subject: Keep Your Vinyl Records Clean And New [print this page] To have best quality sound everytime you spin them, you must clean your vinyl records often and properly. It just takes a few easy steps to keep your vinyl record good as new always.
You will need basic cleaning tools and solutions like anti-static guns and record cleaning machines which are optional, record cleaning pads, brushes and solutions, a turntable and your vinyl record. Or you may prefer using a 50/50 solution of isopropyl alcohol and distilled water for normal cleaning. A 70% alcohol solution may damage your vinyl record, but not in the suggested 50/50 solution. To clean the vinyl records, you can also use small amounts of baby bath.
Once you have all the necessary materials, you can start cleaning. Handling the record by edges and labeled areas, begin cleaning the stylus and place the record on the turntable. To neutralize dirt, utilize an anti-static gun if you have it. If you're using the alcohol-water solution, put 2 drops of Photo Flo with the solution to help cut down water spots and marks. Rub on the solution with a soft, clean towel, wiping in a circular motion with the grooves. This is when the turntable comes useful. Don't get the labels wet when cleaning the vinyl record. Rinse the cloth often in the solution and replace with a fresh mixture when needed. If you have a record cleaningp brush or ad, hold the ends of the brush or pad between your fingers and manually rotate the platter in a clockwise direction while pressing the brush lightly into the grooves. Sweep the brush up and away to lift the dust and use a brush holder or similar object to scrape the dust off the brush, away from the turntable. If the vinyl record is not extremely dusty and has been cleaned regularly, dry clean it; or you can make use of a soft, clean cloth to fully dry the record.
If you're like most of us who forget cleaning our vinyl records, you would have heavily soiled records by now. This calls for a somewhat different cleaning method that demans pre-cleaning them. Put the heavily soiled records on a clean, soft, lint-free cloth and wet-clean the vinyl records in a spiral motion from center to rim. Air-dry or use 100% cottion, lint-free towel and repeat the steps on the other side. You can go on to the usual cleaning steps processes as soon as you're finish pre-cleaning your vinyl records.
If the cover of your vinyl records is laminated or shiny, make use of a moist cloth or a mild furniture polish to clean it. You can remove marks or writings on the cover with a rubber eraser or a lighter fluid. You can remove stickers, labels, and tape by heating the area with a hair dryer and using a citrus-based cleaner or lighter fluid to remove sticker residue. There's nothing much you can do about cleaning the covers if you have matte finish vinyl records. Since the covers are already set, you would end up removing part of the print or color and making yourvinyl records looking worse than dirt. Just remember that it just takes a moment of your time to keep yourvinyl record clean and new.
