For vinyl record enthusiasts, one essential aspect of maintaining a collection is caring for your music to preserve its life span. While record cleaning is simple enough to do at home, it’s important to follow the proper steps to avoid scratches or other types of damage. Here, the team at Alison’s Record Shop, a leading source for quality vintage records in Nashville, TN, walk you through the process.

How to Clean Vinyl Records

There are a few approaches you can take to clean records, with pricing being the biggest differentiator among them. While it’s possible to perform a decent cleaning using household materials, you will likely be left with a bit of residue. If you have an extensive collection of music you value—especially anything vintage—it’s worth spending a bit more on high-quality materials to preserve the albums. 

There’s a tool called a vacuum record cleaner, which extracts particles out from the grooves to achieve a thorough clean. These innovative systems also use a thin layer of cleaning solution to keep the record protected against the vacuum, leaving behind nothing but shine and allowing you to experience a higher quality of sound.

What Are Some Other Options?

If you’re in a pinch or on a tight budget, you still have some options outside of purchasing a vacuum record cleaner. You can pick up a cleaning kit at your local record shop. Or, you can use some supplies you may already have on-hand.

All you’ll need is dish soap, warm distilled water, soft cloths, and a carbon fiber brush. Start by using the brush to gently remove particles. Then, mix together the warm water and a small amount of dish soap. Use a soft, absorbent cloth to clean the record, wrapping it around your finger to ensure you get into the grooves. Repeat the process, using a clean section of the cloth, until there is no longer any residue appearing on the cloth. Lastly, using another cloth and only distilled water, take a final pass to remove any residual dish soap.

A well-maintained collection of vinyl records will last decades and ensure high listening quality for years to come. If you’re on the hunt for some new albums to add to your collection, stop by Alison’s Record Shop in Nashville, where you can find rare vintage records and music across a broad range of genres. Call (615) 356-0180 or visit them online to learn more.