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Do you clean your records before play, after play, or once (and then never again)?

All my records have been cleaned at least once, but after play, I'll drop it in my Klaudio ultrasonic cleaner for a quick re-clean. I figure if my stylus is digging / loosening anything in the grooves, it's a good opportunity to get that junk out of there. How about you?
128x128nrenter
pops
2,275 posts
 
+1fjno4, the late AJ did a number on us for sure!  The first time I dropped in the groove I was stunned!

jyprez's avatar
jyprez
241 posts
 

P.S. I should add that (IMHO) a record cleaner is the most important investment you can make in a vinyl system. Everything starts here.

It never ceases to amaze me how much people will spend on a turntable, cartridge, tonearm, interconnects and phono stage with a completely inadequate cleaning approach which will negate all the other investment. Nothing else happens if you can’t get it out accurately from the grooves.

mapman's avatar
mapman
22,526 posts
 
I place carbon brush at an angle oriented 1 to 7 o clock (not perpendicular to grooves) then slowly move out till off the record.  That does a good job of getting trapped loose dust off the record as needed.
czarivey
5,946 posts
 
I only clean them if I spot contamination between grooves. That includes fingerprints. Wherever the fingerprint is the dust gets stuck and can't get airborn out of play surface. Otherwise I use carbon fiber brush before each playback with no professional RCM usage.
I have records in my collection I didn't clean for over 20 years and they still don't need cleaning.
inna
7,581 posts
 
This is not the case what you don't see won't bother you. Record may look just fine when in fact it is very dirty.
Yeah, it amazes me too that some don't pay attention to proper record cleaning. But cleaning before each play is probably too much, won't hurt though.
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