Vinyl Records

As a teenager of the sixties many of an afternoon was spent drinking Coke and listening and dancing to vinyl records spinning on a small record player with girl friends. Today I wish I had that record collection back but through poor storage and cleaning it was lost. Vinyl records are abundant today though at backyard sales and flea markets and most are very inexpensive. The proper care, handling and storage of these will mean the difference between ruined, warp records and ones that can be played and enjoyed for years to come.

Storing Vinyl Records
Vinyl records should be stored in there jackets in a vertical position never horizontal, they may warp if stacked.

Vinyl records should never be stored in sunlight and should be kept away from heat, records should be stored in place where the temperature in never above 70 degrees and never below 45 degrees- never store in an attic. Records should be stored in a dry relatively cool place humidity may cause record and record jackets to grow mold- do not store in the garage or basement

Handling Records
Records should only be handled by edges or on the label, the dirt and oils on your hands can damage them.Keep your records in their jackets when not in use and wipe with antistatic cloth before playing

Cleaning Your Collection
Basic cleaning should be done by wiping the record with a antistatic cloth
If mold or mildew are apparent on the record wash with damp cloth and a few drops of a mild soap being careful not to get the label wet, rinse with warm water and pat dry

Unwarping Records
You can try to salvage a warped vinyl record but do this only at your own risk- sometimes it only makes it worse. Place the record between two pieces of clear glass and place outside in the sunlight. I have had this both work and be a complete failure.