How To Clean Analogue Vinyl Records

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VPI turntable with Salsoul record Good sound starts with a clean vinyl record. Whether you are a DJ or a fanatical audiophile and vinyl record collector, many of us here at DiscoMusic.com have accumulated thousands of vinyl records over the years. In an effort to digitally preserve your priceless records you may have considered transferring and restoring your vinyl record collection to CD by using your computer and some audio recording / editing software. Before you do, remember that in order to extract the best sound from your discs it's important to start with scrupulously clean records and equipment such as your stylus.

Vinyl discs that are kept clean and free of dirt, dust and oils from one's fingers will sound much clearer and more importantly last longer. Since clean records have less clicks, crackle and pop you'll have less work when it comes to the restoration phase and attain much better results. Lets discuss some popular ways of cleaning records either with a record cleaning machine or by hand.

How To Clean Vinyl Records Using a Record Cleaning Machine

Nitty Gritty Mini Pro Record Cleaning Machine

If you have more than a few hundred vinyl records I'm not going to mince words: Use a vacuum record cleaner such as those sold by Nitty Gritty

, VPI or Keith Monks. The results are far quicker, safer and superior to anything you could attempt to do by hand as the machine will apply the record cleaning solution, properly scrub the record and finally vacuum the dirt and liquid off leaving you with a dry and pristine vinyl record.

A record cleaning machine is simply a box with a motor that turns a platter with a vacuum suction tube that has an applicator pad or soft brush. One simply places the record on the platter, primes the pump to apply the record cleaning solution and let the record spin a few revolutions to work loose any dirt and oils that are in the grooves of the record. You then flip the switch and the vacuum sucks up any crud and fluid as well as drying the record. Pretty simple, but make sure you clean the pads / brushes after each record.

While you could make your own record cleaning solution from household items it is far better to buy ready-made solutions such as Nitty Gritty Pure 2 or Super Vinyl Wash by Record Research Lab. All of these are safe for use in record cleaning machines and on all vinyl records (non-shellac). I have also used Record Research Lab's Super Deep Cleaner before using the above for an even cleaner record.

As good as a record cleaning machine is there are times when I will get a really dirty record from the flea market and wash it by hand FIRST before putting it on the machine so as not to foul up the expensive machine.

I use the Nitty Gritty Mini Pro2 and swear by it. If cost is a consideration and why wouldn't it, then consider getting a used Nitty Gritty or VPI record cleaner from eBay as they always have plenty up for sale. A new bare bones manual Nitty Gritty machine known as the Record Doctor starts at around $199.(US) whereas some of the better automatic VPI's can go for almost a grand if not more. Regardless of which machine you choose it is a wise and solid investment and strongly recommended if you value your priceless records.

Once records are clean it is easy to do small touch up cleanings before playing by using a small brush like the Audioquest Record Brush.

How To Clean Vinyl Records By Hand

The Nitty Griitty and VPI vacuum record cleaning machines are expensive so if you want to do it by hand note the following:

carbon fiber vinyl record cleaning brush

carbon fiber vinyl record cleaning brush

Just as with a VPI or Nitty Gritty record cleaning machine, the best way to clean records is by buying a commercially available record cleaning solution such as Last or Discwasher D4, which usually come with an applicator brush. The Last Company makes some good, although pricey, manual cleaners for records and your cartridge stylus and comes highly recommended. You could also use the same cleaners sold for use in machines, but you'll need to buy a good record cleaning brush to use them.

To begin, lay the record on a clean flat surface such as on a soft towel on a table or place the record on the turntable platter. If you decide to clean your records while they are on the turntable make sure to secure the tonearm so it doesn't accidentally swing across the record as you are cleaning it and do not apply too much pressure on the platter as you can damage the bearings. Also pay attention not to get any record cleaning fluid on the platter or turntable finish.

