What is the best way to clean Vinyl?

@fleschler

Thanks for your remarks. I just can’t imagine. I guess, while misic has been a really central theme of my life… and at its core… the music I collected… I can’t conceive of the numbers you are talking about.

But then, I have travelled extensively,.. and spent time in between trips getting music… for instance, onto cassette tapes (Dolby C) to go on my three weeks trips every month to isolated parts of the SW US each month as a Geologist. I took about 144 albums with me in two brief cases. I listened to music about eight hours a day. I did this for years.

Then I became an executive and traveled globally for decades… with my music, CDs, battery powered head amps, ear speakers, headphones… you name it. In planes, across Europe… around the world… living in Scotland, China, Japan, Mexico, and across America for weeks and months at a time. I had at one point 4,000 albums (1/2 Cd). Music has been the central theme of my life. So, let me say, your story is amazing!

I've probably got over 100 Older LPs.

What should I buy with a $500 limit? 

TIA

Also about 25 new which I've been using exclusively due to my fear of damaging the needle.

What should I do?

You have two choices with a $500 limit. If you don't mind the effort, a SpinClean and a long read of Neil Antin's pamphlet* will be one way. The second is a vacuum machine that might need to be used to fit in the limit. It will get you 80% of the way to the best any of us can do. An ultrasonic cleaner gets you the rest of the way to what is currently achievable.

This is worthwhile, and likely should come before more esoteric upgrades of cartridge or phono stage in my view. It not only can make an LP as quiet as a CD in many cases, but it will prolong the life of your stylus remarkably.

*the PDF is at this link:

A question: Can playing dirty records ruin the needle/stylus? Or is it safe?