Vinyl Care · Record Brush
Every record is a precision mechanical instrument — and every particle trapped in the groove costs information directly. Dust, thin greasy films and electrostatically bound micro-particles cause more than just the familiar surface crackle: they conceal fine musical detail before the stylus can even trace it. Worse still, they act as fine sandpaper between diamond and vinyl and shorten the life of the record itself. The Clearaudio Pure Groove record brush was developed to remove exactly these contaminants — with a technology that complements the classic carbon fibre brush, and in many situations outperforms it.
Instead of carbon fibres, the Pure Groove relies on an extremely fine microfibre cover, with a filament diameter far below that of human hair. The fibres reach deep into the groove, capture dirt particles by capillary action and only release them when the cover is rinsed. The brush is particularly strong in combination with Clearaudio's own Pure Groove cleaning fluid, but works equally well with almost any common record cleaning liquid — and also serves as a gentle dry dust brush for everyday use. It is made where analogue excellence has been taking shape since 1978: at the Clearaudio manufactory in Erlangen, Germany.
Finest Microfibre
Extremely fine fibres reach the groove floor and capture particles by capillary action
Wet & Dry
Works with Pure Groove, any common cleaning fluid — or completely dry
Made in Germany
Designed and built at Clearaudio in Erlangen — high-end analogue since 1978
Microfibre Technology & How it Works
A record groove is a surprisingly delicate structure: the modulations that turn vinyl into music sit in the range of just a few micrometres. Classic carbon fibre brushes have been the standard for decades — their millions of fine carbon filaments reach the groove floor and conduct electrostatic charge away at the same time. What they can only do to a limited extent, however, is permanently release dirt particles that adhere to the vinyl through thin films of grease or nicotine residues. This is where microfibre enters the stage.
Microfibres — defined industrially as fibres with a linear density below one decitex, significantly finer than silk — offer an enormous surface area and a wedge-shaped cross-section. In the groove, this acts like a microscopic scraper: dirt is not only collected but lifted out from the depths and absorbed into the fibre by capillary action. This is precisely why the Pure Groove is particularly effective when cleaning fluid is involved — the fibre distributes the liquid evenly, dissolves the contamination and holds it until the fluid is removed.
At the same time, the Pure Groove microfibre cover is engineered to stay gentle on the LP surface. There are no stiff bristles, no hard edges — cleaning happens through the fibre's surface area, not through mechanical pressure. This makes the brush a universal tool: it removes loose dust in everyday dry use, it applies and binds cleaning fluids, and in combination with a record cleaning machine it serves as a precise applicator before the vacuum stage. Should the cover eventually need replacement, matching microfibre replacement strips are available as a four-pack accessory — making the brush itself a long-lasting tool for many years of service.
The Pure Groove Cleaning System
The brush unlocks its full potential alongside the in-house Pure Groove cleaning fluid — a powerful, antistatic formulation that dissolves even stubborn contamination down to the groove floor and is offered in five bottle sizes from 100 ml up to 2.5 litres. Clearaudio additionally offers Pure Groove Shellac, an alcohol-free variant for delicate shellac records, and Pure Groove Essence, a shippable concentrate for customers outside Germany, which is mixed with ethanol before use. The Pure Groove brush is the manual applicator within this system family.
Those who already rely on another favourite fluid — L'Art du Son, Disco Antistat concentrate or one of the many alcohol-based audiophile formulations — can pair it with the Pure Groove without hesitation. The microfibre cover is material-neutral and does not react to any of the common cleaning recipes on the market. Only shellac records must never come into contact with alcohol-based fluids — in that case, Pure Groove Shellac or a comparable dedicated formulation is mandatory.
In practice: apply a few drops of cleaning fluid to the stationary or rotating record, place the Pure Groove brush flat onto the surface and guide it in the direction of the groove with light, even pressure. The liquid spreads, dissolves the contamination, and after several revolutions is either absorbed with an absorbent cloth, vacuumed off by a record cleaning machine arm, or left to air-dry. The result is an audibly quieter noise floor, freed-up treble and a more stable spatial image — particularly striking on older records or second-hand finds.
Clearaudio — Analogue Craftsmanship from Erlangen
That a record brush should bear the Clearaudio logo is no accident. Founded in 1978 by Peter Suchy, the Franconian high-end manufacturer has been among the most respected names in analogue audio for decades — with reference turntables such as the Statement TT1, legendary moving-coil cartridges such as the Goldfinger Statement and the patented da Vinci V2, and a complete portfolio from entry-level turntables to the absolute state of the art. Every product is made at the company's headquarters in Erlangen's Spardorfer Strasse, right next to the Fraunhofer and Max Planck institutes — an environment that shapes the engineering culture of the house.
Today the family business is run by Peter Suchy's three children, Robert, Patrick and Veronika. The philosophy remains unchanged: uncompromising material quality, deep vertical manufacturing, Made in Germany. That this attitude also translates into a seemingly modest accessory such as a record brush is what sets Clearaudio apart from many competitors. The Pure Groove is not a rebranded industrial item — it is part of a closed, decades-refined care and cleaning ecosystem for vinyl.
| Manufacturer |
Clearaudio electronic GmbH, Erlangen (DE) |
| Product |
Pure Groove Record Brush |
| Part Number |
AC015 |
| EAN |
4015166900121 |
| Cover Material |
Ultra-fine microfibre |
| Characteristics |
Antistatic, gentle on LP surface, high absorption capacity |
| Application |
Wet cleaning and dry use |
| Ideal Pairing |
Clearaudio Pure Groove fluid (vinyl) or Pure Groove Shellac (shellac) |
| Compatibility |
Works with all common vinyl cleaning fluids |
| Use Cases |
Everyday dry cleaning, fluid application, applicator for RCMs |
| Replacement Covers |
Sold separately (microfibre replacement strips, 4-pack) |
| Origin |
Made in Germany |
| Colour |
Black |