Follow the directions on the bottle, but generally one applies the liquid to the applicator brush and not on the record itself. Take the brush and place it on top of the record and turn the platter counter-clockwise a few times to work the dirt loose. Look at the brush, you should see some dirt or lint on it so carefully remove it and go another round cleaning the record till no more dirt or crud appears on the brush. Since alcohol is the primary ingredient of most record cleaning solutions the record should dry fairly quickly, but do let it air dry before flipping it over to clean the other side or place it back in its sleeve. Before you flip the record over though make sure the surface or platter is clean as the dirty uncleaned side was just there!

Once records are clean it is easy to do small touch up cleanings before playing by using a small brush like the Audioquest Record Brush.

Using Homemade Record Cleaning Solutions

Can't find record cleaning supplies in your area? Don't want to spend money? Then try using some household items instead. Use Isopropyl 90% alcohol or higher. Do NOT use rubbing alcohol or witch hazel as they contain additives that can harm your records. Dishwashing liquid without any moisturizers work well such as Joy or Dawn. It cleans dirty records well, but you have to avoid getting it on the label and rinsing all of it off quickly. Try not to get the label wet. If it does get wet then blot it dry immediately. Do NOT rub it. Try not to use tap water to clean your records. Instead use distilled water, which can be easily found in your supermarket or drugstore. The real trick is to properly rinse all this stuff off your vinyl records and get them dry without scratching them.

What NOT To Use Or Do To Your Vinyl Records

Someone once asked on the DiscoMusic.com forums about using lighter fluid to clean records. Do NOT use that on records or baby lotion either. Even if Zippo does remove dirt... one doesn't know the checmical reaction it can have on vinyl records either now or over time. Don't play with fire :-) When it comes to record cleaning, stick with the time tested methods such as vacuum record cleaning machines from VPI or Nitty Gritty, Discwasher or LAST brand record cleaners for hand cleaning and record cleaning brushes for spot cleaning like the Audioquest Record Brush Hunt or Decca carbon fiber brushes.

Wet Playing Your Records

Never "wet play" your vinyl records. Thoroughly clean AND dry them before playing. "Wet playing" sounds like an ideal solution-at first. In reality the liquid starts to evaporate as the record is played and the needle just starts to dig the junk further into the grooves and now contaminates the entire disc. It clogs up the styli muddying the sound and can cause damage to the styli and cantilever as water seeps into the cracks and erodes the glue that holds it together.

As this crud starts to dry it just makes it more difficult to now properly clean the record. Once a record is "wet played" it needs to be played that way again to sound acceptable.

With thousands of records in our music collections the last thing one wants to do is ruin them. Please don't "wet play" a record unless you know that you are going to discard the disc and want to get one last shot at archiving / restoring it to a digital medium.

Record cleaning machines, record carbon fiber cleaning brushes, supplies...

Record sleeves for vinyl records

vinyl record storage racks

How To Store and Care For Vinyl Records

Cleaning your vinyl records is only part of the equation. Properly storing and handling those records are just as important so here are some quick tips.

Always make sure to have a clean, properly functioning and aligned phonograph cartridge. If the styli is bent or chipped then it must be IMMEDIATELY REPLACED to avoid PERMANENTLY destroying your records.

Never touch the record with your fingers as the oil and dirt can transfer to the record.

Once a record has been thoroughly hand or machine cleaned, resist the temptation to rub dirt off a record by wiping it against your T-shirt or other clothing. Use a DRY record cleaning brush for daily use instead like the Hunt or Decca carbon fiber brushes. Remember, that these carbon fiber brushes are for a quick wisk in-between plays and are NOT for deep cleaning use with wet solutions such as Discwasher D4.

After cleaning your vinyl records make sure to put it into a new paper or anti-static plastic inner sleeve as using the old sleeve will just put the old dirt right back. Mobile Fidelity and the Discwasher VPI sleeves are very nice.

Store your record jackets inside heavy gauge plastic outer sleeves and use poly inner sleeves. This really helps in reducing the round scuff marks on the outer jacket and keeps it looking like new for years.

