C Eaning Vinyl Records

Some basic vinyl care and maintenance is advisable.

C eaning vinyl records.

To spot clean any problem areas lie your vinyl record on a flat clean stable and non abrasive surface. Remove dust and static using a vinyl record brush. For everyday cleaning of your records use a carbon fiber brush to remove surface dust. Cleaning vinyl records at home.

Take your microfibre towel and dab the solution onto the vinyl record. 4 second hand records will almost always require wet cleaning. Steps to clean vinyl records. Clean your vinyl records with a record washer if you don t want to shell out for a vacuum cleaner for your records you can go with a less fancy record washer.

Remove all dust and static using a vinyl record brush. Household cleaning products such as washing up liquid and windex should be avioded as they are not necessarily safe for use on delicate vinyl records. Step by step my cleaning setup is structured like a conveyor belt so one step follows the next in a logical order. It s a manual system composed of brushes and rollers that uses an accompanying solution to clean your records.

Here s a picture of my washing station. Wherever water is applied such as when using a record cleaning machine always opt for distilled water. Inspect the record for visible marks and blemishes. Record cleaning machines because the grooves along a vinyl record are a millionth of an inch thick the only way to clean them completely is to use a powerful cleaning solution and a strong vacuum.

3 regular dry cleaning is also recommended to minimize wet cleaning. The condition of vinyl records has a direct impact on their sound quality. Rinse and dry the record. Spray cleaning solution on problem areas.

By dry cleaning i mean regular use of a carbon fiber brush. Store vinyl records properly to prevent future problems. The turntable and the drying rack are set away from the washing station to avoid wetting a record that s already dried. Clean with circular movements and be gentle making sure not to touch the label in the middle of the record.

Wipe clean using circular movements. Use a microfiber cloth to lightly scrub and dry the record.