The Best Practices for Vinyl Care and Storage

A room with a vinyl record collection and high-fidelity audio equipment.

Taking Care of Your Record Collection to Ensure Longevity & Optimum Sound

Whether you’re a long-time vinyl record collector or a budding enthusiast, you’re among a growing number of people appreciating the superior sound and experience that only vinyl offers. Almost 20 years ago, people began reconnecting to this music-listening format after watching it nearly buried under the weight of CDs and digital media.

Then, the word got out. As an analog format without digital compression, listening to records offers a richer, natural sound closer to the artist’s intentions. There’s a warmth that can’t be found in other formats, a reproduction of the subtle nuances and details that get lost. 

Fortunately, people realized their worth before they went the way of the dodo. In 2022, vinyl sales surpassed those of CDs, demonstrating a significant comeback with about 41.3 million records sold in the U.S. If you’re one of the many who have joined the vinyl resurgence, it’s essential to take care of your collection through proper vinyl care and storage.

That’s where HiFi Buys in Atlanta, GA, comes in. 

As passionate music lovers, we’re excited to do our part in reintroducing vinyl and the experience it brings, helping restore the art of listening and the joy that comes from finding one of your favorite artists among a stack of records. Now, let’s discover how to take care of that prized collection.

SEE ALSO: The Art of Curating a Physical Music Collection

The Importance of Cleaning Your Vinyl

Like all things in the physical world, proper cleaning is essential. Running a dry-cleaning brush across the record’s surface before playing removes dust and helps maintain the quality and longevity of your vinyl. Letting dust collect on its surface can result in static background noise and a reduction in the fidelity of the sound. 

We recommend brushing a record every time you remove it from its sleeve. If you have a vinyl lover on your Christmas list, these dry-cleaning brushes make excellent stocking stuffers. 

We also recommend using a stylus cleaner to clean the turntable’s needle between each listening session to ensure smooth tracking and optimal sound.

Ensure Regular Vinyl Cleaning

It’s time to clean your record after you’ve played it about 5 – 10 times or notice any surface noise. We also recommend cleaning it when it enters your collection with one of three options. 

  • Manual Cleaning: This method is the most cost-effective, requiring a brush and cleaning solution followed by manual drying with a lint-free cloth.
  • Vacuum-Based: These record cleaners, like the Pro-Ject premium record cleaning machine, are the most popular choice. They provide a deeper clean and are ideal for those with 100-plus records in their collection or anyone who often hunts for gems in older, used records. 
  • Ultrasonic: For the ultimate clean, ultrasonic cleaners like the Degritter combine vacuum and ultrasonic technology to restore records to better-than-new sound quality. 

Proper Storage

Properly storing your records is as important as cleaning them. As paper sleeves are the primary source of contamination, we recommend Mobile Fidelity Original Master Record Inner Sleeves. Archival-quality outer sleeves are also essential for protecting album covers. 

Lastly, to prevent warping, we suggest storing your albums vertically rather than stacking them on top of one another. Kallax shelves from IKEA are a very popular solution, or if you are interested in a more “record-store-like” solution so that you can see the album covers, check out LP Bin.

Are you ready to amass a great record collection that will last long into the future? HiFi Buys is here to help. We carry all the necessary tools you need to add to and take care of your vinyl collection. To learn more about vinyl care and storage, stop by our no-pressure shop or contact HiFi Buys. We’re excited to be part of the vinyl resurgence and always happy to answer any questions.

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