Solution/Contact Time/Relative % Extraction

60% Isopropyl Alcohol/10 min/38%
60% Isopropyl Alcohol/30 sec/12%

DII Fluid/10 min/8%
DII Fluid/30 sec/1.4%

Distilled Water/10 min/6.5%
Distilled Water/30 sec/0.9%

Fortunately, the integrity of the vinyl compound is not damaged to the
point of making a record unplayable until the cleaning solutions have
been applied to the record surface over long periods of time. The
process is insidious and eventually will cause damage. It appears that
any liquid put on the surface of a vinyl record will exhibit some
extraction characteristics, be it distilled water, alcohol, detergent,
or the Discwasher DII solution; there just isn't a perfect record
cleaner."

Klaus