FAQ

It depends, you should use a carbon fiber record brush (before and after each playback) to help reduce static and dust build-up. If you follow this routine and store your vinyl records correctly in a good quality inner sleeve, then you shouldn’t actually have to wet clean your records very often. It’s best not to over-clean a vinyl record; simply use your ears. If it sounds dirty and there are pops and clicks, then by all means, give the record a clean. The best approach is to look after your records in such a way that wet cleaning is a rare requirement. Prevention is better than cure.

The use of alcohol to clean vinyl records is a contentious topic. Some swear by it; others stay well-clear. Firstly, you should NEVER use isopropyl alcohol on shellac records as it will dissolve the surface. Also on modern PVC vinyl, it is thought by many to cause the leaching of plasticizers, making them brittle and subject to excess wear. Many record cleaners contain some isopropyl alcohol as part of the mix, but as a rule, we recommend steering clear of any fluid that contains a high amount of alcohol. If you can smell alcohol in your record cleaner, chances are, it’s using far too much.

You can clean old vinyl records in just the same way as new vinyl records (so long as they’re modern PVC and not shellac 78s). Shellac 78s are particularly brittle, so you need to take extra care as they can crack or shatter if you’re not careful. When wet cleaning shellac records, make 100% sure the record cleaning fluid does not contain alcohol (see section above on cleaning vinyl records with alcohol). If an old record is particularly dirty, you may need to clean it multiple times to get the desired result. You might even find that the first clean makes the record sound worse at first, as the fluid starts to loosen stubborn dirt and grime. In this case, you will almost certainly see gunk start to build on your stylus. If that’s the case, stop the record, clean your stylus (needle), clean it again, and see if this improves the situation. Patience will be rewarded; in some cases, we’re talking about records that are over 50 - 70 years old. You may also find that leaving the record cleaning fluid on the surface for longer than the usual time of up to a minute will give the ingredients more time to work.