Well, actually, the answer is simpler than you think. We are going to talk about how often you should clean your vinyl records. Now I’ve been getting some questions about this lately so I just decided I’d write this blog post to answer those questions.

Сleaning your records is very important if you want to get the best sound possible. And with a simple cleaning, you’re also making sure that you’re not damaging your needle every time you play that dirty record. Also, even if you’ve just bought a brand new record, you’re still going to need to clean it. That is because a lot of the factories where they press vinyl records are old dusty and dirty. So, even if it’s brand new and still sealed, you’re still going to need to clean it.

So, how often you should clean your vinyl records. Well, honestly, if you clean them properly when you first get them, and you keep them in quality inner sleeves and a cool dry environment. Then you really shouldn’t have to clean them again for many years. I use the RCA discwasher kit which includes the cleaning brush and the solution. And I like this kit because it’s simple, it’s cheap, and it doesn’t take up much space in my room which is awesome.

But, basically, if you’ve cleaned your vinyl record properly and done everything right the first time, you really don’t need to worry about cleaning them again for a really long time. But here’s something you should get in the habit of doing when you’re about to play a record. Take it out of the inner sleeve, place it on the turntable, and start spinning the platter. But, before you drop the needle, use an anti-static brush over the surface of the vinyl, and you should follow the groove moving from the outside of the record to the inside. So, if you do that every time before you play a record, you’re going to remove small bits of dust and dirt, and you’ll make sure that there’s very little static on that record, and that translates to fewer clicks and pops during playback which is good. And, most importantly, friends keep spinning out that vinyl. A clean record is a good record.

Easy Ways to Clean Vinyl Records

If you have sufficient funds think about buying yourself a special LP hoover. It is a type of a record cleaning machine that rotates the platter while vacuum cleaning it from the dust and other particles. You get superior results, but these cleaners would be costly.

Another good option is to buy a manual cleaning kit, but you have to rotate the handle by yourself. These are much cheaper and are pretty common. You might get one for $100. Using a proper cleaner makes the whole process so much faster and easier. Plus it will be safe and harmless for the vinyl surface.
Also, you can clean your turntable with a carbon fiber brush to make sure that there is no dust on it either.
Do not forget to look after the stylus and to keep it clean. The small details might also get really dusty. Even if you do not see visible particles, you should still wipe the vinyl player regularly.