TIPS FOR STORING, CLEANING, AND PLAYING YOUR VINYL ALBUMS

Today, August 12th, is National Vinyl Record Day! Gary Freiberg founded this day to commemorate Thomas Edison inventing the phonograph in 1877. This day is to celebrate the Good Ol’ Days, to remember and reminisce about the good things in life…especially vinyl records.

Now, vinyl has undergone quite the renaissance within the last few years. Whether you’ve participated in the vinyl resurgence or you’ve always owned a turntable or three (we don’t judge!), you should give your records an extra bit of love and consideration today. There are a number of ways to protect your vinyl records, and if you have your own proven routine, awesome! But if you’re unsure how to properly store and care for your records, this guide will provide you with some tips and tricks to protect these valuable investments for a lifetime.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

It’s not uncommon to find some decent records at garage sales and Goodwill for a dime apiece. So what’s the big deal about properly caring for and storing them? They’ve lasted this long, so they’ll last forever stacked atop one another at the bottom of a pile of other media, right?

Many will certainly argue that records are indestructible, and they are quite sturdy. But the sound quality is what’s at stake here. A vinyl record is “read” by the turntable needle. It runs over the grooves, and any changes or disruptions in the texture will result in imperfect, often poor, audio. Even if a record technically works and still spins after being dropped, bent, or scratched, those groove textures will never be the same. So protecting and caring for your vinyl is extremely important when you think of playback accuracy and audio preservation. Anything that can interfere with playback quality is considered a threat, which is why it’s so important to store, clean, and play your records with the respect they deserve. Anything worth keeping is worth taking care of.

PRO TIP: Handle your vinyl in the way you would a CD: hold them at the edges or by the inner label at the center. Touching the playing surface will transfer oils from your skin into the groove, which can make it easier for dust to cling to it. You also want to be sure to never scratch the grooves with your fingernails, as even minor scratches can affect the sound quality.

HOW TO STORE YOUR RECORDS

Properly storing your records comes down to what I’ll refer to as “The Rule of Three.” You want to avoid three things that records hate: heat, light, and moisture.

Vinyl records are made of polyvinyl chloride, which can start to warp at temperatures above 140 degrees, so keep them away from radiators and don’t store them in your car’s trunk for long periods of time. Similarly, avoid too much direct light. Sunlight through a window will not only potentially cause damage because of the heat, but the UV rays will also cause the sleeve artwork to fade over time. And finally, humidity from an open vent or window can warp records, and high humidity can lead to mold and mildew. And while water may not cause direct damage to the vinyl, it’ll once again hurt the outer and inner sleeves that are essential to keeping your records safeguarded. So storing your vinyl records where it’s cool, dim, and dry is best.

Another golden rule of thumb is to avoid stacking. Stacking them atop one another will cause a lot of pressure on the vinyls stuck at the bottom, which may warp them over time. Instead, store them vertically, like you would with books. If you have space on a bookshelf or entertainment center, storing vinyl records as upright as possible in their sleeves sitting on a sturdy shelf is the best way to go. 

HOW TO CLEAN YOUR RECORDS

To preserve your records and prevent them from developing skips, you also need to clean your records. The buildup of dust and dirt is a vinyl killer, so be sure to do this regularly! There are many methods to this, but the main two we’ll cover is dry cleaning and wet cleaning.

Dry cleaning can be done quickly using a microfiber cloth. Before putting your record away after use, just give them a simple wipe down. You can also use a carbon fiber brush. This will remove dust and debris without damaging the surface. It also has the added benefit of getting between the grooves. Just take your carbon fiber brush and rub it lightly along the groove; it’ll reduce the static charge on the vinyl and collect the dust. Remember to clean the brush too!

Occasionally it’s good to give your records a deep clean too. This is where wet cleaning comes in. Using a mix of record-cleaning fluid and distilled water typically does the trick. Clean your record using a microfiber cloth, then dry it gently with a different, dry microfiber cloth. This will remove old fingerprints and dirt, and is also handy for those grimy records you buy second-hand.

HOW TO PLAY YOUR RECORDS

But all of this is moot if you don’t listen to your vinyl albums: as much as they deserve to be properly stored and cleaned, they deserve to be played! There are a few ways to show respect to your records while you’re enjoying them off the shelf.

First, minimize the amount of time the record is out of its sleeve. This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it! But it does mean that when you’re finished listening to the record, don’t just toss it onto the coffee table where it’ll gather dust or be used as a coaster. Return it to its sleeve on the shelf as soon as you can after it’s done playing.

When you’re about to play the record, be gentle with the stylus! When lifting and dropping it, do so nice and easy. Place it on the edge of the record and avoid dropping the stylus in the middle of the album if possible. Never apply downward pressure on it.

IN SUMMARY

Vinyl is valuable. Showing your records some love and care is a great way to celebrate National Vinyl Record Day. Now that you know how to protect your records and keep your collection in pristine condition, you can take great pride and joy in knowing that you’ll have wonderful music for years to come.

So what are you waiting for? Grab your favorite album, and get spinning! Happy National Vinyl Record Day!!

If you’re looking for a nice turntable to play your records on, we’ve got you covered. At SpenCertified, we’re experts at vintage audio and video gear, and we’ve got a wide selection to choose from. You can find all of our turntables and record players here.

https://spencertified.com/collections/record-players