Audiophiles love vinyl. To most, it is still the best way to listen to music. There are die hard fanatics that collect them to your average consumer who is old enough to have a few vinyl records around somewhere. Often times they are reminders of one’s youthful days and hard to part with even if not played very often.
Regardless of your motive, vinyl records are a sensitive product that require special handling and storage to ensure they hold up over time. Here are a few helpful hints on how to store and protect that collection of yours:
Keep it Clean: Your friend is a record cleaning kit. It includes a record cleaning brush and a liquid cleaner that will help you keep the surface of the vinyl free of excess debris and dust. Follow the record cleaning kit instructions on how to properly keep your vinyl clean and do so before putting the records back into storage.
Keep it Temperate: Climate controlled storage should be a big consideration when deciding how to and where to place your vinyl records in storage. Humidity and heat are your worst enemies. The more controlled the temperature and storage environment is the longer your records will last.
Keep it Covered: Vinyl records come with an inner sleeve that is made of paper for a reason. They help keep the record dry and clean so make sure to put your vinyl back in this sleeve before storing. Also, each record comes in an album cover. Another great way to keep it clean and dry for self-storage. If the record cover still has the shrink wrap, remove it immediately.
Keep it Vertical: Store exactly vertically to prevent warping. Spacers are recommended and never use bookends. Avoid mixing sizes too, keeping everything the same uniform size and shape as much as possible. Ideally store them on metal shelves. Wood is not recommended as it expands and contracts over time. The main thing is to keep them exactly vertical so they don’t warp over time.
For more information on the proper storing, cleaning and preservation of your vinyl collection, click here.
By Steve Reed