How to Clean Vinyl Records 

Don't use alcohol (of any kind) on vinyl > it will strip out the 'softeners' and produce a Brittle groove surface. -High Fidelity magazine from the 70s included electron-micro-graphs of the damage to alcohol stripped discs vs same number of plays (100) on an 'UN-stripped' disc. The results were dramatic and convincing. His cleaning brush ... he swipes it outward > that will leave particles on the right (outer) side of the grooves. I use original DiscWasher brush (i use it dry) which also has carbon fiber bristles > but they are arranged in rows, so that a 'slow rolling motion' brings row after row through the grooves...BUT DiscWasher brush's fibers are ANGLED ... so Each Row lifts and retains near 100% of dust and loose particles. Note: I precede the brush with a ZeroStat gun by Discwasher before every play. And the DiscWasher Stylus Brush ... whenever i suspect my Ortofon has encountered any possible contamination. I tell you this after 63 years of experience (and i know all the mistakes i made in the first 10 years by listening to the wrong people with the worst advice) NOW YOU PROBABLY WANT ME TO MAKE MY OWN VIDEO> if i get at least 20 requests, i gladly will.

Cleaning the record before playing it is part of the listening experience. I always use the RCA Discwasher cleaning solution and the included cleaning pad. I got into records earlier this year and I like it so far!

Thanks a lot for this "tutorial"! One question though... Most anti-static brush lose their bristles (as much as our contemporary era is one of cheap toys, fake tools and utter waste of resources in that sense): which are those you'd recommend (brand names please)? About the liquid cleaner, what's its constitution, is it mostly distilled water?

This is how I do it... Option 1: Microfiber cloth + distilled water in a spray bottle. (For new records just to get rid of any static and little bits of paper, dirt etc) Option 2: Microfiber cloth + less than 10% isopropyl alcohol in distilled water in a spray bottle. Then rinse with microfiber cloth + distilled water. (For used, dust and dirty records) I also use a record brush to have a gentle wipe over before playing if the record hasn't been played in a while. Don't clean your records on the record player itself. Invest in some outer sleeves and some poly lined inners and you are good to go.

I bought my records in the 70’s, no tutorials in those days. I still/again play them. The secret? Don’t touch the surface, balance the player, the tone-arm, the stylus en keep your records standing-up, not leaning on others and stay away from direct sunlight and heat. Some of them i play wet, no big deal, less noise. Others sound like cd’s, no noise at all.

I love my Rock N Roll records! 🎸 I'm on a Led Zeppelin binge right now

Option 1: Clean it yourself. Option 2: Spend $700

i learned it from my father. he still got a player and he is teaching me how to maintain them

Here's a tip: if you have a huge single jumping skip, feel for a feelable speck of crap stuck in groove. Scrape out with your fingernail. It often works and it can only help. Discogs, boomerang camerawork = headache.

How do you avoid touching the grooves when wiping it down with a microfiber cloth? Because your other hand seems to be gripping the other side's grooves.

Alright now I just need LOFI Hip-Hop and Slow Motion and I'm ready for washing day

Never tried that before, but I will give that a shot.

Those record cleaning machines can be really expensive. My advice is save your money and just use wood glue instead. I think it's the best method for deep cleaning your vinyl. I have used this technique for a while now on my vinyl using Titebond II wood glue and get great results every time. When you peel off the dry glue what you're effectively doing is pulling all the dirt and muck out of the groove. It's so much better than using any fluids. The only downside to this method is it's a bit of a waiting game while the glue dries, usually about 18-24 hours, but that doesn't bother me really.

I use sand paper it gets deep in the grooves 😀

Will this remove the bad words from my records with a Parental Advisory warning?

Salesman in a local shop convinced me to buy a goat brush (Tonar woodgoat) because it should (allegedly) be better and more gentle than the carbon one even for dry cleaning as it less likely make scratches. Since I can’t find any mentions about it online (only that it's good for wet cleaning), I got bit nervous if it's really safe to use it dry. What do you think?

What about cleaning the slipmat

Hi ! Thanks for the video Question might sounds stupid but.. i'm starting to have quite a lot of gems (6 limited, 3 limited, signed press etc...) and I wonder what is the best method to me ? going to a professional cleaning (which seems to be more stripping than cleaning) or just doing it manualy with some record cleaner (such as the Groove brand etc) I'm afraid for these record that time will create ring wears, splits etc.. what is the best option ? I separate discs, clean them and store them in Mastersleeves antistatic, put cover in 0,2mm plastic cover separately ? also, if my finger put a mark on a cover, should i really go and clean it like a maniac or this will really leave like a mushroom trace in 20/30years ? Am I too paranoid ? I love these discs and music more than I love myself

thanks chief discogs

The photo of Bubber Miley on your site is nice!

