Is it safe to clean vinyl records with alcohol?

Marc HenshallCleaning Vinyl, Record Care18 Comments

There is much debate among the vinyl community around the use of alcohol to clean vinyl records. Isopropyl alcohol, in particular, is popular with many collectors as a key ingredient in homemade record cleaning solutions. But is it safe? Some collectors swear by it, others warn of potential hazards. To help shed some light on the topic, we’ve done a … Read More

On Test: New, Stronger GrooveWasher G3 Record Cleaning Fluid

Marc HenshallCleaning Vinyl, Record Care1 Comment

The latest record cleaning formula from GrooveWasher gets down to work faster than their flagship G2 offering. I’ve used GrooveWasher’s G2 as my main record cleaning solution for many years now.  The reason? It works.  It’s the perfect turntable companion and the best record cleaning fluid I’ve encountered for day-to-day use. The team at GrooveWasher are anything if dedicated. The … Read More

How to Clean Your Turntable Stylus – Without Causing Damage

Marc HenshallCleaning Vinyl, New to Vinyl, Record Care, Vinyl 1015 Comments

Your record player or turntables’ needle (better know as the stylus) is the first point in the audio signal chain. It is the instrument responsible for directly tracking your record and beginning the process of transforming an otherwise useless groove into sweet, sweet music. For it to perform at its best, you need to keep it clean. If you allow … Read More

GrooveWasher Mondo Record & Stylus Care System Review

Marc HenshallCleaning Vinyl, Record Care, Reviews1 Comment

Our favorite manual record cleaner gets an update with the release of their top-of-the-line record cleaning bundle.  Regular readers will know why we’ve recommended GrooveWasher as our go-to manual record cleaning solution for over four years now. Quite frankly, in our opinion, it’s the best product on the market in this category. GrooveWasher G2 cleaning fluid is safe, highly effective, … Read More

How to Clean Vinyl Records, Quickly and Easily

Marc HenshallCleaning Vinyl, Record Care16 Comments

A clean, well looked after vinyl record is a joy to behold, and in my opinion, the best way to experience your favorite music as the artist intended. Dirty records, on the other hand, will quickly have you reaching for the mute button. If you’ve just started your vinyl hobby—or you’ve recently rekindled the old record flame—the chances are you’ve come across … Read More

Pro-Ject VC-S2 ALU Vacuum Record Cleaning Machine Review

Marc HenshallCleaning Vinyl, Record Care, Reviews9 Comments

Sound Matters test Pro-Ject’s new and improved flagship vacuum-powered record cleaning machine: Keeping your vinyl records clean is essential if you want them to sound great for a lifetime and beyond. For this reason, vinyl record cleaning remains one of the most-read topics on Sound Matters. For those on a tight budget, you can achieve great results cleaning records by … Read More

Clean Vinyl Records, According to the Folks at GrooveWasher

Marc HenshallCleaning Vinyl, Record Care5 Comments

Great sounding vinyl records are clean vinyl records, and few know more about this topic than GrooveWasher founder, Steve Chase. We talk to Steve about his journey in building a modern record cleaning system designed to enhance the listening experience for new and veteran vinyl enthusiasts. Steve also has some expert tips for our readers to help keep your precious … Read More

Why I switched my record cleaning solution from Clear Groove to Vinyl Revival

Marc HenshallCleaning Vinyl, Record Care, Reviews10 Comments

I love vinyl records, but when it comes to keeping them clean and clear of dust, they can be a real pain in the neck. There are many ways to keep your vinyl records clean and sounding great, the most affordable of which is a good cleaning solution. Previously, I’ve recommended Clear Groove as an affordable and effective solution, but … Read More