Hello. I just bought a bunch of great old records. I was wondering if there is any way to clean them with out damaging the record (hopefully it will reduce all the pops and crackles throughout)
Also does one need to clean/replace the needle of a record player periodically?
Thanks
I would recommend a D4 system–it looks like a block of wood with velvet on one side, and it’s got a little bottle of cleaning solution inside it. You put a few drops of solution on the velvet, turn the record player on, lay the velvet across the record for a few revolutions, then tilt the velvet/wood block thingy so the fibers on the velvet pick up the dust from the record and dry the record at the same time.
At my museum, we sometimes use a very soft paint brush to remove surface dust, and then wipe with a damp cotton ball.
The D4 system described by Ethilrist works great for moderately dirty vinyl, but if you’ve got serious dirt, you can end up scratching the record even more, by smearing dirt around with the felt.
When I get really dusty, dirty old records, I rinse them a sink of warm water along with some cheap (i.e. no emollients) liquid detergent. Depending on the water in your area, you might prefer to used the distilled stuff. After a bit of soaking, spray them down with clean water, blot off the water with toilet paper or tissue, and air dry. Then use the D4 for final cleanup. Take care not to soak the records too long, or not only will you loosen the dirt, but you’ll wreck the paper label.
Or, do what Squink said, but be careful to keep the label out of the water and don’t get it wet.
If, by ‘old record,’ you’re talking about 78’s, be VERY careful not to get the label wet.
I have a friend who used to have a used record store and he used a 50/50 denatured alcohol & water solution.
I use the D4 system and I love it.
As far as the stylus goes, you can buy a tiny kit for tiny money that will help you clean the needle - it consists of a brush and a small bottle of solution. All you do is moisten the brush and (!gently!) swab the needle, in one direction (towards you - otherwise you risk breaking the needle). I do that only rarely, though…doesn’t seem to be a need to do it very often.
Replacing needles…hmm. I couldn’t tell you exactly how often to replace them, but about a year ago I bought a standard middle-end Pioneer turntable, and I’m delighted with the sound - and I don’t see myself replacing the stylus or cartridge any time soon.
Take a deep breath before you look at the price of this gadget - for many it would be cheaper to replace your whole record collection:
The Moth Record Cleaning Machine
(Disclaimer: the link is to a site for real Hi Fi nuts. Any opinions expressed therein should be taken with a pinch of the proverbial)