• 𝔥𝔬𝔴 𝔱𝔬 𝔠𝔞𝔯𝔢 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔳𝔦𝔫𝔶𝔩 𝔯𝔢𝔠𝔬𝔯𝔡𝔰 •

a thread full of tips & tricks on how to keep your vinyl playing and looking exactly the way they did the day you bought them !!

𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖆𝖌𝖊

vinyl records should ALWAYS be stored upright (pic 1) as opposed to stacked (pic 2). stacking vinyl on top of each other causes them to warp and bend which can result in unplayable records !

records can be stored just about anywhere as long as they are upright ! crates, shelves, and even the floor work just fine ! so long as they’re not next to a heat source that can melt them !

vinyl sleeves are an excellent way to protect your rare/special/signed vinyl !! you can pick up a package of these from your local record shop for pretty cheap, or even online ! i’ll link some at the end of this thread !!

𝖈𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌

vinyl got a smudge or some dust ? the best and easiest way to clean your vinyl is with a bit of distilled water and a microfiber cloth ! just drop the water around the vinyl and set your player to spin (not play) and gently wipe away water !

while the record spins, starting from the center, touch the rag (or record buffer) to your vinyl, gently move your hand to the edge of the vinyl whilst it spins to wipe excess water and dirt over the edge of the vinyl !

do NOT use harsh chemicals or any kind of alcohol to clean !!!! you can and WILL damage your vinyl !

𝖉𝖎𝖘𝖕𝖑𝖆𝖞𝖎𝖓𝖌

got a cool record you wanna use as decor for your wall ? that’s totally fine so long as they’re mounted correctly ! you can mount vinyl on the wall in a few different ways, by shelving, tacking, or shadowboxing !

there are safe ways to do all of these, surely the safest is a shelf or a shadowbox but not everyone has the funds for that, enter push pins !

when mounting using push pins, make sure to tack the edges so that the vinyl can sit on the protruding part !

two on the bottom edge and two on the top edge so that the vinyl sits on the pins ! this is not recommended for gatefold/heavier vinyl !

make sure to NEVER push the pin THROUGH THE SLEEVE !!!! (shown below) as it will irreparably damage the sleeve of your vinyl !

alternatively, NEVER display your vinyl on the wall out of their sleeve !!!!

displaying them without their sleeve could cause them to press against the wall and create scratches, it can collect dust that could make it difficult to clean, and could even warp them ! (shown below)

if you have a cool pressing that you’d like to display you can always invest in a vinyl box that you can hang on the wall or place on a table !! i’ll link one at the end of the thread !!

BONUS TIP: flexi disks !

flexi disks may be made cheap and seem durable, but that doesn’t mean they are exempt from scratching or becoming dirty ! they can be cleaned the same way and should always be kept in the little vinyl sleeves you purchased them in !

vinyl collecting is a fun hobby ! and when taken care of, your collections can grow in size and value & be playable for years to come !!!

below are the links to all the products i mentioned !! take care and happy collecting !

links

record cleaning kit: https://www.target.com/p/crosley-record-cleaning-kit/-/A-53869993?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df_free_online&CPNG=Electronics&adgroup=8-4

record display case: https://www.wayfair.com/decor-pillows/pdp/crosley-electronics-wood-vinyl-record-picture-frame-crsl1003.html