Cleaning your vinyl records and keeping them dust-free is the best way to prolong their sound quality and keeping them in the best possible condition.
If you’ve ever noticed a crackling noise when listening to your records, it’s most probably the result of dust that's settled and accumulated in the grooves of your vinyl over a period of time. As the friction and heat of the moving stylus hits dust particles between the grooves, it creates mini-explosions which can blast holes in the grove walls of the record.
Just as important to be aware – did you know that new records come coated in a mold release compound that should be cleaned off before you play your vinyl for the first time? If that wasn’t enough of a reason it’s been proven that playing dirty records can cause permanent damage, not only to the vinyl itself but also to your stylus.
Who knew that vinyl records were so high-maintenance? You need to know how to clean your records properly. If you’ve invested in collecting records you need to ensure you’re cleaning them in a safe way. The result means long-lasting, high-quality music.
What do you need to know about cleaning your vinyl records? Let’s start with the basics...
VINYL HANDLING
This may sound obvious but the best way of keeping your vinyl clean is to make sure your record doesn't get dirty in the first place. With this in mind, you need to avoid touching the grooved surface with your fingers because your skin contains oil and dirt that is damaging to the vinyl. Instead, hold the record by the edge or the labelled surface.
Try handling your vinyl like this: hold the record with the middle finger on the centre label and thumb on the outer rim. Then when you take the record off from the turntable, use both of your hands on the outer rim.
DRY CLEANING
The easiest way to clean your vinyls and keep them in a good condition is to dry brush them before and after every play, to prevent the build-up of dust and other impurities. Using an anti-static brush regularly will keep your records cleaner for longer. Most brushes have two rows of bristles, one is to sweep up the dust and the other is supposed to de-stat. With a light touch, gently hold the brush on the record surface as it spins to sweep dust and reduce the static build-up. After one or two rotations, angle the brush to the edge of the record and slowly pull it off the record. Also, don't forget to wipe the brush clean after each use. This should be an essential part of playing a record.
WET CLEANING
The wet method – aka ‘the deep-clean’ – is recommended occasionally for your collection. You can do this by hand or using a record cleaning machine. Essentially, you always need to remove the surface dust particles with a brush before the deep clean.
There are many record cleaning kits on the market that do a good job and they usually come with a directional brush, a liquid solution and a smaller brush for cleaning the directional brush. Fear not – whether you’re using a commercial cleaning solution or you’re cleaning your records with a homemade solution, the process is pretty much the same.
And here’s a homemade solution tutorial you may find useful.
THE WOOD GLUE METHOD
When I first started collecting, this was the first method I came across, but let me warn you it’s not the easiest. Many record collectors swear by it. What’s interesting is that wood glue and the material records are made of are chemically similar, which means that the glue can't bind to the record. However, it does mean it’ll stick to everything else on the vinyl, including oil, dirt, mold, fungus, dust etc. Before you go cleaning your favourite and best records, perhaps try this on some older records that you’re not fussed about first, until you feel confident with the process.
Cleaning solution and a microfiber cloth
It may sound basic, but if you’ve cleaned up the surface of your albums and are still hearing a lot of pops, then you’ll need to deep clean your records with solution and a microfiber cloth.
This usually works by spraying the solution onto your microfiber cloth and lightly wiping in a circular motion around your vinyl to finish the process. You then just need to let any leftover solution dry before playing your freshly cleaned record!
Plastic outer sleeves
Now of course, if we look after our records in the best possible way, it means cleaning isn’t a process that has to happen as frequently. Along with record handling, you need to consider storing them in a more protective way. Using a plastic outer sleeve is a great way to ensure your record collection stays protected. The sleeve simply slips over the entire record, including the jacket, and makes sure that dust doesn’t get in and that your collection doesn’t rub up against each other causing jacket wear. We recommend these.
You can find out more on caring for your record collection here, and if you’re looking for a monthly curated record package delivered straight to your door, then join the Runout Record Club!
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