Cleaning Records

    So, you've have your stash of records, you have your stereo put together, let's play some tunes. Not so fast, aren't you forgetting something? Take a look at that record, you know, the one that looks like some kid wiped his boogers all over the A side? Your records must be cleaned, end of story. Dust, smudges, all of that stuff affects playback, as well as longevity of the medium. The oils from your fingers degrade the vinyl, so clean them, and only handle them from the edges, or with one finger on the edge, and the other in the center from now on. Even new records should be cleaned, as the presses sometimes leave vinyl scraps and particles on the surface. Once they are cleaned and handled properly, they may never have to be cleaned again, other than a wipe-down for dust, because that stuff gets everywhere. Record cleaner should be a simple solution of distilled water and alcohol (not the drinking kind). Never use solvents and cleaners like Windex, ammonia breaks down petroleum products, which is what vinyl is.
    Your equipment should also be cleaned and maintained on occasion as well, clean your stylus with a stylus brush before every playing, so twice for a single record, once per side. Even at their cleanest dust still gets in the grooves, the stylus picks it up and can get clogged up with garbage. There are record brushes that I highly recommend for wiping down the record before play, this will also help eliminate static electricity, which is why we're in this pickle in the first place. I'm really not making any of this sound very glamorous am I? "This isn't the way it happens in the movies" you may say, well, movies lie. I mean you could just throw a record on crap equipment, touch them all over, what have you, but you will not be enjoying those records very long. The sound will become garbage, the grooves will be destroyed (they're not CD's, so they cannot be resurfaced, once they are gone, they are gone forever). The equipment will fall apart like it's designed to do in today's era of throwaway tech. You'll just waste time and money, you're better off just loading up your smartphone with tunes. I won't judge you, I do that too, it's kind of hard to fit a stereo, speakers, and records in my pocket.
    It's simple really, if you are serious about this hobby, like any hobby you will have to invest time, effort, and yes even some precious dollars to maintain your interest. My advice would be to visit a record store if you have one, many of them have listening stations. If you are nervous about putting the stylus on the record, they will help you. If they know you, they might even trust you to do it yourself. See if you like the sound, if you do start buying, and don't be afraid to experiment with your rig, you might end up preferring headphones, and that opens up yet another rabbit hole to explore. In any case, just enjoy the tunes, and always remember that the plural of vinyl, is vinyl, remembering that will save you from a lot of angry rants, best to just go with me on this one. Despite some of my comments, the vinyl community (VC, whatever) is a mostly welcoming and helpful community, if this is your interest, you will never be alone.

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