I've cleaned records that were old before, made them look perfect, and still the wear is there. Cleaning isn't going to help vinyl that has seen thousands of repeated plays on awful equipment. It only helps preserve records that have yet to be ruined (by the non-philes who'd even play one covered with sand...years before you ever get a hold of it!). Good luck with this, and I'm sorry it doesn't encourage you to pursue buying a better table...seems like this whole thing is what holds most 'philes back, in my pinion. They only see the bad...
Cleaning LP's
What is the best relatively inexpensive way to clean LP's? My turntable has been shot for a number of years. I was given a turntable, nothing special, but I can't believe what I've been missing. I'm hearing a lot of crackle and I'm assuming my records need cleaning. Some sound okay while others are not so good. I can't see anything obvious on the surface. Any advice?