Sleevebay guide
Record care: cleaning, handling and storing vinyl
Hold records by the edge and the label, brush off dust before each play, keep them in clean inner sleeves, and store them upright, away from heat and sunlight. Most damage to records comes from fingers, dust, heat and being stacked flat.
Handling
Touch only the edge and the label. Skin oil in the grooves holds dust and turns into noise. Slide the record out of its inner sleeve into your palm with the edge resting against your thumb and a fingertip on the label.
Lower the stylus with the cueing lever, not by hand, and lift it the same way. Put the record back in its sleeve as soon as the side is finished: records left out collect dust and get knocked.
Before each play
Hold a carbon-fibre record brush lightly on the turning record for a couple of turns, then sweep the dust off towards the edge. It takes ten seconds and saves both the record and the stylus.
Keep the stylus clean with the small brush made for it, stroking from back to front only. A stylus carrying a ball of fluff sounds like a damaged record.
Washing a dirty record
A second-hand record often needs a proper clean before it shows what it can do. Use a record cleaning fluid made for vinyl and a clean microfibre cloth, wiping round with the grooves, never across them. Keep the label dry. Let the record dry fully, standing in a rack, before it goes back in a sleeve.
Avoid household cleaners, window spray and tap water left to dry, which leave a film or lime in the grooves. Shellac 78s are a different material and must never meet alcohol.
A record cleaning machine, whether a vacuum type or an ultrasonic bath, does a better job than a cloth and is worth it once a collection grows. Cleaning removes dirt, not scratches.
Sleeves
Replace torn or gritty paper inner sleeves with anti-static, poly-lined ones, and keep the original inner sleeve in the cover if it has printing on it. A clear outer sleeve protects the cover from ring wear and shelf scuffs.
Many collectors store the record in its inner sleeve behind the cover, inside the outer sleeve, so the cover’s seams never take the weight of the disc.
Storing
Stand records upright, like books, snug enough not to lean but loose enough to pull one out without dragging its neighbours. Leaning warps them and tight packing causes ring wear.
Keep them away from radiators, sunny windows, lofts and damp cellars. Vinyl softens with heat well before it feels hot to the hand, and damp ruins sleeves. Never leave records in a parked car.
Keeping track of condition
When you clean or re-sleeve a record, it is a good moment to grade it. In Sleevebay each record has a grade for the disc and the sleeve, your notes ("soft click on side two"), and where it is kept, so you can find it and know what shape it is in.
Questions
Can a warped record be fixed?
Sometimes a mild warp plays fine and is best left alone. Home methods with heat and weight carry a real risk of making it worse; if the record matters, ask a shop that offers a flattening service.
How often should I clean my records?
A dry brush before every play, and a wet clean when a record is new to you or sounds dirty. Clean records in clean sleeves rarely need washing again.
Is it bad to stack records?
Yes. The weight of a pile presses dirt into the grooves and can warp the ones at the bottom. Store them upright.
Do scratches come out with cleaning?
No. Cleaning removes dirt and static, which is often what crackles. A scratch you can feel is in the vinyl and stays there.