15 Tips for Maintaining Vinyl LPs

Here you will find 15 important tips to maintain your vinyl properly! For tips on cleaning LPs: See here

1. Be careful not to put your fingers on the grooves.
2. Before playing, clean the record of any dust with a record brush !
3. Clean very dirty records before playing, for example with cleaning fluid .
4. Clean your needle regularly (for example with this )
5. LPs are best protected in a plastic-lined inner sleeve
6. Also protect your covers against damage and dust with a protective cover ( HERE you will find various options)
7. Always place your turntable on a firm surface. Not near a heat source or in direct sunlight.
8. Make sure the turntable is completely horizontal. Adjustable feet are available for this purpose.
9. Cheap is expensive: Don't go for a very cheap turntable (for example suitcase turntables). These are often of very poor quality, with needles that can damage your LPs and a small platter that makes your records spin unstable. There are plenty of affordable turntables of good quality available. A brand with an excellent price/quality ratio is for example Audio Technica.
10. The platter must not show any upward or downward deviation during rotation and the speed must be completely uniform (33 1/3 or 45 RPM)
11. The needle force should not exceed 2.0 grams (elliptical needles) or 3.0 grams (conical needles)
12. A diamond needle is more expensive, but much better for your LPs! They also last much longer (1500-2000 hours)
13. Do not play LPs with a worn or damaged needle, this is fatal for the grooves.
14. Protect your records from heat from all possible heat sources. Sun, heater, radiator, amplifiers etc....
15. Always store your LPs vertically! If you store them flat in a big pile, you run the risk of them warping.