In this video I tested two entry-level record cleaning kits from GrooveWasher to answer a question I see all the time: do you actually need a fancy record cleaning machine to get great results? I walk through what’s in the Record & Stylus Care Kit (their baseline all-in-one) and the Hardwood Record Care Kit (same fluid, but a much nicer handled pad and a proper towel). Then I clean a real-world used record—side one with the basic sponge, side two with the hardwood handle—using the same method: protect the label, 6-ish sprays, let the fluid sit for a minute or two, spread it through the grooves, then rotate to a dry side and air-dry. I also included before-and-after audio so you can actually hear what changes, and I’m very clear about the limits: cleaning won’t fix groove wear or scratches. Because a few pops and clicks were still annoying me, I did a due-diligence check and ran the record through my Degritter on a heavy cycle with GrooveWasher’s ultrasonic additive to see if “advanced” cleaning could do more. It couldn’t—those noises were baked in—which is a great reminder that manual kits can absolutely get you most of the way there if you use them properly and keep the pad clean.