By Similar to the craftsmanship that is required to produce a quality vinyl record, the same dedication and care are required to care for your vinyl records!
Whether you have antique vinyl records from Elvis and The Beatles or new vinyl from Taylor Swift or Lorde, you need to have a plan to care for these precious pieces of music! After all, the quality of care you provide them determines how well and how long they will work for!
If you don’t put the proper care into this vinyl, they will lose their value and their quality sound.
But not to worry, there are some easy hacks to follow to ensure that your vinyl records are well cared for!
Here are our best recommendations for steps to take to keep your vinyl records in pristine condition.
- Store them well
Where and how you store vinyl records determine how they will weather. You want to make sure that you never stack records on top of each other horizontally. Instead, place vertically like you would a series of books. And there are some really cool vinyl storage racks to go next to your record player! Make the most out of the necessity to store them well and create a cool interior design element in your living room.
- Avoid heat and dust
Because vinyl records are produced with extreme heat, having the records exposed to high temperatures in your storage will increase the likelihood of it becoming damaged. And because the grooves are so fine, even a spec of dirt or dust can cause irreversible scratches to the vinyl! That is why when you stack them vertically, you want to ensure that each individual vinyl is placed in its respective sleeve or cover. Each vinyl usually comes with a really cool cover that has a unique piece of artwork representing the album, so hang on to it and use it for storage! You should also invest in an inner sleeve as well, do double the care your vinyl record receives while being stored away. They are cost-effective and a great form of insurance to prevent damage.
- Be cautious with how you handle it
This may sound over the top, but you need to be careful of how you handle the vinyl record once it is exposed from the sleeve. For example, even a tiny bit of oil from your skin can cause damage to the vinyl. So make sure you wash your hands before handling the record and ensure that there are no products on your hand that can put the care of the record at risk! This also means that you want to make sure that your fingernails equally don’t scratch the record when pulling out of the sleeve. Make sure to grip with the inner of your pointer and thumb for a secure grip!
- Invest in a cleaning brush
There are special brushes designed to keep vinyl records clean. It is recommended to give your vinyl record a brush before and after you play it on your record player. These are often made of carbon fibers and ensure any exterior sediment that may have crept onto the vinyl in the open air is swept away! These brushes normally come with instructions as well with set tips on how to brush properly. When in doubt, bring it into a vinyl store and ask them to help!
Cleaning and caring for your vinyl records is essential to maintain the quality of sound they are designed to produce. There are not infinite copies of vinyl records, so handle with care and preserve these important pieces of history!
