A vinyl collection is a sacred possession for most. You will spend your lifetime building it, so it’s best to make sure it lasts. That’s why proper care and cleaning is imperative. Here are some quick tips to keep your records sounding great.

Clean them routinely.

Dust, hair, and other particles can build up on records relatively easily. As the stylus drags through the grooves, the particles of dust can build up, and the friction between the stylus and dust can damage your record. Also, a good cleaning will help with the hiss and popping. If you don’t clean them properly, you can actually damage them more, so be sure to buy the proper cleaning supplies for records and follow directions. Your t-shirt or towel is not a record cleaner. (Looking at you, Kent.) You can find a couple of suggestions below.

VINYLCLEANING_19_12_201913926_1024x1024@2x.jpg — Vinyl Cleaning Kit

BUY HERE

Clean your stylus.

This might sound like a repeat of the first point, but the dust can get caught on the needle as well. Be sure to clean that off with a stylus brush. It will not only help your records, but the stylus will last longer as well. The kit above includes a stylus brush.

Handle your vinyl with care.

Your hands carry all sorts of dirt and oil almost all the time. Pressing your fingers into the grooves will definitely lead to problems down the road. Be sure to hold the vinyl by outside edges, and always be gentle with your records. If you do press your fingers into the grooves, be sure to clean the record.

Store your records vertically.

Never stack your vinyl on top of one another. The pressure from the weight of the records is sure to ruin them. Always stack them vertically. It’s also a much easier way to find the record you want. We can get into nerdy catalog methods in another post, but be sure to start with vertical storage. There are some suggestions below on inexpensive storage units. We also custom build storage units for friends and customers.

Always properly balance the tonearm.

Heavy tracking is sure to ruin your records quickly. Most turntables come with a recommended tracking weight. Tracking heavier will wear through records much faster and could also wear through your stylus quicker as well. Here’s a video to show how to properly set up your table.

Get rid of your cheap turntable.

This only applies to the cheap suitcase Crosley turntables. There is no intention of perpetuating the hipster snobby shaming of beginner set ups. All should be able to enjoy vinyl at any level. However, Crosley tables are known to have poorly calibrated, plastic arms that drag on the surface of vinyl. These heavy tracking arms combined with a ceramic cartridge, are guaranteed to destroy your records over time. If you want some tips on beginner tables, we have an article about that here:

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Beginner's Guide to Buy Your First Vinyl Turntable