Anyone who loves old albums knows the importance of protecting and caring for their vinyl records. While this material offers various advantages over other media for listening to multimedia content, it also has some disadvantages, including the tendency to wear over time. Learning how to care for vinyl records is critical to ensuring their longevity.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Store Them Properly
Step 1. Use an inner case
This is the only object that should regularly come into contact with the disc. The best cases consist of a plastic liner inside a paper pocket or a single plastic pocket with a round bottom. It is essential to keep vinyls in these cases to protect them from scratches and dust. You can buy them online and at local music stores.
Many discs have paper cases. Avoid using them, because every time you pick up the vinyl to listen to it, the paper will act like a piece of fine-grained sandpaper, which will add scratches to the material
Step 2. Store them in an external case
This case covers the disc's paper casing, preventing dust from settling inside. Choose soft, spacious containers that won't tear the cover of the record. You can buy them on the internet or at local music stores.
- Avoid heavy plastic cases. Over time, they can compress and adhere to the cover. When you remove them, you may damage the image.
- You can also use a vinyl pouch, which works like a normal cover, but has a large flap and an adhesive strip on the outside to close the record completely.
Step 3. Avoid dropping the disc into its case
You should never throw it away without thinking. That way, you not only risk breaking the cover, but also causing damage to the disc, including scratches and scrapes. Gently store the vinyl by sliding it into the case.
Step 4. Invest in a cabinet with shelves
Once your discs are protected with cases, you need shelves strong enough to hold your albums in order. Choose a cabinet with square compartments or with shelves that hold boxes or baskets. You can purchase inexpensive furniture of this type at local furniture stores.
- Be sure to reinforce the shelves with metal L-shaped brackets to prevent them from tilting to one side.
- Use dividers to categorize discs and find them more easily. On the internet, you can find vinyl dividers, on which you can write categories, musical genres or letters of the alphabet.
- Always avoid leaving your discs horizontally, as they will warp. Always store them vertically.
Step 5. Choose the right enclosures for the disks you will place in the attic
Choose strong materials that can withstand the weight of many discs and avoid cardboard, which weakens over time. Also avoid containers that do not retain static electricity (prefer wood to metal) and arrange the vinyls vertically, without crowding them too much.
Try a sturdy plastic container, with the lid on top and handles for easy transport
Step 6. Make sure the environmental conditions are appropriate
You should always store vinyls in a cool, dry environment. Avoid keeping them exposed to direct sunlight, as lighting and heat can discolor the cover and warp the vinyl. In addition, also avoid storing them in environments where there is a lot of dust or particles in the air.
- Avoid environments like the cellar, which often have water leaks and extreme environmental conditions.
- The ideal storage temperature for vinyl records is between 7-15.5 ° C, with a relative humidity level of 30-40%.
Part 2 of 3: Handling Discs
Step 1. Avoid touching the surface of vinyl records
Try not to come into contact with parts of the record that contain information, such as album grooves. Instead, handle the vinyl carefully, touching only the edges and inner cover. Dirt and fingerprints can affect sound quality and album playback. If you happen to touch the disc, remove dust and fingerprints with a carbon fiber brush.
Step 2. Minimize contact with air
Limit the vinyl exposure to air to reduce the accumulation of dust and debris. When you're not using an album, you should immediately put it in its case. If your turntable has a lid, be sure to close it during playback to limit contact with airborne dust.
Step 3. Try to keep your hand steady when playing a record
If you have a manual turntable, you will need to lift the tonearm yourself and place it on the record to play it. If you don't have a steady hand, it's easy to scratch the vinyl. Avoid shaking and use the play lever on the turntable to raise and lower the needle. Also, you can buy an automatic turntable.
Step 4. Be careful when removing the stylus
Once you've finished playing a record, wait for the platter to stop spinning before removing the needle. This way, you avoid scratching the vinyl. If you try to skip a song, there is no need to stop the turntable. However, it is important to avoid applying downward pressure on the arm. Once you have taken the arm, lower it before the empty space preceding the song.
Blank space is usually recognizable from parts of the disc that contain music. You can also use the track list as a guide to avoid scratching the information on the vinyl
Part 3 of 3: Cleaning the Discs
Step 1. Use a carbon fiber bristle brush
This tool is useful because it easily enters the grooves of the record to remove dust. Additionally, this type of fiber absorbs static electricity, which attracts dust. To use the brush, slowly spin the record while holding it over the vinyl. You can purchase these special brushes at local music stores or on the internet.
- Use the brush to clean discs before and after using them.
- Don't forget to also remove dust from the brush after using it.
- Avoid using a t-shirt or cloth to clean records, as this may damage the vinyl surface.
Step 2. Try using a cleaner
There are specific cleaning products on the internet and in music stores, but you can also make one at home. Mix distilled water, isopropyl alcohol and a few drops of laundry detergent (no fragrances or dyes), spray the solution on the disc and wipe it with a microfiber cloth, in circular motions, until the vinyl dries.
- Mix 350 ml of distilled water, 60 ml of alcohol and 2 drops of neutral laundry detergent in a spray bottle.
- It is important to use distilled water, which does not contain minerals that can damage the disc.
Step 3. Buy a vacuum cleaner for vinyl records
These devices allow you to clean the discs more thoroughly than brushes and cleaning products. In fact, they suck dust from the furrows with very little friction. In addition, they are able to apply a thin layer of cleaning fluid that dissolves the oils and further protects the disc.
- Each vinyl vacuum cleaner is different, so consult your device manual to learn how to use it correctly.
- As an added benefit, the vacuum cleaner can evenly dry the disc.
Advice
Mylar outer cases maintain transparency much longer than polypropylene cases, which become opaque over time
Warnings
- Coating a record with water before playing it, a method that in some cases is used to reduce hissing and pops, can damage the vinyl, directing dust and debris into the grooves. In addition, water can also dissolve the glue that holds the stylus in place.
- Avoid cleaning records with tap water, isopropyl alcohol or lighter fluid, as the additives and impurities contained in these substances can damage the vinyl.
