You’ve been vinyl collecting on for a while now and have yourself a reputable stack of records, or better yet a Kallax full. And whether you’ve been buying brand new or getting your fingers all grimy digging through the used crates at record stores and shows, it’s inevitable that at some point, you’re going to need to clean your records.
You see, records can get dirty. Heck, many of the used ones you might buy come dirty. Over time they pick up things like dust and pet hair, as well as oils from your fingers and (gasp!) even gross food particles for those who like to cook or eat Cheetos and don’t wash their hands before flipping the record. All that stuff can build up in the grooves of your records and can damage them and your turntable’s stylus, all of which can affect the sound of the music.
There are plenty of turntable accessories you can buy to help maintain your records (we’ll get into daily good habits, too), but to enjoy your vinyl to the fullest, thankfully, there are a few ways to clean and maintain your iy, even on a tight budget, and doing so will keep a record sounding pristine for decades.
How to hold a vinyl record
One of the best ways to keep your records in their best shape is to make sure they don’t get dirty in the first place. This can be done easily just by taking a few regular care measures, the first of which is making sure you’re handling them the right way. You can check out the step-by-step instructions in our detailed explainer on the basics of how to play a record, but the basics are to try and make sure you’re not touching the record’s surface when you’re removing and replacing it in its sleeve. When handling the record before putting in on and taking it off the platter, be sure to always hold it on its edges.
Additionally, when putting your records back in their cardboard sleeves, make sure that the opening of the inner sleeve is not facing the open end of the cardboard sleeve — turn it 90 degrees so it’s facing the closed side when its inserted. This will keep dust and other things out. You can add another layer of protection by using plastic outer sleeves.
Clean with an anti-static brush
Speaking of good habits, the most regular one you should employ is using an anti-static brush on your records before and after every spin. Dust and grime buildup can affect the way your records sound, and even if you use your record player’s dust cover, it’s still possible for particles to find their way to your records surfaces (static is a real enemy for vinyl records).
Buy yourself a decent carbon fibre anti-static brush or two and keep it next to your turntable as you’ll use it often. You can find them on Amazon for under $20 and your local record store will likely sell them, branded with their logo, should you like to show your support.
When cleaning with an anti-static brush, a light touch is crucial, as a heavy-handed motion could scratch the vinyl. Place one side of the brush on the vinyl, then sweep the dust outwards toward you. Use the back section of the brush to wipe off any dust you find and keep wiping over and over again until there’s no dust left. Again, we outline the whole process, with pictures, in our guide to playing records.
A gentle brushing before every listen will keep larger concentrations of dust at bay, and ought to be part of any listening routine. Brushes are insufficient for deep cleaning, as they are not designed to get down into the grooves and, as mentioned, can scratch the record if too much force is used. Still, a carbon-fiber brush is a vital part of routine maintenance.
For a deeper clean
Sometimes your records might need a little more attention — perhaps you grabbed a pile of bargain-bin used records on a dig and some of them are a bit worse for wear. For this, you have a few options, depending on how bad they are.
For mildly dirty records that may look dull or that you can see some visible buildup on, you might be able to get away with using a cleaning kit, like the popular Vinyl Buddy that can be had for around $30. The kit comes with an anti-static brush, a stylus brush (more on this in a bit), a velvet brush, and cleaning solution. Using the latter two items in the kit, you simply place your record on a soft surface, like a microfiber cloth, spray the alcohol-free solution on to the surface of the record, and move the velvet brush around the record’s surface, brushing with the grooves. Do this until any grime and surface dust and debris is gone, and let it dry for a few minutes.
If that doesn’t do the trick, the next step would be to use the tried-and-tested Spin-Clean record washer, a simple plastic device that allows you to spin your dirty records through a mixture of purified water and safe cleaning solution, with non-abrasive velvet pads gently scrubbing your record’s surface. I’ve put much of my record collection through the Spin-Clean and the results are great — they sound better, look better, and are keeping my styli in good shape, too. The process can be time consuming, but it’s actually a relaxing way to spend a few hours on a Sunday. The kit costs roughly $80 and comes with everything you need.
Record-cleaning machines
OK, this is the next-level stuff. If you’re super-serious about cleaning your vinyl records and have the extra money (often more than $1,000), there are some pretty sophisticated record-cleaning machines you can buy.
The first we’ll mention is the popular Okki Nokki, which uses a powerful vacuum and cleaning solution to literally suck the broken-down grime out of your record’s grooves.
The unit looks kind of like a turntable itself, and after clamping a record down on the machine you simply use a brush to spread cleaning fluid around the record, then use the cleaner’s vacuum to suck it all up. The process is quick and easy, and the device has a solid build quality. Aside from being noisy, the only downside to the Okki Nokki is its $600 price, which will keep it out of the hands of the average collector.
Ultrasonic record cleaners have also become a popular next-level way to deep clean your records. Ranging in price from around $300 to the several thousands, many of these pro-grade devices look like toasters that you top-load your vinyl in like a piece of bread.
The HumminGuru is one such device, but there are several others, too. Ultrasonic record cleaners use powerful sound waves in a liquid bath to deep clean contaminants from the grooves of vinyl, without even physically touching or scrubbing the plastic. The process is automatic, takes only a few minutes, and many even have a drying cycle. But again, these devices can be expensive — the HumminGuru Nova starting at around $700.
Clean your stylus (a.k.a. needle)
OK, so we’ve talked about ow to keep your records clean, but there’s another tiny-but-mighty part of every turntable that does a huge amount of heavy lifting when it comes to getting that sweet vinyl sound to your ears — the ever-important stylus/needle.
If you listen to a lot of music on your turntable, as clean as you keep things, your stylus is for sure collecting a gunk over time. A dirty stylus can affect sound quality, reduce dynamics and even, damage the grooves of your records. Here are three great types of stylus cleaners to consider:
Stylus brush
These tiny brushes sometimes come with high-end turntables, but can also be purchased for $5 to $20 online. Simply take the brush and pull it lightly across the stylus, moving the brush toward you from back to front. Be sure not to go side-to-side or front-to-back, as that can damage the stylus. We can’t stress that enough — don’t break your stylus!
Stylus bubble
Among the most “magical” of the cleaning options is the stylus bubble. Simply drop your needle on this sticky blob, and it will slowly sink in, leaving behind any debris when you lift it. Onzow’s ZeroDust is a little pricey at roughly $40, but it’s honestly one of the best and easiest to use stylus cleaners that I use almost every day.
Ultrasonic stylus cleaner
Like their toaster-like record cleaning siblings, the most expensive stylus cleaners are ultrasonic cleaners that use low-frequency oscillation to “shake” free any debris that may be sitting on your needle. They work quite well but may not be ideal for all but the most discriminating audiophiles due to their relatively steep price point. HumminGuru’s option, the $170 S-Duo Pro, doubles as a stylus force gauge, an essential bit of kit for setting up your turntable.
Keeping your vinyl records clean and in their best shape possible will net positive returns for years to come. Your music will sound better, and your turntable’s parts will do their job to the peak of their performance, too.
