Have you ever wondered how you can take good care of your vinyl collection without spending a fortune?
You’re not alone. This is one question that many vinyl enthusiasts ask.
In this post, we’ll take up this question and also discuss easy, practical, and effective DIY tips to maintain your vinyl collection.
So continue reading...
Do You Need Expensive Vinyl Cleaning Products?
Since 1996, vinyl records have become popular once again. With more and more people buying vinyl records, the demand for “vinyl cleaning products” has also surged, as these records require some extra maintenance.
However, some of the vinyl cleaning products, like vacuum-based cleaning system, are quite expensive.
While these expensive products are useful, the question comes to the mind is do we really need them?
The answer is No.
If you take the necessary steps to keep dust and dirt off your records, you can do without such products. You see, when it comes to maintaining vinyl records, prevention is still the best strategy.
However, remember that even after your best efforts, your vinyl records might need some cleaning from time to time. Therefore, you should invest in some necessary “vinyl maintenance products”, which, thankfully, are inexpensive.
How to Take Good Care of Your Vinyl Collection?
Well cared for vinyl collection can easily last many years, but poorly maintained records can become unlistenable fairly quickly.
To ensure your vinyl records sound great for a long time, follow these three tips.
Storage
When it comes to storing vinyl records, you should always follow these recommendations.
- Store them vertically: Always file your records vertically and give them some room to breathe. Packing them too tightly can lead to warping. Never, we repeat, never stack your records. That’s the worst thing you can do to them. Records are heavy, and when you stack them, the ones lying below have to deal with uneven pressure, which in turn can causes warping and ring wear on the outer jacket.
- Store them in their sleeve: You must do all that’s possible to ensure your vinyl records are exposed to dust and dirt as little as possible. Always store vinyl records in the sleeve and keep them inside their cover. You might also want to add an extra protective layer by storing the records in plastic outer sleeves.
- Store them in a cool, dry place: Direct sunlight and extreme humidity will harm your records by causing warping.
Inner Sleeves
Most vinyl records come with a paper sleeve, which hardly offers any protection from static which can attract dirt and dust.
To win the war against harmful dust and dirt, invest in polyethylene lined sleeves. They aren’t expensive and go a long way in keeping static to the bare minimum.
Record Handling
Last but not the least, always handle your records carefully. As a vinyl enthusiast, dirt and dust are your enemy number one. So keep your mitts off your valuable records! Instead hold them gently by the edges or handle them carefully by the inner label.
Never touch the playable surface as this can really damage your vinyl. The oil from your fingers collects dust and all that eventually gums up the grooves and affects the sound quality.
As a general rule, it is always a good idea to clean your records, even the brand new ones, before playing them. All that is needed is gentle dusting to remove any debris off the surface of the record.
Use a dry carbon fiber brush for this purpose. Don’t press it down because doing so might actually damage your record (Remember vinyl records are delicate and so should be handled with care). Instead just let the bristles drift across the surface of the vinyl.
Additionally, if you’ve a turntable with a lid, don’t forget to close it during playback. This will further prevent airborne dust from collecting on the vinyl’s surface.
Cleaning Your Vinyl Records
You can’t completely prevent dust and dirt from reaching the record’s surface. Therefore, a thorough cleaning is recommended every now and then.
There are all kinds of fancy—and sometimes expensive—cleaning products like wood glue and vacuum-based cleaning systems. However, for most situations, an over-the-counter cleaning solution and microfiber cleaning cloth will prove sufficient.
However, first remove any debris lying on the surface of the record with the help of a carbon fiber brush. Otherwise you might push it deeper into the groove while giving it a deeper clean.
Now take the cleaning solution, spray it on the cleaning cloth and wipe your vinyl in a circulation motion in the direction of the grooves. Don’t press the cloth too hard on to the vinyl’s surface. Instead be gentle.
One Final Tip
Over time your record player’s needle will collect dust and dirt from inside the groves. You can easily clean it using a soft fine tip brush.
Should You Throw Away Unplayable Vinyl?
If you’ve unplayable vinyl records, we recommend you against throwing them.
Give them to us. We are on the mission to rescue unwanted records and transform them into highly wanted gifts!
So far we’ve rescued Almost 250,000 lbs, that is, 125 tons of vinyl records—thanks to people like you.
For a free consultation and quote, call us at 678-787-1497.