Store vinyl records vertically on a shelf or record storage cabinet like you would a book. Never lay records flat as this will almost certainly cause them to warp.

We're all done! Go and play some of those records on your tunrtable and enjoy the music. While you are at it go check out the ultimate Disco record discography and also submit the details of your vinyl records to the database.

I love this tidbit of info as I have 9000 lp's. infortuneatly I can't get the static out of them like I want but from looking here there is a way to do it for sure. I want to know if there is some good glue that I can use to close up the lp's that have separated at the top or bottom. I would like to post my lp collection email me to let me know if that is what you are asking for. thanks a bunch.

Posted Jan 27, 06 | 6:39 am by soulsta

I'm new to record collecting, and dont really have a clue how to look after them!!! lol I have some rare ones, Beatles, Led Zepplin, Jimmy Hendrix and don't want to ruin them. If anyone can help give me some advice I would appricate it. Thanks Samantha.

Posted Mar 15, 06 | 10:25 pm by Samantha Fontaine

What would be the best way to clean a record that has crud semi-caked on part of it? Where would be the best place for me to pick up the right carbon fiber brush for the job? I ask because I found Pink Floyd's Darkside Of The Moon (original 1973 release) record in a friends garage as we were doing some cleaning. I am new to vinyl and would really love to have this record cleaned up so I can properly show off and listen to my discovery. Any information would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

Posted May 21, 06 | 4:17 pm by Daryl

If you have an old record with crud, it's best to use a drop of dishwashing liquid and warm water. The sudsy solution should dissolve the crud, but you may need to do it a few times taking care not to get any of it on the label. Rinse thoroughly and follow up with regular record cleaning solution or alcohol if you must.

Posted May 22, 06 | 1:40 am by Bernie: DiscoMusic.com

Samantha, did you read the article you posted the comment in?

Posted Dec 06, 07 | 11:31 am by Jay

Here's a great way to remove dirt from the deepest groove of an LP: Buy liquid latex rubber from a costume/theatrical makeup supply store. CAREFULLY brush on a layer of this liquid, following the direction of the grooves. Let it dry thoroughly. Peel off, being sure to get every last little bit from the grooves (this is easier than you would expect!) You must lay on enough latex to form a substantial layer or it will be difficult to remove because it will tear. Removing the latex takes dust and other gunk with it, leaving the LP in as good condition as you can possibly make it. I have been doing this for over twenty years and the latex does not harm the vinyl in the least. Once treated this way, you should not have to do it ever again, assuming you keep the record clean.

Posted Jan 12, 08 | 5:08 pm by John Lasruk

Do you know if there is any record stores in milwaukee that sell vinyl records.If so, would you please email me the addrees.

Thank you

Posted Jan 22, 08 | 9:03 am by johnny wallace

Just Google it.

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en-us&q=record+store+milwaukee&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Posted Jan 23, 08 | 12:13 pm by John Lasruk

I have a fair collection of records (some physically showing signs of wear, but mostly in good condition). One way I recommend (having tried with good results) is spraying 90% isopropyl alcohol on the record and wiping it off with a plain facial tissue (no lotion). This works on surface dirt, but will not do much if the record is filthy dirty. And you always have to work concentrically (unlike a CD, where you clean it radially) to minimize scratching the grooves.

One temptation is to use your forearms to clean a record. THIS DOES NOT WORK! All it does is gets the surface dust off and puts oil into the record grooves. Dusting a record rarely works, except with a proper brush (and even then it is not very effective at removing more than dust).

Keeping the records clean is just as important. If you store them in their sleeves and do not handle them with dirty hands, they should not get very dirty in the first place. Leaving the records out for prolonged periods of time, handling them with dirty hands, and having food or drink on them will dirty a record quickly. And if you smoke, or have a smoker around your records, that is a super effective way to thoroughly dirty a record because the smoke will find the deepest grooves and possibly ruin the record.

