To remove dust and dirt from vinyl records you first need to brush away excess dust by holding a vinyl cleaning brush at a 90-degree angle to the record while it’s spinning. For deeper cleaning use a cleaning solution and microfiber cloth and wipe in a circular motion. It’s also a good idea to clean your stylus with a stylus brush using light sweeping motions.
Table of Contents
1. Vinyl Cleaning Brush
The first essential step for getting rid of dust buildup on your vinyl records is to purchase a vinyl cleaning brush. These are very affordable and can range from like $10 to $30.
The purpose of the cleaning brush is to allow your record to keep its quality over time by brushing away excess dust that can give the record a less clean sound. Make sure that your brush is anti-static. A brush that is not anti-static can actually leave your record with a static charge that can make it prone to attracting even more dust in the grooves.
How to use the cleaning brush:
– Place your record player or turntable on a stable surface and then place your dusty record on the turntable with the power button on.
– While the record is spinning, take the brush and hold it at a 90-degree angle with the record spinning beneath it.
– Make sure you don’t apply too much pressure as that could cause the dust to get trapped more into the grooves and you don’t want that! Keeping a light sweep allows for the trapped dirt and dust buildup to brush off.
Remember! Do NOT touch the brush with your fingers as the natural oil from your skin can transport from your brush onto your record.
Store the brush in a safe place where it can’t attract its own debris.
2. Stylus Brush
The next step is to purchase a stylus brush. Over time, if you are constantly using your record player then there is going to be dust and gunk buildup on your stylus. That is where the dust gets transported onto your vinyl which diminishes the overall sound quality.
A well-reviewed stylus brush that you can purchase is the Vinyl Buddy Stylus Cleaner Brush Anti-Static from Amazon for like 10 bucks. Again, just make sure the brush you purchase is anti-static.
How to use the stylus brush:
– Use light sweeping motions back and forth on the stylus to remove the dust.
– Remember to store the stylus brush in a safe place where it can’t attract its own dust and dirt. If it happens to get dirty, you can use another fine brush to gently sweep the excess debris and particles off.
3. Cleaning Solution & Microfiber Cloth
It’s good to give all of your vinyl a deep cleaning, especially the rare older records. As records age, the quality of sound decreases but if you use these techniques and follow up with routine deep cleans it will help to preserve the amazing sound that can be produced from your vinyl. Make sure the microfiber cloth that you decide to use is anti-static and the cleaning solution is non-abrasive!
How to use the cleaning solution and microfiber cloth:
– For a deeper cleaning, spray the cleaning solution on the cloth and lightly wipe your vinyl in a circular motion.
– Press lightly so that the dust isn’t being transported deeper into the grooves of the record.
– After you use the cloth for a few spins, you should leave the record to air dry so that the solution is fully dry before playing the clean record.
Conclusion
By following these steps, you can make sure your vinyl collection is dirt and dust free. This will help with the overall sound quality and with durability.
For more educational articles about vinyl records and record players, check out my Educational articles section and if you have any questions or comments leave them below. Thanks for reading and enjoy the clean records.
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