The Pledge idea for cleaning them is intriguing, I might try that myself. When I was a college student in Seattle, without a lot of disposable income, I bought all my records at Standard Record and HiFi on 65th Ave. NE. For all I know it is still there. I hope so. Anyway it was a mom and pop operation and the records side was run by Mrs. Smith who knew her music and her records. She was a walking encyclopedia. Anyway, I learned much about music and about records from her, which I try to pay forward. Here is one of her tips. When you buy a new record, remove the outer cover and throw it away. Keep your records clean, stacked vertically and not packed too tightly. The reason she recommended against storing record jackets inside any kind of plastic covering is because these covers can harbor mold. Anyone who buys and collects old records has encountered mold on the surface of some records. It is pernicious, difficult to remove (hint ultrasonic RCM are ineffective against it), and does negatively affect the sound quality of records so affected. So listen to the late Mrs. Smith (and me) and ditch the record jacket covers. There are better ways to take care of your records. I have records that were new in the 1950s to present that still look and play like new.
