General Care for Vinyl Records

It is equally important to handle, store and play records with the same care used in cleaning. Once a record has been thoroughly cleaned, it should be placed in a new, clean inner sleeve. It doesn't make much sense to put dirty socks on freshly cleaned feet, right? Inner sleeves come in different styles and are made with different materials.

There are many opinions to which sleeve is best... I prefer quality made, paper sleeves. I have experienced no damage or problems with these sleeves, when handled properly. I prefer to keep the sleeved record in the original cover jacket along with the original sleeve and any inserts. Some prefer to put the record in a plain jacket and store it and the original jacket together in a outer poly sleeve. This helps prevent further wear to the cover, inner sleeve and other inserts. In either case, use outer poly sleeves to reduce cover wear and dust.

Always store records vertically, leaning as little as possible. It is best to store records in a cool, dry area. Avoid any source of heat such as direct sunlight, heaters, fireplace, etc. and moist or humid areas. Warmth and humidity are ideal conditions for mold, mildew and other fungi which can infest the cover, label and inside the grooves.

When handling and playing records, hold the disk by the outer edge and label. Eliminate contact with the playing surface. Always replace disk in it's sleeve and cover immediately after play. Ensure that your playback equipment is set and adjusted correctly and that the stylus is not worn... Extreme damage can result.

Ken's Music Library #0307