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How to Clean Old Phonograph Records

You love your collection of 33, 45 and even 78 records. You have had them since you were child or teenager and they are in pretty good condition. But like anything else, dust and dirt can collect on these items and if not removed properly, will cause problems for your records. To clean old photograph records, you don't need any special cleaner---just some paper towels and glass cleaner.

Things You'll Need

Gloves
Paper towels
Glass Cleaner (Windex)

Instructions

- 1
  Put on a pair of gloves to handle your records without leaving fingerprints on them.
- 2
  Place a paper towel on a flat, firm surface like a desk or table.
- 3
  Place a record on the flat paper towel surface.
- 4
  Spray some glass cleaner lightly on another paper towel.
- 5
  Wipe the record in a circular motion with the wet paper towel to avoid getting the glass cleaner on to the record's label and to follow the path of the grooves on the record. The glass cleaner will evaporate quickly without any streaks.
- 6
  Repeat steps 4 and 5 if the record has any caked on dirt. Repeat steps 2 through 5 for other records that need cleaning.

Record Collecting