You might have heard your mother growling,” Oh, I can’t stand your filthy vinyl records.” The poor stylus has to battle through the grooves because they are so bunged with rubbish. When your vinyl records are dirty, they neither sound good nor look good. So if you are looking for methods of how to clean vinyl records, don’t sweat because you are not alone in this struggle!
If you take care of your vinyl record, there is no apparent reason why your new and quiet records shouldn’t stay new and quiet for many years to come. We know how a lot of people generally associate many pops and clicks with vinyl records. Unless your records are scuffed or scratched, the culprit to blame is dust and dirt that have been piled up in the grooves.
Once you cast aside all the dust and dirt in the grooves, you can eliminate all the pops and clicks. So, how to clean vinyl records? Let’s not bite the bullets anymore and read this article to the end!
Use a Record Washer to Clean Your Vinyl Records
Using a record washer to wash and clean your vinyl record is the simplest way you can use. It is a manual system that consists of rollers and brushes. You can use it as an accompanying solution to clean and clear your vinyl records.
What you need to do is to insert the record into the clear and rotate it with your hands for a few revolutions, and that’s it; it’s done. However, this manual method does involve some pressure on your vinyl records, so it may not be as optimal as you suppose, but it is more than sufficient for most of the collectors. It is also recommendable for someone who wants to give his dirty vinyl records a deep cleaning.
Use Vacuum Cleaner to Clean Your Vinyl Records
The second better and fancier option to give your vinyl records a deep cleaning is a vacuum-powered vinyl record cleaner. This option is more like an effortless activity in which you just need to switch the cleaner on, and it will do all the hard work for you.
What’s more, a vacuum cleaner quickly sucks all the dribs and dust settling into the vinyl records grooves, simultaneously minimizing the pressure and the physical contact with the delicate surface of the record itself. However, we do not recommend using an ordinary vacuum cleaner for your vinyl records.
An under-average cleaner damages not only your record but also leaves a harmful effect on the sound quality. So keep your budget in view and choose the best for you.
Use Your Hands to Clean Your Vinyl Records
Using your hands is a more straightforward, cheaper, and less fancy way to clean your vinyl records. You just need to hold a brush in your hand, some cleaning solution, and a microfiber cloth, and it will be as easy as pie. There are just four steps when you use your hands while considering how to clean vinyl records:
- Brush the vinyl records
- Wash the vinyl records
- Dry the vinyl records
- Repeat if necessary
Brush the Vinyl Records
The first and foremost requirement for using your hand for vinyl records cleanliness is to have a brush. Buy the brush of your choice, as there are plenty of options available in the market. The goal of using a brush is to pick up the larger dust particles from the records. However, you must remain mindful as the unmonitored pressure can also damage the grooves.
Additionally, you can gently brush the delicate surface of the brush in a circular motion, carefully following the grooves. Developing a habit of brushing your vinyl records a couple of times a week enhances its performance as much as its life.
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Wash the Vinyl Records
Even though some people advocates using a combination of water and dish wash, we will say otherwise. As per my extensive research, I would suggest you use a cleaning solution mainly designed for washing vinyl records. While many vinyl records washing solutions are not created equal, you must deliberately and sparingly use a solution that contains isopropyl alcohol.
It is also important to remember that isopropyl alcohol-contained solutions clean the muck off your records. Still, there is a risk of damaging the protective coating on the vinyl records. So prefer using a combination of Tergitol and deionized water, which is good enough to wash your vinyl records.
Dry the Vinyl Records
Using a microfiber cloth to dry or clean your vinyl records is no rocket science. Just take a microfiber cloth and gently pat the records to dry. After sucking the larger drops of water, you must let the record dry for at least 30 minutes before you put it back into its sleeves. Remember, excessive moisture can cause sleeves to damage or even mold the records.
Repeat if Necessary
After going through the steps explained earlier, there would be less probability for your vinyl record to be dirty. But if any dust happens to come to pass, repeat all the steps until they are crystal clean.
How frequently should I clean my Vinyl Records?
It depends. Use your ear to decide when it needs the most. If it starts sounding dirty or there are pops and clicks, the best time is now. However, I would suggest you build a routine to give your vinyl records a better life.
Can I use alcohol to clean vinyl records?
Well, the answer is controversial as some people say yes to it while others say the opposite. As far as my research is concerned, I would ask you to use the isopropyl alcohol-contained solution sparingly if, by any means, you use it.
Can I clean old vinyl records?
Yes, you can. You can clean them the same way you clean your new vinyl records. But you need to be extra careful as they can be shattered or cracked if you are not mindful. As the old vinyl records are dry, they may require multiple cleaning sessions to get the desired results.
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Can I use soap and water to clean my vinyl records?
Yes, you can, but it is not the best way. Anyhow if you go for this option, avoid using tap water at any cost as it contains dozens of impurities and can damage the vinyl records. Using a purpose-built fluid or solution is only recommendable.
Wrapping Up- How to Clean Vinyl Records
Undoubtedly, there are scores of ideas and methods on how to clean vinyl records. I have shared a few that I reckon are the best so far. The problem with these plenties of options is they are ineffective at best and can actually ruin your precious vinyl records at worst. So if you take your vinyl records as valuable assets, follow my 100% safe steps on how to clean vinyl records.
