Back in the late 1970s and '80s, which wasn't long after vacuum type record cleaning machines were first introduced, a chemical engineer and solid rocket fuel designer named Toy Shigekawa introduced a record cleaning fluid he called TM-7, which later was improved and called TM-7XH.

The fluid contained no alcohol because Mr. Shigakawa believed that with continued use, alcohol based fluids could damage records. It quickly became one of the most popular fluids used for record cleaning. It was my fluid of choice and after buying it in quart sized containers, I graduated to gallon-sized bottles. At one point I met Mr. Shigekawa. He was a memorable character.

I still have a half-gallon of 7XH vintage 1985 but I haven't used it because I wasn't sure if it was still good. Fortunately, Mr. Shigekawa wrote down his formula and a new company, Groovy Hi-Fi Solutions, Inc. is marketing TM-8, a new formula based on Mr. Shigekawa's, which is based upon the use of the highest quality ingredients beginning with ultra-pure laboratory grade deionized water that's quad filtered to meet 'ASTM and CAP/ClSI' specifications. It is far more expensive that the distilled water commonly used in record cleaning fluids, though it's certainly possible others use the same water.

The commercial grade surfactants in TM-8 emulsify the fluid, helping it to break loose dirt, dust, smoke tar and finger oils while also helping to reduce static build-up.

The fluid will soon be available in 32 oz size bottles. I was given a bottle to try and will do so ASAP using the Loricraft cleaning machine. The formulator of the TM-8 said that chances are good that the "vintage" 7XH I've kept for all of these years should still be usable and effective because it contains no organics. If that's true a comparison between the new and old should prove interesting.

. For more information: info@groovyhifi.com