How To: Cleaning Secondhand Records

If you've picked up a secondhand record from our sale section, or elsewhere, make sure you know how to give them a good clean before they hit your turntable.

Anything from fingerprints, spills, fuzzy spots (fungus), pizza topping etc., can cake around your styus and cause distortion. This is especially important for older vinyl pressings. From the 50s to 70s, over 60% of homes had at least one smoker. The residue from cigarette smoke covers a lot of older vinyl in a fine film of tar because they electrostatically attract smoke particles. 

Any records bought from Real Groovy with the orange Ultrasonically Cleaned sticker have been pre-washed.

While not the best way, you can use alcohol (isopropyl alcohol, not beer) and dust off with a tissue. Don't use tissues scented with Eucalyptus or Aloe Vera. Add a couple drops of water to the tissue, and wipe the record with a rotary movement, following the groove.

This won't fully clean out the grooves, but in most cases will make them playable.