Vinyl Record Care Guide: How to Clean & Store Your Collection

Records have outlived cassette tapes, CDs, and most of your patience for streaming algorithms. But vinyl is only forgiving up to a point — treat it badly and it'll let you know, usually with a pop, a crackle, or a permanent skip right in the middle of your favourite track.

Here's how to keep your collection sounding — and looking — the way it should.

Handle Records by the Edges

It sounds obvious, but it's the easiest habit to break. Always hold a record by its outer edge and label, never by the grooves. The oils on your fingertips attract dust and, over time, degrade the sound quality. When you're sliding a record in or out of its sleeve, support the centre label with your palm rather than gripping the playing surface.

How to Clean Vinyl Records

The everyday routine — dry cleaning

A carbon fibre brush is the single best $15 you can spend on your collection. Before every play, give the record one or two light rotations with the brush to lift dust before the stylus presses it into the grooves.

The deeper clean — wet cleaning

For records that have picked up grime over the years, a proper wet clean makes a real difference. A microfibre cloth, a vinyl-specific cleaning solution (never household cleaners), and a gentle circular motion following the grooves will lift built-up residue. Let the record air dry completely before it goes anywhere near a sleeve or a turntable.

Storing Records the Right Way

Vinyl should always be stored upright — never flat, never stacked horizontally. A stack of records under their own weight will warp over time, and a warped record is rarely something you can fix. Inner sleeves matter too: paper is fine for now, but anti-static poly-lined sleeves will protect the surface for decades.

Keep Records Away from Heat and Direct Sun

Vinyl is a soft plastic, and heat is its enemy. Avoid storing your collection near a window with direct sun, on top of an amplifier that runs warm, or anywhere temperatures swing dramatically. A stable, cool spot out of direct light is all it takes.

Display Without the Damage

This is where most collections go wrong. Leaning records against a wall or stacking them on the floor looks effortless in photos, but it's the fastest way to warp a sleeve or chip a corner. A proper record stand keeps the weight off the bottom edge and the spine upright, so your favourite pressing stays exactly as it should — out, on display, and protected.

It's also just nicer to look at. The record you're currently playing deserves a spot of its own, not a place back in the crate.

Browse our record stands — designed in Melbourne, made to hold the records you actually want to see.