How to clean a record: dry brushing, wet washing and safe storage

Step by step: how to clean a record

1. 1

   Handle the record by the edges

   Wash and dry your hands, then hold the record by its outer edge and the label only. Skin oil on the grooves holds dust and adds noise. Set it on a clean, soft surface or straight on the turntable.

2. 2

   Dry brush before each play

   Start the platter, rest a carbon fiber brush lightly on the spinning record for two or three turns, then slowly angle it off toward the edge to sweep the dust off. Do not press down. You should see a thin line of dust gather at the brush and leave the record.

3. 3

   Decide if it needs a wet clean

   Wet clean a record if it is secondhand, has visible grime or fingerprints, or crackles even after brushing. Clean, new records usually only need dry brushing. Wet cleaning lifts what is stuck in the groove, but it cannot fix scratches.

4. 4

   Mix the wash with distilled water

   Fill your record washer to its fill line, or a small bowl for a cleaning pad, with distilled water, then add record cleaning fluid as its label directs. Distilled water has no minerals to dry in the grooves. Avoid tap water when you can.

5. 5

   Wash the grooves, not the label

   In a record washer, roll the record a few turns each way through the brushes. By hand, fit a label protector, then wipe with a soft pad wet with the solution in the direction of the grooves, never across them. Keep the paper label dry.

6. 6

   Dry the record completely

   Lift it out and wipe both sides with a clean, lint-free microfiber cloth in a circular motion following the grooves. Wipe until it is completely dry. Water left in the grooves will crackle when you play it.

7. 7

   Put it in a new inner sleeve

   Slide the clean record into a fresh anti-static inner sleeve instead of the old dusty paper one. Store it upright in its jacket. If you want to keep the original paper sleeve, keep it in the jacket alongside the new one.

8. 8

   Clean the stylus too

   A dirty stylus drags old dust back into clean grooves. Brush it gently from back to front with a small stylus brush, following your turntable maker’s instructions. Never brush side to side or front to back.

Which record cleaning method should you use?

Dry brush for routine dust and wet clean for real dirt. Here is how the common methods compare.

Spin-Clean’s instructions for its record washer show the basic wet method: fill the basin with distilled water to the line, add the fluid, turn the record three times clockwise and three times counterclockwise through the brushes, then wipe it dry with a pre-washed cloth. Its directions say one bath cleans 20 to 50 records depending on how dirty they are.

What not to use on records

Skip alcohol-heavy cleaners, household products and anything that leaves residue. They can damage the record or leave film in the grooves.

• Alcohol: the Spin-Clean record washer FAQ says alcohol is detrimental to shellac 78s and can, over time, potentially harm the vinyl on other records. Its fluid contains none.
• Tap water when you can avoid it. The same FAQ notes that minerals in tap water can be left behind in the grooves.
• Dish soap with lotions, window cleaner and furniture polish, which leave film or residue.
• Paper towels and tissues, which leave lint in the grooves.
• Air drying in a dish rack instead of wiping. Spin-Clean says it can leave noisy records from moisture left in the grooves.

For old shellac 78s and lacquer discs, be extra cautious: the Library of Congress recommends canned air to blow dust off grooved discs and points to specialist conservation guidance for mold or residue on lacquer discs.

How to store records so they stay clean

Store records upright, in clean sleeves, in a cool, stable room. Good storage keeps them clean far longer than any cleaning method.

The Library of Congress gives this guidance for home collections of grooved discs:

• Handle discs by the edge and label areas only, and keep food and drink away.
• Store discs upright, on edge, with sturdy dividers every 4 to 6 inches, and do not mix diameters together.
• Keep them at room temperature or below, at about 35 to 40% relative humidity, away from radiators, vents, attics and basements.
• Keep them out of direct or intense light.
• Replace paper sleeves with high-density polyethylene inner sleeves when you can.

Dust the shelves and turntable lid when you dust the room. Our guide to reducing dust in the house helps too.

Mistakes to avoid

• Touching the grooves with your fingers while cleaning or flipping the record.
• Wiping across the grooves instead of along them.
• Using tap water that leaves mineral spots in the grooves.
• Letting records air dry, or playing them while still damp.
• Getting the paper label wet, which can wrinkle or stain it.
• Putting a clean record back into a dirty paper sleeve.