Cleaning records. How often really?


Suppose, they have just been machine-cleaned and are played maybe two times a month in a regular environment.
Also treated with Last record preservative and kept in sealed outer sleeves.
Once a year or so?
Just don't tell me before each play, yeah, I heard of this insane approach.
inna

Showing 1 response by dhl93449

While I agree that "cleaning" (with detergent or cleaning agents) should be done sparingly, I find that static removal may need to be done prior to every play.

I don't find most carbon brushes to be effective at removing all static charges from an LP. They need to have a grounding strap to be most effective (most products do not have straps).

The best method for static charge removal is complete wetting in a fluid. I use pure deionized water in one of the those Spin Clean machines. You can even remove the brushes if you just need to remove static charges. Deionized water will not leave a residue if pure enough (ie better than 10 ppm dissolved solids). I also find those clamp type label protectors to be extremely helpful when using the Spin Clean, both to keep the label dry and as a handle to rotate the record in solution and dry the record afterward.