Ever picked up a record that looks like it has a cloudy film over it, greasy finger prints on it, loaded with dust, small bumps that can be scratched off with your fingernail or worse still, scratched deeper into the groove?
Many old/improperly stored records may contain one or all of the above and will make playing it sound muffled, distorted, incomprehensible, and even cause the needle to jump or skip across the record.
Mold, dust, dirt and ‘unidentified sticky bumps’ are but a wash away and if you follow the record washing guidelines below you can play them again with renewed love.
INGREDIENTS
- Records
- Soft cloth
- Clean sink
- Lukewarm water
- Gentle liquid soap
- Drying rack
- Record cleaning outfit (your choice)
METHOD
- Fill sink half full with lukewarm soapy water
- Remove record from sleeve
- Momentarily Immerse ONLY the playable portion of the record into the water taking care not to touch the label (it may wash off along with valuable info)
- Wipe gently (but firmly enough to remove dirt) with soft soft cloth
- Repeat until clean
- Rinse thoroughly in lukewarm water again taking care not to touch the label
- Sit in clean drying rack in a cool dark place until dry
TIPS
- Do not let your records touch direct sunlight
- Ensure all of the soap is rinsed off before drying
- Do not scrub or scratch bumps off with your fingernail or anything sharper than a soft cloth
- Do not dry with t-towel
- Do no more than your drying rack can hold at a time
- Place covers in order of records in drying rack so you don’t waste time afterwards trying to find their home
- Smile 🙂
SpiN SiStas 