Speaking of ruining a record, one must NEVER use solvents other than plain distilled water, 90% alcohol, or detergent which must be thoroughly rinsed off. Acetone, hexane, and related chemicals will dissolve the vinyl and ruin the record (even if they get the record clean). I do not trust ammonia, either. Oils will not work, and they will attract other dirt into the record (what would have been a dusting job becomes a deep cleaning problem). These records are made of a plastic, so solvents that may dissolve plastic must be avoided.

Posted Jan 25, 08 | 3:58 am by Dennis Whicher

Does anyone know how to remove the plastic residue left by some plastic inner sleeves mainly from the sixties/seventies?

Posted Feb 08, 08 | 11:31 am by Tom

thanks, this helps a lot.

Posted Mar 10, 08 | 12:44 pm by Mike

Any problems storing the vinyl in a 2mm plastic zip lock bag?

Posted Mar 12, 08 | 1:49 pm by Charles Moore

I've used the D4 by RCA. I have NOT
noticed any improvement in record
fidelity. (the sound didn't improve)
I don't think the brush that came with
the kit is good enough. Also, I NEVER
see any so-called "crud" come off my
LPs. So I'm going to assume that the
D4 solution is not as good as is
claimed to be. My theory is that if you can get a fine non-metal brush and run the LP in the opposite direction, ...
you MIGHT
be able to work free some dust that causes those pops. But the crackle
sound is something totally different.

Also a new needle will probably go
a long way to making old LPs sound
better. If you CAN'T get a decent
play out of an LP, there's really
NOT going to be a very good sounding wav or mp3 file. "Garbage in, garbage out". I think the crackle is static
and humidity is the only cure for that.
Think about it for a moment,.. in the
winter time it's easy top build up static charge and shock your friends.
(because the cold drops all humidity
to the ground.) BUT,.. in the summer
the humidity is high and you can't shock your friends. Correct? Hence
one needs a certain amount of humidity
to deter static on your LP.
Best of luck

Posted Mar 23, 08 | 4:34 pm by DJ Frankee Cee

Any ideas on how to rewarp a record? I thought about putting it between 2 panes of glass and putting it in the sun for a while. Sure hate to throw them out.

Posted Apr 11, 08 | 5:17 pm by DuBois

how do you remove cuts and scratches off records

Posted Aug 14, 08 | 9:16 am by john seed apple

You can not physically remove cuts and scratches off a vinyl record. What you can do is transfer the music to your computer and process it through audio restoration software (Bias Peak, Adobe Audition...) that can electronically remove pops, crackle and surface noise (hiss). The results can be wondrous as long as you don't go overboard on the settings.

Posted Aug 23, 08 | 5:14 am by Bernie: DiscoMusic.com

H E L P .........How can I store my huge vinyl record album collection in a rented storage building that is NOT CLIMATE CONTROLLED for the next 9 months? Temperatures get severe in Wisconsin winters, high humidity in spring & summer.
NEED REPLY NOW.........

Posted Sep 04, 08 | 4:43 am by Jen

You should really consider spending the extra money and storing your records in a climate controlled storage facility as nine months is a long time. Also make sure to store your vinyl records properly as described in the article above to avoid warping and damage to the record jacket.

Posted Sep 04, 08 | 5:21 am by Bernie: DiscoMusic.com

A friend of mine in New Orleans has been a DJ for 20+ years and has stored his vinyl in his shed. Not in a climate controled enviroment. Though I would not recomend this type of storage, he has not had any issues.

Posted Sep 12, 08 | 1:53 pm by Craig

Great article! What are your thoughts on de-natured alcohol? Or is that the same thing as isopropyl alcohol? I worked in a record store & I remember using a 50/50 solution of denatured alcohol & distilled water with a soft cloth (old t-shirts) for general record cleaning. This was for newer records though, I'm worried it might damage my older vinyl.

