How Often Should You Clean Vinyl Records? Can You Over Do it?
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- Опубліковано 27 лип 2024
- Cleaning vinyl records is a necessary part of the vinyl hobby. For some, it puts them off record collecting entirely, while for others, it’s all part of the tactile nature of the format and a large part of its appeal. In essence, restoring an old record can be very rewarding.
But how often should you clean vinyl records?
Is there an optimum, or perhaps even safe, routine you should adopt? How often is too often? And is it perhaps possible to damage your records by over-cleaning them?
Today, we’ll get right to the chase with some practical advice and straight-talking answers to some of these questions.
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I clean my records wet (by hand with own mixture) when I get them. No matter if new or used records. After that I just try not to expose them to dust, dirt or grease. A carbon brush will remove all lose surface dust before and after playing.
What is the mixture may I ask?
I think this is the way. If you have the luxury of having an RCM you can use this too. Once it is clean, just keep it clean and remove the surface dust before every play. After every play too if you so choose.
Every record I buy goes on my VC-S2 with record cleaning solution as soon as I get them home. Used records get 2 complete cycles since I have no idea how they were taken care of, New ones get 1 cycle to remove any gunk left from the pressing plant. I use my Zero Stat & vintage Discwasher every time they are played as a touch-up. I clean my stylus before playing each side & after I am done playing records for the day just in case I forget next time. It might be over kill but records I bought 40 years ago still sound like new even though some of them have been played hundreds of times. Just my 2 cents.
Great video btw. I have been binge watching since I found your channel & agree with most of what I've seen. Lots of good info! Keep 'em comming.
Great stuff: yea, that’s a good ritual I think. Clean records definitely benefit as so many have contamination from the pressing process as you say. Thanks so much for your kind words on the channel. Welcome and enjoy the music 🎶🎧
Dry dust-offs with a Discwasher (particularly old, wood-handle ones) will often do the trick.
Fluid is necessary, though, for newly acquired used discs.
I clean my records with Comet abrasive power and a steel wool scrub. The rinse is difficult. But other than that, never had any problems.
I powerwash mine
Makes as much sense as any of the rest of this crap. Are these people playing their records in the SANDBOX?
I clean a record using a power cleaner to remove record mold. A record cleaning fluid. And a record vacuum cleaner to suck up all the muck. Finally i apply record preservative fluid to the grooves, which hardens the vinyl and prevents record ware for about 200 plays. This usually only needs to be done once. If the cleaned record still has a lot of surface noise, i repeat the process.
I only clean a record if something bothers me on it otherwise I don’t touch it at all. I have a Pro-ject VC-S2 (distilled water only) and a WiFi microscope to keep the stylus clear. I never touch vinyl with cloths or sprays but that’s just me. This works for me but I appreciate we all live in differing home environments and have differing equipment and there is no universal solution that fits everyone.
I find using the Project liquid then distilled water rinse, better than just distilled. ..but distilled is 70% and machine vcs is the most effective cleaning I've used. Some difficult tniy marks need a microfibre cloth first with distilled water.
Ha! I am too lazy to ever over-clean my records 😏 But whether mint or used I clean them upon arrival. I am quite good at handling and storage so I think am am doing OK.
I use the brush until I cant see any residue, the spray a liguid cleaner and wipe with a micro fiber cloth, rinse with distilled water.
You can use isopropanol to clean records. PVC has great compatibility with 100% isopropanol. A 50/50 mixture of 91% isopropanol and distilled water is what i use, effectively 45.5% in the final solution. Not sure if its better than the grove washer solution buts its way cheaper
you should wash every record you buy...even NEW ones, then carbon brush before playing each time.
Indeed
This is usually what I do, maybe every five or seven spins do a light wash with cleaning fluid on a record brush.
Thank you
I clean each side every time with my VPI Cyclone before I drop the needle, regardless of how many previous cleanings it has gotten before. At least a distilled water rinse if nothing else.
You honestly think cleaning a CLEAN record is doing it any good ❓
Have to clean a new record almost everytime. I find they are the most dirty I get. The paper sleeves are so flaky and the ones they use with images on the outside are probably the ones with the most static for sure!
Indeed: new records always benefit from a quick clean and a new antistatic sleeve. Happy spinning
Am I the only one who thinks "how long is a piece of string" is a really straightforward question?
I think the distinction is that it’s not the same question as “How long is THIS piece of string”.
What would be your answer?
Yes, that is a poor example of a difficult question. 😂
Put them in the dishwasher.
1/2 cup of Tide, 2/3 cup of bleach.
Tide will clean them, bleach will disinfect them. 👍🤗😎
Shouldn't have to clean them at all! What are you doing to get them DIRTY ❓ If you have to clean your records, you should stick to CD's...
Sans product endorsement from Record Washer MKII Spin Clean? As a wet cleaner?