Vinyl records fall victim to many of the issues that plague regular CDs, scratches most of all, followed by exposure to heat and sunlight. Although these are not the only problems faced by vinyl records. To keep your records in good condition, it is most important that they be taken care of properly. These days you can get vinyl storage boxes but make sure you place them vertically to save yourself from the trouble of damaged records. Let us explore some of the best ways to take care of vinyl records.
Taking care of Vinyl Records
-The first thing we must do is check whether we’ve correctly stored the vinyl. You should always store them vertically because that way, there is less bending stress, so the record maintains its shape for a long time. Storing horizontally, however, has a detrimental effect on the vinyl, it can bend and its grooves can be destroyed, thus degrading sound quality.
-Vinyl must be stored in a cool place, otherwise, the heat can cause them to soften, which can lead to bending or further damage. Never store it near a window or a heated place.
-Humidity also damages the vinyl. It causes mould to grow on the vinyl causing harm to the vinyl sleeve and the vinyl itself.
-You should not store the vinyl outside of its sleeve. Otherwise, it will be marred with scratches and dirt. Not to mention UV rays too if you’ve gone on and stored them near windows.
-Handling your vinyl is also key. Like CDs make sure to only hold the record on the edges and try not to be careless and drop it, if not then you are likely to cause a scratch causing the record to skip.
-Just in case you don’t happen to have an automatic turntable, be very nimble with the needle when setting it down. Also, please make sure you do not under any circumstances shake the table when the record is playing.
How to clean your Vinyl
Keeping your vinyl clean and clear is a sure-shot way of knowing that your collection stands the test of time and keeps ongoing. Here are some steps or things you can do to make sure that is the case.
Firstly, when you are done listening to your fine-tunes, give it a quick clean-up by using a specialized brush for vinyl. Its bristles are made up of carbon fibre which has the gentlest of touches onto the vinyl, cleaning it, exceptionally well. Dirt and lint need to be removed as they tend to untune the records, reducing the zing and pep of the high and low notes. Doing this alone can be enough at times to keep your records in great shape.
If you somehow can’t manage this and your records do end up getting dirt in them, then here’s what you should do. You should research the market for cleaning products. The main ones you’ll end up with are the ones containing distilled water and isopropyl alcohol.
These are deemed to be the safest products on the market for your vinyl records, they although can be heavy on the pocket. If you do manage to get your hands on one such product, then you can do a great job of cleaning the records.
Just to wrap up, as discussed keeping your records clean and storing them properly will give you plenty of years of enjoyment listening to them. and when they start to sound bad, just give them a quick clean-up and they are back, as good as new. Enjoy the music!