Cleaning records. How often really?

The worst idea is to professionally clean record before each play.
Think about the stress to the record first. The less the longer the better.

Mold release? Really? What state within the process is mold released used? I've watched videos of record stamping and there's zero mold release applied. So when is it used, what is it and is "mold release" just a fabricated excuse to sell another product?

BTW, I clean records once. Use a carbon fibre brush, maybe a chenille brush before and after each play. What conditions would require a second cleaning other than a flood?

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.

Bill, it is my understanding that all records are pressed with a thin coating of a mold release agent applied to the stamper. If the stamper is not so treated, the LP's resist detaching from it after the cooling phase of pressing. That agent is not dissolvable with ordinary record cleaning fluid, which is why Walter Davies of Last (and others) created a chemical that DOES remove the agent from LP's without harming the vinyl.

Once I made a phenomenal discovery:
I tried to keep my computer monitor clean back in the old days of CRT. Any detergent applied always left residue and stains up till I started using only water. Wet cloth followed by paper towel worked best.
I thought maybe I can sell these bottles of water...