Posted Sep 13, 08 | 5:20 am by birdy

Ok so my basement can leak water when it rains. Some vinyl record sleeves have had gotten wet and stuck to other records :'( Does anyone know a way to dry the sleeves and get record sleeves unstuck from each other...Thanks very much people

Posted Sep 23, 08 | 12:08 pm by john

Does anyone have suggestions for a cleaning method that also sterilizes/disinfects? Hurricane Ike left my LPs covered in flood water mixed with raw sewage (long story).

So far we have removed all of them from the ruined covers and sleeves and threw all that away. Records are stacked on top of each other until I can figure out how to clean them.

Thanks in advance.

Posted Sep 29, 08 | 8:32 am by Amanda

Okay, someone tie all the purists and record collectors down and I will tell...

Pay 40 - 50 dollars for a cleaning solution... Well, I think this has worked great for me over the 40 years of enjoying vinyl.

1. one gallon of DISTILLED water
2. one to two drops of MILD detergent or Kodak wetting agent
3. one to two ounces of Isopropal Alcohol.

Most labels are affected by the vinyl pressing and can take a quick cleaning. Try to keep the wet time to less tan 15 seconds. If you use the stronger solution, then you need to double your "cold" rinse tiem, and NEVER use warm or anything above water... It's cool and then cold; else risk warp.

I am an audiophile, not a collector, so the next statement is going to drive some people crazy, when cutting steel or stone, water is the coolant keeps the blade sharp and the material cool. I spray a light water (DISTILLED) and a less than .5% alchohol solution, lightly misting the play, I find it provides a slightly clearer definition to the sound. Never put away wet.

cheers...
Z

Posted Dec 08, 08 | 1:08 pm by Zzeon

I buy records that are left lying around in piles without covers and in very poor disregard just about anywhere I can find them. I adopt records and restore their enjoyability. Dirty or dusty is Ok, as I know how to clean and restore them. Even marred records are OK by me, as long as I don't see major needle scratches. Even a single needle scratch, that is deep enough to be felt by my thumbnail, will prevent me from buying a record. Most records will clean up easily with denatured (never Isopropal) alcohol. I also use a dampened (not soaked) chamois skin to wipe them clean. When records get really old and filthy, only bleach carefully used on the vinyl will get rid of the old mold spores and years of gunk down deep in the grooves. The trick is to apply bleach, let it soak a few minutes and then carefully rinse it under a faucet while rubbing both sides of the record between your thumb and your forefinger, in a circular motion in the direction of the grooves, until all of the bleach is gone. Tilt the record so that the water only touches the vinyl and away from the label. It takes careful practice. If not rinsed thoroughly, bleach will crystallize and make matters worse after it dries. Never let water, bleach, or alcohol get on record labels. I never use anything other than what I just recommended for cleaning. I have a collection of over 20,000 well playing, very clean, and well taken care of 45's in my collection- most of them bought in terrible or less than desirable conditions. My methods have worked for me for many enjoyable years. Be careful while giving them a try, and thanks for helping me keep the art-form alive.

Posted Dec 11, 08 | 11:09 am by vinylhabit

I am over 50 and used to be big on Vinyl until someone stole my system many years ago. I lost an investment of over $5,000.00 back in the 1970's That was a huge amount back then. I can barely even remember exactly what I had. I do remember I had RTR towers (2-12" woofers, 3-8" mid-range & 4 3" tweeters per speaker as I remember it) fed by 1500 watt per channel Amp through a 15 band equalizer per channel. The turntable even had 4 bands of lights to fine tune the speed of the turntable.

Thanks for this thread because it took me back. I have a neighbor that still has many older albums, that I want to transfer to CD's and I am sure her albums will need serious cleaning and I have obtained some good information here. Thanks and I wish a good New years for everyone

Posted Dec 28, 08 | 12:39 pm by Spyder

Responses to a number of points above, picked up from looking after my vinyl back in the days of yore, 1 topic per post:

> Any ideas on how to rewarp a record? I thought about putting it between 2 panes of glass and putting it in the sun for a while. Sure hate to throw them out.

