Collecting records has become the in thing once again as people all over the world are slowly filling up their shelves with their favorite vinyl. As such, it is now more important than ever to make sure that you are taking good care of your record collection. If you aren’t very clued up when it comes to looking after these records, then you’re in the right place, as we will be discussing it in more detail throughout this article.
Storing Your Records
If you have a large collection and there are a lot of records that you don’t play that are simply taking up space, you may be wondering where you can store them. The most important thing you need to keep in mind is that you don’t take them somewhere that has extreme temperatures and humidity. You should put them in a clean and dry place such as a storage unit like those at storagearea.com. The reason why a clean and dry environment is important is that when you do this, you avoid warping the record. What is warping? It is essentially when the shape of the vinyl bends so that it is rendered unplayable. There are a lot of methods available when it comes to unwarping the records, but prevention is the best way to do it, and simply finding a clean, dry place to store them is the best way forward.
Handling Your Records
This may sound like a bit of a no-brainer, but it is very important that you are nice to your vinyl and treat it with a bit of care and respect. This comes in the form of holding them either on the edges or on the inner label at the center. Essentially, hold it however you want but make sure your fingers remain well away from any of the data that is actually on the LP. If you end up touching the surface of the vinyl, then all you are going to do is transfer oil into the grooves, and this oil will attract dust which in turn will affect the sound quality. You’re also running the risk of scratching the disk with your fingernails.
Cleaning Your Records
There are numerous ways available to clean your records. There are a lot of suggestions that are more complex, but some simple tips are:
- Dry Cleaning – By using a carbon fiber brush to clean your vinyl both before and after every play, you will be ensuring that it keeps in good condition moving forward.
- Wet Cleaning – This is a method recommended if you are hoping to give your record a good clean. You are going to need a mixture of cleaning fluid with water (distilled water, not tap water), then put some of the mixture on a microfiber cloth, clean the record, and dry with another microfiber cloth.
- Cleaning Machine – Once you have a big record collection, you should consider buying a cleaning machine, as cleaning them by hand can be tiring. You can also get them cleaned at record stores.