Picture of RCA D4+ vinyl record care fluid bottles, stock photo.

Discwasher D4+ Vinyl Record Cleaner Review

We’ve kept our LP and single records nearly spotless for decades, with the Discwasher D4+ record cleaning solution.

We copied much of our record collection into digital format through the years. And before the digital age, copied them onto cassette tape.  This helped us avoid over-playing, and thus, prematurely wearing out, the records.  Through all of that, we learned how important keeping the records clean was for best fidelity. Indeed, if not clear of dust, the needle does not track well the audio in the record’s grooves.  Thus, dirt left behind by lesser cleaners does degrade the sound.

One drawback of today’s ear buds and iPods.  They’re so well engineered that they reproduce these unwanted sounds faithfully, along with the best sounding aspects of recordings.  So, always start off with clean records. Then you won’t regret how they sound later.

Put D4 in your record cleaning tool kit. You then get the best audio reproduction possible from your record player.  At least, any lost fidelity will not come from dirty records. Why clean with mere tap water with all its chemicals and hard minerals and metals?  Why do that when a potions like D4, D4+ are available?

Picture of a 1.25 ounce bottle of Discwasher D4+ by RCA Vinyl Record Cleaning Solution.
RCA Discwasher D4+ vinyl record cleaning solution bottle, front view.

Discwasher D4+ Vinyl Record Cleaner Review: Benefits, Features, Pros, and Advantages

Non Abrasive

A very gentle solution.  No smell of overly powerful chemicals.  In fact, most of this solution is just distilled water.

Reduces Static Buildup   

You hear very little static snaps and pops while listening to treated discs.

Lowers Surface Noises

Often results in reduced surface noises while playing the records cleaned with this D4.  But this cleaner never makes more static, rasp, hash, rumble, or any other distracting sounds.

Discwasher D4+ Vinyl Record Cleaner Review: Safe for Records

D4+ does not harm your collectible vinyl.  It protects both the grooves and the center label.

Promotes Less Needle Cleaning

The stylus pickup needs less cleaning when the records that you play with it are dust and lint free. This D4 Plus cleaner leaves no traces of either of these musical pests behind.

Quick Drying

Evaporates completely within seconds.  D4+ leaves no deposits once dry.  None left either on the surface, or deep in the grooves.  You can safely play cleaned records in a half-minute.

Part of Discwasher Record Care System

D4+ is an integral part of the complete Disc Washer record care system. But you can use this record fluid separately with high success.  D4+ removes the following.

    • Grime.
    • Fingerprints.
    • Smudges.
    • Dust.
    • Dirt.
    • Oil.
    • Smoke deposits.
    • Soot.
    • Paper bits from decomposing record sleeves.
    • Plus most any other debris.

Works on Vinyl LPs, Single 45s, and 78 RPM Discs

Preserves the life of your old vinyl.  How so?  D4+ stops dirt particles from lodging themselves at the bottom of the music grooves with regular use.  These dirt bits can add distortion to the recording. Further, they can also destroy the sensitive needle pickups on turntables and record players.

Discwasher D4+ Vinyl Record Cleaner Review: Spreads Evenly

D4’s thin liquid lets it to flow into even the deepest and narrowest grooves. It can then loosen years of grime buildup.

Erases Some Skips and Pucks

Treat your records regularly each time you play your vinyl discs. Do it both before and after play.  Regular cleaning can even remove some skips and pucks, clicks, and pops over time.

Cleans CDs Too

Works well on compact discs, Bluray, DVDs, and LaserDiscs.

Does Not Scratch

Does not scratch when used with the DiskWasher record care cleaning brush.

Draws Up Dirt and Grime

Dissolves and washes away typical contaminating compounds. Loosens those others that do not dissolve in the cleaner liquid. This way, a cleaning record brush or cloth can easily take them away.

Discwasher D4+ Vinyl Record Cleaner Review: Non Reactive

Probably does not react in any way with the record’s vinyl surface.  So D4+ will not soften or harden the grooves, or misshape or otherwise distort them.  So, original recording sound is well-preserved.

