Record & Stylus Cleaning Tips
Vinyl Cleaning
Even the the most carefully looked after collection will gather microscopic dust over time and records that are played often easily become soiled with greasy fingerprint marks, dust and dirt that will massively effect sound quality!
Clear Groove is a fantastic cleaning spray for keeping your records as close to new as possible and will restore even the dirtiest of records.
After a clean your vinyl will also be free from static and shiny like new!
Top Record Cleaning Tips:
- Choose a flat, stable and CLEAN surface to work on
- Use fluid Generously on really soiled records.
- Repeat cleaning process several times if necessary to get all the dirt off.
- Clear Groove is very effective at loosening gunk so make sure all this is transferred to the cloth and not left on the vinyl where it could cause distortion or collect on your needle.
- Keep buffing the record until the fluid has totally evaporated.
- Don't forget to keep your stylus and turntable platter clean
- Replace dusty old inner sleeves where appropriate
- Keep your records sealed in protective sleeves - these prevent dust, smoke, fumes & moisture in the atmosphere from coming in to contact with your records. They also Keep fingerprint marks off your jackets & even provide some protection from being torn or creased!
- Never use household detergents on vinyl and even tap water as its full of impurities.
- For delicate records like shellac & gramophone discs use a dry method of cleaning or just pure distilled or reverse osmosis water, see our guide to disc types and cleaning methods
- Once your cloth has become soiled - buy a new one - washing it in the washing machine will leave soap residue that could cause streaking on your records - however you could clean it in warm distilled water only.
How to clean records and get the best sound from your vinyl.
Restoring Vinyl Records does not have to be difficult, costly or time consuming. Our cleaning fluid and cloth kits are the easiest effective method to quickly clean your 12" LPs and 7"s
Will it improve sound quality of the record and reduce background noise / distortion?
In most cases Yes of course, a good clean will free any microscopic debris which adversely effect sound quality, its important to remember to use the fluid liberally and continue to wipe until completely dry. Our Fluid is designed to remove even the most stubborn dirt from records.
No you cant repair physical damage but its often the case that pops and crackles are caused by dirt & dust particles which can be completely removed with use of our advanced cleaning liquid. The fluid can dissolve even the most stubborn dried on muck.
Here are few more tips on the correct way to clean with Clear Groove using a cloth:
- Use As Directed On the Bottle - see usage instructions
- Always Place Vinyl On a Flat Clean Surface for cleaning.
- Continue Buffing until completely dry and ensure all dirt particles loosened by the fluid are taken of with the cloth and not still left on the record surface.
- For best results repeat the cleaning process to ensure you've not left any residue and leave to completely dry before playing again.
- Replace old dusty inner sleeves with new ones and keep your vinyl stored correctly, preferably with protective sealable covers.
- Make Sure your stylus and other listening equipment are wired, weighted and setup correctly.
- Don't Forget to Clean Your stylus and platter.
- Keep your cloths clean and replace once soiled. cloth and accessory packs are available.
Record Cleaning Machines (RCM)
For the real vinyl connoisseur an automatic record cleaning machine is the ultimate toy! Also available are the manual machines that you wind up.
Our fluid is suitable for all types of RCM as a replacement for the fluid supplied and will produce fantastic results.
It can be used straight out of the bottle or further diluted to go further - please see our large volume refills. All our fluids are suitable for both manual and electronic record cleaning machines.
Cleaning Non Vinyl Records / old 78's / Acetates / Shellac
Whilst most modern discs are vinyl (PVC) - some older era gramophone records & special discs are not made from vinyl and can be more delicate. Some also have special coatings which can be removed by standard cleaning fluids. As such these should be cleaned with great care - we recommend pure water only. We are in the process of developing a chemical free fluid specifically for cleaning these sort of discs. All our cloths are safe to use on these however.
We do not recommend cleaning these types of non vinyl discs with our standard fluids. Clear Groove - Is safe & most effective on vinyl only. If you are after a gentle cleaner or mix your own checkout our Rinse Out Water Base.
Removing Static From Vinyl
Our Fluid effectively combats static but you can also use a special anti static gun or a brush kept next to your turntable for every day use.
Needle / Stylus Cleaning
With a little care you can keep your stylus clean and working at optimum performance. It also goes without saying that cleaner records = cleaner stylus. If your disc surfaces are kept free of debris then there will be nothing to collect on the needle!