I can't believe you pulled out the record with your fingers. How to handle your records #1 - Keep your fingers off the vinyl.

Cleaning with a cloth like that in circular motion, just makes the dirt and grime get deeper in the grooves.

What??? 700 dollars for just a cleaning machine??? I want to clean my records, not empty my bank account, I live in México and that's even more expensive here... why is it so expensive?

The "For more detailed instructions, head to our blog" link doesn't go to a specific article.

How do I have separate shipping policies for international and national customers? Thanks

Just warm soapy water... Don't waste your money 🙄

Pompbak (afleiding statische elektriciteit), lauw water met ietwat azijn/afwaszeep. Zachte bostel, afspoelen met lauw water, laten drogen of stofvrije doek licht afwrijven; Evtl herhalen of bij geen verbetering is de plaat versleten. 🤔

What turntable is that?

Awsome! Thank You! 💗

Odd how sonic cleaning wasn’t even addressed. I’ve saved many records this way

this reminds why i prefer digital this is a hassle to always clean and what to use to clean that's why i glad the cd era is over you get prints or scratches you're screwed lol.

I tried to clean mine, and I get a crackle sound from all the ones I tried to clean

I've seen many cleaning fluids that have isopropyl alcohol in them. Is it bad for records and why? 🤔

What peeves me the most is that I _KNOW_ the song used in this video but I forgot the name😭

in a nutshell... spend a lot of money on products and record cleaning machines. xD

Can you tell me what does AVG from AVG Rating stand for?

The clacking in the background is disturbing to say the least . Who's idea was that ?

every vinil i ear has crackling sound, i forgot why everyone bought cds.

Give us back the old 'All Versions' listing format, Discogs. The new one is GARBAGE.

Thank you discogs for demolishing the bank transfer system it is no longer possible for me to buy CDs on discogs I refuse to pay via paypal, this is a disgrace and that only for the money

Title of the background music?

That's ridiculous amount of cleaning on records tbf,I use a scratch free cloth for the dust and to clean them down also to clean my records I use wet wipes and gently wipe round works for me obviously it dose depend on the original record condition what have if its used 2nd hand records then you to make to do what you or try to buff them up....

كيف بدي حمل الاغاني من الصفحة

#acceptance #cookies #all

I heard coloured vinyl is immune to dirt

Mould? Yuck!

The best way for me is to use wood glue

Shame the music is so loud and annoying I can hardly hear what he's saying...

NOOOOOOOOOOO never use alcohol

Did you realy need to make this video so much "hipster friendly"? All this could have been explained under a minute without the lofi beats you can relax to.

Utter rubbish, minimise contact with the record surface, NEVER use your turntable to clean, stretches the belt or puts load on a direct drive, use alcohol only in

#Suzuki #kissy

WASTE OF MONEY! THERE ARE CHEAPER METHODS THAT WORKS BETTER THAN THIS.

I stopped watching as soon as soapy water was mentioned

Not a very good idea, to use a turntables motor to spin the record as you clean it. Very bad on the motor! I didn't understand a lot, of what he was saying. Mold? What!??

Terrible Video! The standard of care is NOT to use “soapy water”. There are well established cleaning solutions based on the use of a) distilled water, b) a commercial surfactant such as Triton X-100, Tergitol (Tergikleen) or Photoflo (Ilifol), and c) Isopropyl alcohol. Some also add an anti-mold such as 3M TB Quat.

This video does not show how to clean a record. My video shows how to clean a record. Machines don’t actually deep clean the record.

FAKE

There is literally so much wrong with this video, I don't know where to start. First off, you never-ever clean records with any type of liquid - this is a myth. What it does is create massive gunks of dirt within the grooves (even after long and thorough drying) that will absolutely wreck your stylus, and will make the listening experience unbearable after 1 or 2 tracks - at which point you'll have to thoroughly clean your stylus using something like a polyurethane gel. Lather-rinse-repeat, because the next two tracks on the side will have you doing the same. The only way to clean records is through dry methods.

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