Picture of the Technics SL-1200 MK5 Turntable System, with power applied and featuring blue LED upgrades.
Technics SL-1200 MK5 Turntable System with vinyl record on platter.  RCA Discwasher D4+ vinyl record cleaner review.

Discwasher D4+ Record Cleaning Fluid Instructions

Easy to use.  Simple instructions follow.

    1. Just place the record to be cleaned on your turntable,
    2. Add three or four drops of D4+ across the leading edge of the Discwasher record cleaning brush.
    3. Manually spin the record on the turntable clockwise.
    4. While spinning the record, place the wet brush edge against the record grooves.  Then press gently as you spin the turntable platter.
    5. Hold the brush to the record for ten to fifteen revolutions.
    6. Set the brush aside and stop spinning the turntable platter.
    7. Allow the record to dry before placing it back in its folder / protector.
    8. Flip the record over and repeat steps 2 through 7 for its other side.
    9. Put the record back in its jacket.
    10. Use the small cleaning brush in the Discwasher LP record cleaning system to clean the record brush.  It safely rakes out any dirt from the record brush microfibers.

Discwasher D4+ Vinyl Record Cleaner Review: Disadvantages, Cons, Limitations, and Problems

Hard to Find in Large Sizes

Currently, D4+ is only available in the small, 37 milliliter bottle.  However, in the past, much larger flasks of it were sold.  Please bring those back.

Does Not Repair Scratches

No scratch fix here.  But this disc washer cleaner does reduce their bad effects on the sound.  How?  It keeps dirt from building up in them.

Pricey

D4+ RCA record cleaner costs roughly $5 per 1.25 ounce bottle.  But at this price avid vinyl lovers who play records often, will reorder D4+ way too much.

Limited Availability

Hard to get, since the last known owners of the D4 brand have discontinued the product.  However, you can still find it around if you persevere.

Insufficient Bottle Sealing

We’ve experienced leaking lids.  Sometimes, the little spout-stem becomes partially open.  Rare this is however.

Discwasher D4+ Vinyl Record Cleaner Review: Contains Potentially Damaging Alcohol

Some have objected to the immediately discernible isopropyl alcohol in the latest formulations of this product.  However, we’ve noticed no degradation in how the records cleaned with this sound.  Just make sure that the discs have dried completely before putting them back into their folders. If the disc is pretty clean to start with, we clean with pure, distilled water.  No alcohol unless we see dirt.  The alcohol versions of Discwasher may be bad for the shellac 78 RPM records.  But previous formulas were safe to use on these. So, we suggest that you avoid using D4+ on the 78s.

Does Not Turn Frogs into Princes

Even D4 has limits.  Indeed, take care of your record collection.  But if you fail in this, no amount of disc cleaner, will save your music from premature deterioration.  Not even D4+ fluid will save you.  However take these simple cleaning steps in record storage, handling and playing your records.  They help ensure that built up dirt will disappear, when you use D4+ to keep them spotless.

Discwasher D4+ Vinyl Record Cleaner Review: Our Rating

We used several revisions of D4+ through the decades (D2 and D3).  Never found anything to grip on, in terms of its performance.  Our suggestion: Trust your music collection to the Discwasher line of vinyl care products.  With a rekindling of interest in pressed vinyl recordings, many folks are just now starting their own record collections. So if you’re one of these, start using this product on your first record.  In return, you get better sounding, longer lived recordings.  Plus, you’ll see more life from those expensive pickup styluses.  Our rating thus: 99 out of 100.

Where to Buy Discwasher D4+ RCA Vinyl Record Cleaning Solution

You can still find D4+ at Amazon and eBay.

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References for Discwasher D4+ Vinyl Record Cleaner Review

    1. Vinyl Record Cleaning    on Wikipedia
    2. Where to Buy   RCA Discwasher D4+ Vinyl Record Cleaning Fluid+