I fixed a badly warped record this way once. More than one *short* session in the sun so the grooves didn't distort too much. Can't remember whether I left it in sun or shade on a hot day, the shade would be safer re not liquefying the disk I'm thinking. never store vinyl inside a car on a hot day, especially in direct sun even for a short trip!!

Posted Jan 13, 09 | 5:53 pm by Steven Stevenson

> how to remove the plastic residue left by some plastic inner sleeves mainly from the sixties/seventies?

On *other* things covered with glue/tape etc. residue (they disintegrate/run over a number of years) I have found eucalyptus oil to be the only thing that works. Use a few drops on a clean sponge or rag damp with quite warm water, being careful to not get any on the label (or it *will* make the dye run). You can try a drop or two of dishwashing liquid in addition to see if it helps. *Carefully* rinse the vinyl afterwards with warm water (again avoiding the label). Again, I have not yet tried this on records, so try it on a disk you don't like much first.

I always did prefer the less sticky translucent plastic sleeves or the paper ones, sounds like that was a good plan.

Posted Jan 13, 09 | 5:57 pm by Steven Stevenson

> Some vinyl record sleeves have had gotten wet and stuck to other records :'( Does anyone know a way to dry the sleeves and get record sleeves unstuck from each other

For magazines stuck together (don't ask lol) I have successfully separated pages by soaking the stuck-together-items in cool water for a couple of hours then *very carefully* separating, using a flat blade (a putty tool might be good?) and fingernails as needed to pry apart. Some print will be lost but most preserved if done carefully.

Can't seen why it wouldn't work for wet covers.

Posted Jan 13, 09 | 6:03 pm by Steven Stevenson

> Does anyone have suggestions for a cleaning method that also sterilizes/disinfects? Hurricane Ike left my LP's covered in flood water mixed with raw sewage (long story).

Believe it or not (I didn't first time I was told), soap is a disinfectant. So warm water with dishwashing liquid would probably do it, though it might take multiple washes, much gentle rubbing with clean rags/sponges and frequent changes of water. I would photograph all the labels *first* with a digital camera because I don't think you will be able to get the germs off the paper without scrubbing off a fair portion of it in the process. You can later Photoshop the dirt off those pics and print new labels if you want, or just leave them as pic-files on your computer.

You could try a harsher disinfectant but it might damage the vinyl - thoroughly *test* whatever method(s) you decide upon on your least favorite record first - test well by playing on good equipment and listening carefully. And clean the needle well after playing each cleaned record just in case!!

After all the above some or all of your your records might *still* contain nasty germs and/or dirt, so I would suggest you rip all disks one at a time on a computer as high fidelity (e.g. .wav) tracks and burn to CD or DVD. After that, copy them all and keep the copies as 'off-site' backups at a friend or relative's place outside flood/bushfire prone areas - then throw the vinyl away and you are set for life!!

Posted Jan 13, 09 | 6:13 pm by Steven Stevenson

I am new to this site and am on the brink of copying my old vinlys to cd's. Some are scratched and havent been played very recently. After reading the post from John Lasruk on 1/12/08 thought I would give that option a try. My question is....will this rubber latex remove scratches (and/or fill them in) and how do I apply this?

Posted Jan 17, 09 | 6:23 am by kac

Latex will do NOTHING to scratches. You can't fix scratches...it's just not possible.

Posted Jan 19, 09 | 11:00 am by GOD

Lot's of great tips here guys, thanks!

I just found a big batch of old 45's (50's & 60's stuff) that were 'rescued' from a flood and left to dry in piles.

Many are NASTY dirty, some actually have a gritty muddy residue on them and lots of the records are stuck together by the labels.

There are some good classics in there and I want to try and clean them up, hopefully some are still playable for an old jukebox project I'm working on.

First question:

What is the best way to seperate the labels without them tearing apart?

Was thinking about putting them near a humidifier to soften them up gradually but concerned about mold or other funky stuff going into the air of our home.

The 'cold water soak' method sounds good but, I can't help thinking one of the two sides will tear away when the paper softens up.

