Vinyl is famous — or infamous — for requiring some love in order to stay in pristine shape for years of listening pleasure. In particular, record cleaners are important part of a vinyl enthusiast’s arsenal. But is it important to do more than swipe the surface with a brush or cloth before giving it a spin?
Of course it is. One look at the surface of a dirty, dusty used record is your cue to clean it with the appropriate tools. At minimum, a brush tailored to vinyl applications will help, as in being better than nothing. But we strongly suggest going the extra mile to protect not only your albums, but styli as well. A moderately priced vacuum record cleaner will make a night-and-day difference in the sound, not to mention the life of the needle.
Don’t think a good cleaning is necessary when handling an oldie but a goodie. That new slab of vinyl will sound its best after a good cleaning that removes any traces of microscopic specs remaining in the grooves.