Note: Edison black and gold cylinders should not be treated with the LAST Preservative or Cleaner.
Wax cylinders are extremely fragile. They must be handled with great care. They are also very susceptible to damage by commercial phonograph cleaning solutions. Do NOT use any alcohol, ethylene glycol, or freon-based cleaners. We also do not recommend any of the aqueous-based solutions such as Discwasher or LAST cleaner.
Make up a cleaning solution by using about 3 drops of a mild dish detergent in a quart of tepid water. Use either a new, clean very-fine-bristled paint brush or a new, clean piece of velvet to thoroughly buy gently wash the grooves. Wash along groove direction. Rinse thoroughly in running tepid tap water. Finally, rinse with tepid de-ionized or distilled water. Let cylinder air dry in a vertical position.
Cylinders that have been attacked by mold may not respond to the above cleaning procedure. We recommend that moldy cylinders be cleaned with the same solution, but run in a small ultra-sonic cleaning machine for a 5-15 minute period. Rinse and dry as above. If the mold is severe, even this may not work.