Once getting them apart, I'll rinse off what I can with plain cool water, then hit em with the soappy water mix described above.

Second question:
Would playing the record with an older needle the first time after cleaning them help to 'plow' the gunk out of the grooves, or make it worse?

Seems like this would help to dig up the stuff and make a second cleaning session with a proper solution more effective.

What are your thoughts on this?

Posted Feb 12, 09 | 4:30 pm by _) (V) (-)

Response to: johnny wallace

One of my favorite old record stores in Milwaukee is closing forever at the end of this month.

Atomic Records located at Oakland and Locust streets. (Northern East Side)

Check them out if you can, lots of stuff at clearence prices right now.

Response to: john seed apple
You can't, but I have 'repaired' a skipping record with a very small exacto blade and a very steady hand. By tracing over the scratch in the groove with the blade I was able to re establish the needle's direction when tracking over the scratch.

BE VERY CAREFUL! You can permanetly s**** it up if you miss the path. This is a 'last resort' type of thing, so use it sparingly.

Posted Feb 12, 09 | 4:41 pm by _) (V) (-)

"After reading the post from John Lasruk on 1/12/08 thought I would give that option a try. My question is....will this rubber latex remove scratches (and/or fill them in) and how do I apply this?"
Latex is supposed to be completely removed during the process and cannot fill in a scratch. Nor can it remove them, since a scratch is the result of the removal of vinyl from an LPs surface. Latex will remove deep-seated dirt and dust (and possibly some grease), nothing more. But that is enough.

Posted Feb 14, 09 | 1:26 am by John Lasruk

I had a small collection of well-maintained 45s that were recently caught in a flood and sat in standing water for 24 hours. The jackets have to be thrown out, to my lasting sorrow. Is there any way to save the LPs themselves?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Posted Feb 21, 09 | 2:29 pm by Mike

I don't have a lot of money to spend on a turntable, so I started with a Sony model that was about $110. It sounds fine. My question is, are stylus life expectancies (playable hours) the same no matter what kind they are? I would like to get a higher quality turntable down the road, but this is what I have for now. A customer where I work tried to tell me that my stylus would only play 100 hours before it would damage my vinyl. I've heard 200=300 hours of playback is common. The last thing I want is to damage my investment in records.

Posted Mar 07, 09 | 5:24 pm by Chris

hi dear
can you help me please i have dozens of vinyl record which were flood soaked and there sleeves are stuck on them is there any way of restoring them. please help in any way you can

thank you

waiting on a reply

Posted Mar 11, 09 | 5:12 am by Ann Marie Singh

***UPDATE***

I did some testing on a few 'clumps' of 45's and was able to separate the stuck labels simply by soaking them in warm soapy water for about 90 seconds.

I just used a little Dawn dish washing detergent and lukewarm tap water to get a frothy bubble bath for them to soak in, and after a bit they just popped apart by themselves.

A few of them needed a little more time to come apart, one set I tried to pull apart and some of the label came off of one record while sticking to the other. My advice is to let them come apart on their own.

After a few of these the water got kind of a funky brown color so I only did a couple batches.

After separating and cleaning up the records I blotted them dry with a towel and put them in a dish rack to dry. Some of the labels, like the purple Capitol ones, took a lot longer to dry out than the others. The orange/red Columbia labels bubbled up a little bit but at least they didn't tear apart.

Once dry, I used the above mentioned denatured alcohol method to wipe clean them again and most are now quite playable.

Posted Mar 11, 09 | 6:21 am by _) (V) (-)

_) (V) (-),

Thanks for the update on how to separate vinyl records that have been stuck together from a flood. Hopefully, I'll never need to do this, but I'm sure it will help many who have to deal with this problem.

Posted Mar 11, 09 | 10:56 am by Bernie: DiscoMusic.com

Kodak wetting agent (surfactant). We saw a post reccomending the Kodak sufatant as a wetting agent... not a good idea. There are other wetting agents that don't leave residue on your records... Kodak does!

Good Luck!

