How to clean vinyl records
Dust, static and old fingerprints are the three things quietly eating your collection. The good news is most records only need two things: a carbon-fibre brush before every play, and a proper wet clean once or twice a year. Here's how we do it.
Before every play: dry brushing
Hold a carbon-fibre brush flat on the record while it spins on the platter. Two or three full rotations is enough.
Lift the brush straight up off the edge — don't drag it across the label.
Once or twice a year: a proper wet clean
Use a record-specific cleaning fluid (or distilled water with a drop of photographic surfactant). Never use tap water, isopropyl alcohol straight, or household cleaners.
Apply with a microfibre or velvet pad in the direction of the grooves, not across them. Let it sit 30 seconds, then wipe off with a clean pad.
Dry on a rack or with a separate dry microfibre. Don't put it back in the sleeve damp.
What to avoid
Dish soap, window cleaner, kitchen roll, t-shirts — anything with surfactants, dyes, or coarse fibres.
Spinning a dirty record without cleaning it first — you're grinding grit into the groove with a diamond.
Storing damp records in poly-lined sleeves. Mould loves that.
If a record is really filthy
A rotating record cleaning machine (Pro-Ject VC-S, Record Doctor, Spin-Clean) is worth it once you're past a few hundred records.
Ultrasonic cleaners (Degritter, HumminGuru) are the gold standard for restoring estate-sale finds.