Keeping your turntable clean is highly important. You may ask why? Well, let me answer you. Turntable produces static electricity which attracts dust. You may not notice the dust as they can be invisible. But if you keep the turntable uncleaned for a long time, you will notice distortion in the sound even you use headphones for your turntable that won’t be going to change the fact. Moreover, the dust can damage or scratch the turntable as well as the vinyl which will cause a drop in performance gradually. That is why it is highly essential to keep the turntable clean for long-lasting performance.
Cleaning a turntable is easy. It doesn’t require any technical task. Moreover, you don’t need anything expensive to clean it. If you are doubtful about the process of cleaning a turntable, then read the below guide carefully. Here, we have described the whole process of cleaning a turntable simply.
What you will need:
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Stylus Cleaning Brush
- Static-free cloth
- Lint-free cloth
1. Cleaning the surface
Let us start with the surface of the turntable. Before you begin, disconnect the turntable from record player receiver or any other related component you are using. You will need an anti-static cloth to clean the dust away from the player. However, if you feel the turntable need a deeper clean then you can use some rubbing alcohol too. At first, clean the surface with the anti-static cloth. Then put some rubbing alcohol on a lint-free cloth and wipe the surface again.
Try to avoid rubbing alcohol cleaning if possible. Only use it if there are difficult to remove agents like as fingerprints then you can proceed using it. Start cleaning from the middle of the surface and move on centrifugally to get the best cleaning.
Now you can use a dry and lint-free cloth to remove any remaining dirt from the surface. That is all; you are done with cleaning the turntable surface.
2. Cleaning the stylus
Now let’s clean the stylus of the turntable. The turntable is one of the most vital components of a turntable. The quality of the sound also depends on extensively. A little malfunction or damage can cause a massive distortion in the music. So it is highly necessary to clean the stylus with proper concentration.
You will need a stylus cleaning brush for this process. The brush is specially made for cleaning the stylus of a turntable. It provides the exact precision required to clean the needle without harming it. Though you will use the specialized brush, you still need to be highly careful to avoid any damage. The correct way of cleaning the needle is moving the brush in a back to front motion. Moving the brush on other motion may cause bending the needle.
If you still feel that the stylus is not cleaned accurately, then you can try with some rubbing alcohol. Damp a little quantity of rubbing alcohol on the brush and clean the stylus again as like as before.
That is who you clean your turntable. It is advisable to clean the turntable every time after you use it to ensure better performance.
Besides if you can use turntable mat to protect your vinyl record getting scratch.
Tips for a long-lasting performance from the turntable
Here are some tips to get a long lasting performance from your turntable:
- Clean the dust cover of your turntable regularly as like as the furniture of the house. If the dust cover is left uncleaned, then the gathered dust can also reach on the turntable and damage it.
- Keep the player covered with the dust cover even while enjoying music. That is because in that time the turntable attracts more dust because of the static electricity.
- If the turntable doesn’t come with a dust cover, then use a soft cloth to cover it. It will keep the dust away from accruing on the turntable.
- Never try to wipe the stylus with your finger as it can bend the stylus and dust or oily substance on it.
- Never try any other method to clean the turntable which unproven. You can severely damage the record.
- Always buy the turntable cleaner kits from reliable places. Else you can end up with the fake product. The same holds true with accessories. Buy trusted brands like Pioneer or Nagaoka turntable cartridges.
The turntable is not as like as other music components. It gives you the best possible music and also requires the best care from you.
