Vinyl cleaning in 5 easy steps

My tried-and-tested cleaning technique for vinyl lovers with busy lives

My cleaning kit: nothing fancy, as you can see. Simple, good-quality products.

While there are some decent vinyl cleaning guides online, most omit a crucial detail: the time it takes.

Picture yourself back from the record store, desperate to spin your new babies, knowing you have one hour before your kids/wife/husband/lover/cat/dog/significant-other-of-choice pops in asking for love, help or support of whatever kind.

We’ve all been there and we’ve all skipped the cleaning bit. Not everyone will admit it, but I bet my entire vinyl collection on this.

One of the reasons I started this Substack is to talk about our passion for vinyl whilst leading busy lives. That’s why I will show you how to effectively clean your records by hand in less than five minutes.

Why cleaning

Vinyl is an analogue format: it’s all on the surface. See how wonderfully rich and different the sound feels? Well, that’s because what you hear is the result of a needle picking up a continuous signal from the grooves. In other words: anything sitting on the surface of the disc will be picked up and affect what you hear.

Plus, your equipment will suffer over time if you let dust accumulate.

Frequency is key

The reason you skip cleaning is because it’s not ingrained as a routine. Over time I’ve realised that giving your records a quick clean regularly (i.e. as often as you spin them) is more important than cleaning them thoroughly once in a blue moon.

Clean before you spin

Most guides recommend cleaning before and after spinning. In my view, this is excessive, unless you only spin sporadically.

Personally, I clean before spinning, using the methods I outline below.

If you spin every day, store your records properly, use inner and outer sleeves, and clean your equipment regularly, cleaning before spinning is more efficient.

You underestimate how quickly your records will get dirty again. Spending hours cleaning thoroughly in advance is a pointless exercise as you will have to clean each record again before you spin it.

Quick glance first

As you take the record out, check how bad the dust situation is. You’ll do this automatically once this cleaning technique becomes a habit.

Remember: there’s always dust, even if you can’t see it.

If you can’t see it, you can get away with the Quick Brush method below. It’s superficial but works a treat.

If you can see the dust, do the Brush and Wipe method further down below.

Quick Brush

You will need an anti-static brush. I use Pro-Ject Brush It but there are other decent ones available.

Place your record on the turntable, let it spin, hold your anti-static brush vertically and let the carbon brushes gently touch the record as it spins.

Some experts will say don’t move the brush, but I’ve seen better results when I push the dust away.

Brush each side right before spinning it. No point wasting your time brushing the other side in advance as it will pick up some dust while the other side is playing.

Brush and Wipe

If there’s a lot of dust, keep the record away from your turntable.

You will need:

• Anti-static brush

• Microfibre cloth

• Record cleaning fluid

• Wiping pad (ideally with a big handle).

I use this Groovewasher cleaning kit mainly because I love the handle of the cleaning pad (not only aesthetically; it actually makes things easier). Their cleaning fluid supposedly leaves less residue, but I’ve seen good results with others too. If you use other products, make sure they are apt for records (nothing abrasive) and check reviews.

Step 1. Place the record directly onto the microfibre cloth on a firm surface (e.g. a table).

Step 2. Gently work your anti-static brush around the record in the direction of the grooves, pushing the dust away.

Step 3. Cover the record’s label and spray the record’s surface five or six times. If you don’t have a label protector, make sure you avoid the area. Wait a few seconds (ideally 8 or 10).

Step 4. Grab the cleaning pad and wipe the record in concentric arcs or circles, in line with the grooves, not across. Check for problem spots as you may need to target-spray and wipe more thoroughly.

Flip the record around and repeat steps 1 to 4. Wait a few seconds for the record to dry. Quick glance again to make sure you haven’t missed anything. If all good, place the record on the turntable and start spinning.

Step 5. For better results, give each side a quick brush with the anti-static brush before playing (i.e. Quick Brush method outlined above).

Excuse the casual attire: it was arse o’clock in the morning. This video contains Steps 1-4. For Step 5, check the video above.

Time is money…

The Quick Brush method should take you approximately ten seconds or less per side.

The Brush and Wipe method should take you less than five minutes in total. As you gain more experience, you’ll pick up pace and should be able to complete it in about three minutes.

… but don’t rush

Whatever you do, please don’t rush it, especially when you’re starting.

Be very careful when handling the record: always grab it firmly from its edges.

Flipping can be tricky as that’s when many accidents happen (mostly due to the record hitting something you didn’t see was in the way). Always make sure your work area is free from obstructions wherever possible.

Keep it simple

Cleaning your records should become second nature. Cleaning regularly and keeping things simple is better than reinventing the wheel or committing to habits you can’t sustain.

That’s all for today. Another day I’ll show you how I clean my stylus.

Thanks for reading or listening. Happy spinning!