HumminGuru The Small Bottle

HumminGuru The Small Bottle: surfactant for ultrasonic cleaning

It may be hard to imagine anything simpler at first glance: a 30 ml bottle, a few drops in a tank, and that’s it. But this surfactant developed by HumminGuru addresses a very real physical issue faced by users of ultrasonic cleaners. Distilled water alone, despite the agitation caused by cavitation, sometimes struggles to reach the bottom of the microgrooves. The Small Bottle lowers the liquid’s surface tension to solve this.

How a surfactant works in ultrasonic cleaning

Distilled water has high surface tension: it tends to bead up rather than spread out. In an ultrasonic bath, cavitation microbubbles work to dislodge impurities, but their effectiveness depends on the liquid’s ability to wet the vinyl surface. A surfactant changes the physical properties of water by reducing the cohesion between its molecules. The liquid then spreads more evenly over the record and penetrates deeper into the grooves, where dust, molding residue, and greasy deposits collect.

The effect is visible to the naked eye: with the surfactant, the water forms a continuous film over the record rather than isolated droplets. This complete wetting also results in faster, more even drying, because the water evaporates from a thin layer rather than scattered drops.

An alcohol-free formula, a deliberate technical choice

HumminGuru has chosen an alcohol-free formula. This choice addresses a practical concern: vinyl is PVC, a plastic that can degrade when exposed to aggressive solvents. Alcohol, even diluted, can eventually soften the material, cause warping, or alter the surface condition.

The surfactant used here is non-corrosive and also has antistatic properties. Static electricity attracts dust particles; reducing it helps keep the record clean longer after cleaning.

Dosage and yield

The product is concentrated. HumminGuru recommends 2 to 3 drops per 400 ml tank of distilled water. At this dosage, one 30 ml bottle is enough to clean between 800 and 1000 records according to the manufacturer’s estimates. The cost per cleaned record is therefore negligible.

For new records, a 2-minute cycle with the surfactant helps remove the mold release agent applied during pressing. Dirtier records or used vinyl benefit from the 5- or 10-minute cycle available on HumminGuru machines.

Compatibility and use

The Small Bottle was developed and tested specifically for HumminGuru ultrasonic cleaners, the HG01 (Original) and HG05 (NOVA) models. The product is not suitable for 78 rpm records (SP), whose composition differs from modern vinyl.

The water used must be distilled or demineralized. Tap water contains minerals that can leave residue in the grooves and clog the machine’s circuits. For users concerned about possible surfactant deposits, a rinse cycle with pure distilled water remains possible using a second tank.

Technical Specifications

Product

• Designation: HumminGuru The Small Bottle
• Type: cleaning agent for ultrasonic vinyl record cleaner
• Capacity: 30 ml

Composition and formulation

• Surfactant-based formula
• Alcohol-free
• Gentle cleaning of vinyl records

Properties and performance

• Reduced water surface tension
  • Allows better penetration into the grooves during the ultrasonic bath
• Reduced drying time
  • Particularly effective in high-humidity environments
• Yield: 30 ml is enough to clean more than 1000 records

Compatibility

• HumminGuru ultrasonic cleaners
  • Model HG01 (Original)
  • Model HG05 (NOVA)

Package contents

• 1 bottle of 30 ml ultrasonic cleaning agent