How often you should clean your records depends on a few factors, such as how often you play them, how dusty your environment is, and how much you care about the sound quality of your records.
If you play your records frequently and live in a dusty environment, you may need to clean them every week or two. If you play your records less often or live in a cleaner environment, you can get away with cleaning them once a month or even less often.
Here are some signs that your records need to be cleaned:
- You hear pops, clicks, or other surface noise when you play them.
- The records look dirty or have fingerprints on them.
- You can feel dust or dirt on the records.
If you notice any of these signs, it’s time to clean your records.
There are a few different ways to clean records. You can use a dry record brush, a wet record cleaning solution, or a record cleaning machine.
To clean a record with a dry record brush, simply brush the record in a circular motion, starting from the outside and working your way in. Be sure to brush both sides of the record.
To clean a record with a wet record cleaning solution, apply a small amount of the solution to a microfiber cloth or record brush. Wipe the record in a circular motion, starting from the outside and working your way in. Be sure to rinse the record with clean water after cleaning it with the solution.
To clean a record with a record cleaning machine, follow the instructions that come with the machine. Most record cleaning machines use a combination of distilled water and a specially formulated cleaning solution to clean records.
Once you have cleaned your records, be sure to dry them completely with a clean microfiber cloth. This will help to prevent the records from becoming sticky.
Here are some additional tips for cleaning records:
- Avoid using harsh chemicals or abrasive cleaners on records, as these can damage the record’s surface.
- If the record surface is very dirty, you can clean it with a mild soap and water solution. Be sure to rinse the record thoroughly with clean water after cleaning it with a soap and water solution.
- Air dry the record completely before putting it back in its sleeve.
- Store vinyl records in a cool, dry place.