Record-playing Rituals?

I, too, use a VPI 16.5. I also use an Onzow Endust to get any detritus off the stylus. I use the stylus cleaner once daily, but more often if needed. That, and a record clamp, and I'm good to go.

Hey y'all, I use a totally diy system of cleaning made up from following some of the ideas from a lot of different sites in the analogue community. You know, ice cream maker, old platen, ball bearing lazy susan, homebrew, vacuum, etc etc... When I am going to listen to an album I give it a good few turns with the carbon fibre brush and then clean my stylus with the brush provided from the cartridge company. Upon finishing the side I will again pass the old c.f. brush in the event I dislodged any gunk and give her a flip to the other side following the same procedure. I give my stylus a good cleaning now and then with the same brew that I use on my records along with a gentle scrubbing with a fine paintbrush which I shortened to about 1/4 inch, always from back to front and then I will give it a good blow again from back to front to keep the fluid from being forced up the shaft of the stylus. I should have mentioned that I take the cartridge off the arm and never clean the stylus with the cartridge upside down as this might allow some of the cleaning fluid to get into the bowels of the cartridge. Yes, my cleaning fluid contains alcohol but I don't worry about the bond between my stylus and the shaft. I've been doing it for at least one and a half years with no ill affects. I also regularly check my stylus under a quite powerful microscope to verify condition and cleanliness. My kids sometimes shake their heads but never complain when the tunes are on and we are all bopping our heads to the music

With records I just obtained, I first clean them with my Loricraft, and later on I dust them off before and after playing.
I also them to ensure they smell like vinyl,
Thats it
VINYL Meister

When one takes the time to master steam cleaning , nothing does more to improve playability. Steam, any record cleaning fluid from home-brew to $$$, combo'ed with a vaccum cleaning machine, makes for a hard to beat combination.

1. Carbon fiber brush 3-4 rotations with a slightly moist finger to compensate for drag on every listen, every side. I like to think I've mastered this technique so as not to put unnecessary strain on the belt.

2. Zerodust after a session when digging out my old vinyl; with new vinyl only once a week...

3. I'll blast it with compressed air at times before putting it back into my Diskeeper "Ultimate Audiophile Inner Sleeves." I only do this for my prize LPs (or when dust appears on the transfer back into the sleeve).

Four years ago I used the old Disc Washer D4 solution from back in my youth, thinking this was the proper way to "Care" for the vinyl. Only to realize I did more harm than good. I never use a brush on my needle. Ever.

When I'm hammered, all bets are off (I try NOT to listen to my records when really intoxicated).