Tips For Record Care and Storage

GEOFF WALKER SHARES SOME ADVICE FOR ENSURING YOUR VINYL COLLECTION OUTLASTS YOU!

So now that you have all these bright, shiny records, you might be wondering, “How the heck do I take care of them?”  Thankfully, the answer is not as complicated as you may think!  I’m going to go over a few things that will play an important role in your being able to enjoy your music for the rest of your life. Literally. If you take care of your records, they will outlast you!  Some of these are no brainers, and some are personal preference, but they are all worth going over, especially for those just getting into record collecting.

– Where do I put them?

Wherever you want. But know these things: water, sunlight, heat vents, and cat’s claws are bad for records and their jackets! Therefore, I usually build shelves on an interior wall that doesn’t get direct sunlight. Preferably, one that isn’t under a window, a sewer pipe, or an air conditioner. I know people who have lost records to all three of these potential water sources. Cats are harder to control than location, but if you know your fuzzy friend likes to scratch cardboard, consider closing the door, or at least keeping their claws trimmed. Basements and attics are out of the question. I recently went through a collection a friend had meticulously stored in his basement – special shelves, plastic sleeves, the whole bit. Yet the moisture in his basement had crept in over the years, and the plastic sleeves had kept it in. The records were moldy. Some of them were unsalvageable. Attics? Hot. Heat warps vinyl.

– How should I store them on the shelves?

Whether on a shelf, leaning against a wall, or in a cabinet, your records will love you if you store them vertically and not horizontally. No, putting them in a pile for a day or a week won’t ruin them, but leaving them in horizontal piles for long periods of time can cause them to warp. It’s also best to not let them lean at precarious angles. Vinyl is quite malleable, and will eventually mold itself to the shape of the space you leave it in.

– Should I take the shrink wrap off?

This is a personal preference. Currently, old records that are still in their shrink wrap tend to sell for more than their wrap-less counterparts, but it’s up to you. People used to believe that leaving the wrap on would cause warpage, but I’ve found that to be true only if they were stored inappropriately – leaning, flat, in the sun, etc. I used to always take it off, unless it had a super cool sticker on it. These days, I leave it on.

– Should I put them in mylar (plastic) sleeves?

Again, personal preference. I have records that I’ve owned for over 30 years that have never been in a plastic sleeve and still look brand new. Different grades of paper used to make the covers deteriorate differently. To be on the safe side, putting them in sleeves keeps them crisper. But the sleeves themselves take up room, are heavy, etc. I once took all the sleeves off all my LPs before moving, and my collection shrunk BY FIVE BOXES. But I had a lot more records then. If you pull your records in and out from between their friends a lot, and if they’re crammed tightly on the shelves, a sleeve will help more than if they are not moved around too much.

-How do I keep them clean?

This is a topic of MUCH debate! People use everything from rubbing alcohol to wood glue. Seriously. You don’t need to use either. You also don’t need to buy an expensive machine, though they are fun. If you have a record cleaning system that works for you, great. One of my friends swears by the Spin Clean machine, which is not too pricey and seems to work well. I use a vintage Discwasher brush and D4 (water that’s been distilled 4 times) solution at home for spot cleaning. Their new ones don’t seem to be made form the same materials, and I would avoid them. If you don’t have access to brushes and solutions, don’t despair! You can use distilled water. Or if you don’t have any, you can use tap water. Just know that purists will tell you you’re ruining your records using tap water because of the particulate matter in the water. But in Marquette the water’s pretty darn clean, and let’s face it: we’re not true audiophiles, now, are we?

Get a very soft, dust-free cloth. If I’m cleaning a ton of LPs I might use an old 100% cotton t-shirt. Get it wet. Rub the record with the cloth in the direction of the groove. This part is important – you don’t want to drag dirt across the record, you want to move the dirt off. There’s one groove per side, you want to go with the groove. Wipe in a circle from inside to out, label to edge, counter-clockwise. You can let particularly dirty spots (dried gunk, dust) soak for a few minutes before wiping. Jut put a drop of water on it and let it sit. Now dry it with a dry cloth, going in the same direction. Set it aside and let it dry completely while you wash another. Turn them over and do the other side.

-How do I clean my needle?

VERY CAREFULLY! Preferably with a good quality stylus cleaning brush and solution. Absent that, you can use a very fine brush and rubbing alcohol. Just MAKE SURE to ONLY wipe the needle from back to front – in the same direction the record moves underneath it – if you push it backward toward the back of the turntable you’ll break it.

I’ll be at Ore Dock Brewing, 114 West Spring Street, in Marquette Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, November 20-22, from 5pm-midnight if you want to talk about these things in more detail! And? I’ll have thousands of records for you to look through!

Vinyl enthusiast, Geoff Walker smiles from the window of the Dia De Los Tacos truck with some classic vinyl records he’ll have for sale at the upcoming Pop-Up record sale in Marquette, MI. (photo by Ron Caspi)

Learn More About Vinyl With Geoff in These Other Great Articles:

Who Killed The Vinyl LP?

How To Handle Your Vinyl Records

by Geoff Walker

Geoff Walker is a record collector, musician, and artist. He grew up in Marquette and visits frequently, often bringing thousands of vinyl records with him to share with the residents of his beloved hometown. He works as a life coach and shamanic counselor in Royal Oak, MI, at The Living Balance Center. http://www.livingbalancecenter.com facebook.com/livingbalancecenter

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