How To Clean Vinyl Records: 3 Safe Methods Explained In Detail

Vinyl records are loved by audiophiles for their pure and warm musical experience. Recently, the popularity of vinyl has taken center stage and is increasing every year.

But there’s a problem with vinyl records: they get dirty easily and attract a lot of dust and lint. Playing dirty records results in irritating audio output with “hiss”, “clicks ”and “pops”  sounds and also damages the turntable needle.

It is always advisable to clean your record collection regularly. In this article, we explain three ways to easily clear your records

Why you should clean a record?

The records are dust and fingerprint magnet that attracts everything floating in the air on their surface because of the static electricity. The friction against the record surface causes them to get electrically charged attracting tiny particles.

If you bought a brand new record from the store and thought of playing it without cleaning, give this idea a second chance. The new records are full of lint, dust, and smudges. 

The reasons to always clean your record are:

1. When records are dirty, they can leave dust on the turntable slipmat. This dust can then be picked up by other records played on the same surface and makes other records dirty.

2. The dirty records are prone to scratches which damages your record.

3. The problems such as cracking sounds, skipping, and pops are caused by the dirt deposited deep inside the grooves of the record.

4.  The stylus collects dust and debris from the record surface, and this can lead to damage not only to the stylus itself but also to other records in your collection.

5. New records undergo several manufacturing and quality control processes, as well as handling during packaging and shipping. These steps can introduce dust, lint, and even fingerprints onto the surface of the record.

How to clean vinyl records without damaging them?

There are several methods of cleaning records available on the internet but all are not safe. Some methods are risky and can damage your precious records.

In this guide, I’ve shared the safe cleaning methods I use on my records. These methods have proven effective and have never caused any harm to my record collection.

1. Cleaning Records Manually

Materials Needed:

1. Cleaning Solution
2. Carbon Brush
3. Microfiber Cloth

Steps:

Here also first two steps are almost.

1. First, put the record on the turntable and rotate it. You can do this step without a turntable, just by placing the record on the microfiber cloth and doing the process explained in the following steps.

2. Apply the carbon brush with gentle pressure on the moving record to remove the first layer of dirt and remove the filth collected at a place by sweeping the brush.

3. Spray some cleaning solution on the disc carefully, and allow it to settle down deep in the grooves.

4. Spin the disc again and use the microfiber cloth or brush against the moving record to collect all the dust and grease that ruins the music quality of the record.

5. Give a final spray of distilled water and rub it again with a microfiber cloth to soak it dry.

6. Inspect the record again if any dirt is left and also check by playing the record, if the problem persists then repeat the whole process.

You can follow these steps without using a turntable, and perform all the steps manually.

Pros

1. This is the cheapest method where you only need a cleaning solution and microfiber cloth.

2. With this classic method, you can clean records anywhere in the house, as this method does not require space-consuming cleaning machines.

Cons

1. If you have a large record collection, cleaning them by hand can be time-consuming and difficult to manage.
2. For records with heavy dirt or grime, this method often requires multiple rounds of cleaning and may still not fully remove all the buildup. In such cases, using a specialized record-cleaning machine or professional service might be more effective.

2. Using A Spin-Clean Record Washer

The spin clean record washer has been present in the market since 1975 so we can say that it is a reliable option to clean vinyl records. 

It is a simple yet effective record-washing machine that operates without electricity and does not involve the use of a turntable.

It is not very expensive and comes with a cleaning solution and drying towels as well so you do not have to pay extra for these utilities, which makes it a complete cleaning kit.

You can check one of these here.

Materials Needed:

1. Spin Clean Record Washer
2. Carbon Brush
3. Cleaning Solution
4. Distilled Water
5. Clean Microfiber Cloth

Steps:

1. After unboxing the record spin clean washer, you will find the basin, rollers, and cleaning pads.

2. First, assemble the roller into the notches in the basin according to the record size you want to clean. There are three options for 7, 10, and 12-inch records. After gently attaching the two cleaning pads to the mold present in the middle of the basin, you are ready to go.

