I clean records every single day. Op shop finds, customer trade-ins, my own collection — a clean record sounds better, lasts longer, and is more enjoyable to play. Yet I’m constantly amazed by how many collectors skip this step entirely, or worse, use methods that actually damage their records.

Let me walk you through what actually works.

Why Bother Cleaning

Dust, fingerprints, and grime settle into the grooves of a record and get ground in deeper every time you play it. Your stylus drags all that debris along the groove walls, which creates surface noise and, over time, permanent damage. A dirty record also wears out your stylus faster, and replacement styli aren’t cheap.

Cleaning isn’t just for secondhand records either. New vinyl straight from the factory often has a residue from the pressing process. Give everything a clean before its first play and you’ll hear the difference immediately.

The Basic Clean: Carbon Fibre Brush

Every record owner should have a carbon fibre brush. This is your daily maintenance tool. Before each play, hold the brush lightly on the record surface while it spins on the turntable. Let it make two or three rotations, then sweep the brush toward the edge in one smooth motion.

This removes surface dust and light static. It takes ten seconds and it’s genuinely the single best habit you can develop.

Good brushes available in Australia include the AudioQuest Anti-Static Record Brush (around $40) and the Boundless Audio Record Cleaning Brush (around $25). Don’t buy the ultra-cheap ones from marketplace sellers — the bristles fall out and end up in your grooves, which defeats the purpose.

The Proper Clean: Wet Cleaning

For deeper cleaning — op shop finds, records that have been stored badly, or anything with visible fingerprints — you need to wet clean.

What you need:

• A record cleaning solution (more on this below)
• A microfibre cloth or velvet cleaning pad
• A clean, lint-free cloth for drying
• A stable surface to work on

The method:

1. Apply a small amount of cleaning solution to your pad or cloth. Not directly onto the record.
2. Working in the direction of the grooves (circular, not across), gently wipe the record surface. Don’t press hard.
3. Go around the full record two or three times.
4. Flip to a dry section of your cloth and wipe away the moisture, again following the grooves.
5. Let the record air dry for a minute before playing or sleeving.

Cleaning solutions: You can buy commercial solutions from brands like GrooveWasher, Mobile Fidelity, or Spin-Clean. These are formulated specifically for vinyl and won’t leave residue. In Australia, expect to pay $15-30 for a bottle that’ll last months.

The DIY Solution Debate

Can you make your own cleaning solution? Yes, but be careful. The commonly recommended recipe is distilled water with a tiny amount of isopropyl alcohol and a drop of surfactant (like Ilford Ilfotol, which photographers use). The ratio I use is roughly 75% distilled water, 25% isopropyl alcohol, and two drops of surfactant per 500ml.

Never use tap water. The minerals in tap water will leave deposits in the grooves. Always distilled.

Never use household cleaners, methylated spirits, or anything with fragrance. These will damage the vinyl compound.

The Premium Method: Record Cleaning Machine

If you’ve got a serious collection and budget to match, a dedicated record cleaning machine is the gold standard. These use vacuum suction to pull dirty fluid out of the grooves, leaving the record genuinely clean at a level hand-cleaning can’t match.

The Okki Nokki is popular in Australia and runs around $600-700. The Pro-Ject VC-S is in a similar range. If that’s too steep, the Spin-Clean is a manual bath system that works surprisingly well for about $120.

I use a record cleaning machine in the shop for trade-ins and secondhand stock. The difference it makes is dramatic — records that sounded noisy and dull come out sounding like new pressings.

What Not to Do

A quick list of things I’ve seen people do that made me wince:

• Don’t use your t-shirt. Cotton fibres get everywhere and they scratch.
• Don’t blow on the record. Your breath is moist and full of particles.
• Don’t use wood glue. I know it’s a popular internet hack. It works, sort of, but the risk of leaving residue is real.
• Don’t stack wet records. Let them dry completely before putting them back in sleeves.
• Don’t clean with the record on the turntable unless you’re just brushing. Wet cleaning is a separate activity.

Storage Matters Too

Even a perfectly cleaned record will get dirty again if you store it badly. Keep records vertical, never stacked flat. Use inner sleeves — the anti-static poly-lined ones from Mobile Fidelity or similar are best. Keep them away from direct sunlight, heat, and humidity.

Your records are an investment in music you love. Treat them like it, and they’ll reward you with better sound for decades.