Posted Mar 20, 09 | 12:56 am by Vern

These are some really, really good ideas!! There's one question I have to ask and I need to know if I'm doing the right thing? (Is this morally right?):

I find records all the time in my GoodWills and Salvation Armys. I'll buy them up if the record is clean and nearly scratch free. Often the case is the cover hasn't fared well over time. Quite often the seems have splitting or are completely spit apart.

What I have done to fix them is carefully laying a bead of superglue-gel along the split edge and then laying the split in between two heavy objects. This has worked with great results.

Now I ask is what I'm dong right? I see this as an act of preservation. I could just be lazy and break out the packing tape but I want my record cover to look better than when I found it. I treat every one like the Mona Lisa.

Any other suggestions? Comments?

Posted Mar 27, 09 | 2:57 pm by Andy M

Hi,

I have a quick question. What sound damage might occur from storing records flat on top of one another? I recently purchased a Stanton T.90 USB turntable with an Ortofon 2M Red cartridge to start archiving my old vinyl. I’ve always kept my records in good condition but noticed that someone in my home while organizing the garage stacked my collection on top of each other and it’s been that way for some time.

Thanks for your help.

Sincerely,
Dave Hansan

Posted Jul 06, 09 | 9:30 am by Dave Hansan

Warpage is the most typical damage inflicted upon stacked records. Wish someone had a fix for that problem.

Also pressed together jackets, sometimes they stick together, especially if in a humid climate.

Posted Jul 07, 09 | 5:15 pm by _) (V) (-)

I am trying to convert my parent's records to tracks on the computer. However, I need to clean them first. Since the record cleaning machines are expensive, I am going to clean them by hand.

I found the D4 solution that was recommended on the site. However, I'm looking for brushes on E-bay, and the feedback for them isn't positive. Any suggestions on a quality brush that will get the job done? That will have good directions? I grew up with CDs, and have never cleaned a record before.

Posted Jul 11, 09 | 12:35 pm by Ron

Ron,

You must have bought the D4 refill bottle only as the Discwasher D4 record cleaning kit comes with a suitable brush along with the solution.

The general directions to clean a vinyl record by hand is in the above article, but here it is again:

Follow the directions on the bottle, but generally one applies the liquid to the applicator brush and not on the record itself. Take the brush and place it on top of the record and turn the platter counter-clockwise a few times to work the dirt loose. Look at the brush, you should see some dirt or lint on it so carefully remove it and go another round cleaning the record till no more dirt or crud appears on the brush.

Posted Jul 11, 09 | 1:26 pm by Bernie: DiscoMusic.com

Thanks for the information on record storage )(V)(-)

Posted Jul 23, 09 | 12:27 pm by Dave Hansan

I have a few hundred records that need cleaning as they were left in storage and got damp. I was going to buy Isopropyl alcohol to clean them, then seen somewhere you must mix it 50/50 with deminerelised water and a 1 or 2 drops of kodak photo flo?

Posted Aug 11, 09 | 3:05 pm by paul

Has anyone been brave enough to try CYBER CLEAN on your records?

The next time I have a record that's really filthy, I'm going to try it and see if it would work.

Posted Aug 13, 09 | 7:32 am by Andy in TO

I've just scored a whole lot of classic rock albums and need to clean them and you guys have given me great advice, thanks again.

Posted Oct 03, 09 | 1:05 pm by Bernadine Aston

I tried using a couple drops of photoflow in a gallon of deionized water... even with just 2 small drops it seemed like the water had somewhat of a film that was hard to wash off. I didn't use kodak photo flow though so maybe thats why

Posted Nov 01, 09 | 5:34 pm by Someguy

Has anyone heard of using club soda to clean records? An old timer recommended it to me and I had never heard or thought of that. I know it works great for cleaning alot of things, but since vinyl can be sensitive and there is so much controversy amongst people about what is "safe" and "unsafe" to use, I thought I would see if anyone on here had insight....

Posted Nov 05, 09 | 12:25 pm by unodose

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