3. Take a large towel and spread it on a hard-surfaced table, place the entire washer setup on it to prevent spilling, and pour distilled water up to the maximum level marked in the basin, after pouring the specified amount of cleaning solution into the cleaning pad recorded in the bottle, ideally, 3 capfuls of the solution is enough.

4. First dry clean the record to remove surface dust now, gently place the dirty record between the cleaning pads so it can be easily rotated using the rollers.

5. Now rotate the record clockwise and anti-clockwise three times. Take the record out, wet it with a lint-free microfiber cloth, and set it aside to air dry.

6. You can then play the record and will notice that the pops and cracks have disappeared.

Pros

1. This is an economical and convenient way to wash a bundle of records compared to the manual cleaning method.

2. It comes with a cleaning solution, drying cloth, and extra cleaning pads so you don’t have to buy extra supplies.

3. It doesn’t require electricity, you just need to manually rotate the vinyl records to make them unsoiled.

Cons

1. Sometimes this method becomes messy as there is a possibility of water spilling, that is why it is advisable to keep this machine on a large cloth and then clean it.

2. If water is not changed regularly there is a possibility of contamination from one record to another, the manual claims it can clean 50 records on each refill in the basin but results are good with 20-25 records, it also depends on the condition of the record.

3. Spin cleans are more labor-intensive than record-cleaning machines, so if you have a larger collection this method will require more manual efforts

3. Using a Automatic Vinyl Record Cleaner Machine

Materials Needed: 

1. Automatic Record Cleaning Machine
2. Carbon Brush
3. Cleaning Solution

If you have a lot of money to spend then a record cleaner machine is the best option for three reasons:

• Convenient and requires less effort.
• Less time-consuming and suitable if you have a large collection.
• Easy to operate

Steps:

The simple machine contains a parts platter to spin record and vacuum.  The steps to clean records using the device are pretty simple:

1. First, place the record on the platter, fix the clamp above it, and turn on the switch to rotate.

2. It is compulsory to dry clean your record first. On the spinning disc gently press the anti-static carbon brush at one point so that dust is collected in a single place.

3. Now, apply the record cleaning solution on the disc, spread it all over it, and wait for a minute or two until the solution penetrates the grooves.

4. Now lower the vacuum arm, switch on the machine, and rotate the disc in both clockwise and anti-clockwise directions until the fluid is removed taking all dust and grime away by the vacuum.

The process is handy and can give you a professional level of cleaning. 

Pros

1. It is most convenient and requires less human effort.

2. It is less time-consuming and suitable for large collections.

3. It does not have the risk of cross-contamination of dust from other records.

4. The cleaning result from these machines is found to be exceptional.

 Cons

1. It is expensive and prices start from $500.

2. It is noisy which is sometimes annoying.

3. It takes some space so not suitable for small setups.

4. It is an electronic device with different components, that require maintenance and repair from time to time adding extra cost. 

Things to remember before cleaning your record

Tips to prevent the record

1. Always use a good quality record cleaning solution.

2. Try not to use isopropyl alcohol solutions, especially on shellac records as it can wipe out the upper layer of the record.

3. Avoid using hard detergent and soap solutions, more specifically if you have a vintage or expensive record collection.

4. Always use a microfiber or lint-free cloth to wipe out the solution which is applied to clean the records.

5. Make sure that your stylus should be cleansed regularly otherwise, it can damage records.

6. Always store records in static-free or plastic sleeves and do not stack them over each other because extra weight can damage grooves.

7. Always hold the records from the edges and avoid touching the grooves because oil and grease from palms get deposited in the grooves.

8. Do not rub the alcohol on the record as it damages the shiny layer of the vinyl.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, always clean your record before and after playing with a carbon brush or lint-free cloth. It will reduce your hassle of cleaning the record to a greater extent. 

Unlike digital media, vinyl is the physical channel of listening to music. The biggest culprit is the dust that gets deposited deep inside the grooves of the vinyl records. So, the cleaning of records at regular intervals ensures longevity and maintains the audio quality for more years to come. 

If you are a beginner, you can confidently clean your records without damaging them by following the methods explained in the article.