How to Preserve the Life of a LP

Do you have a record player and a collection of LP's that you own? If you do, it may be a good idea to heed these tips to sustain the life of those records!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Only touch the LP from its rim. Holding or clutching the LP record with your entire hand can help attract the presence of dust and scratches which will cause an increased frequency of pops and clicks in the songs.
   Treat it as you would a more fragile version of a CD, or compact disc.

2. Always keep the LP in its dust jacket or original sleeve. If you do not do this, you run an enormous risk of the LP collecting dust and your record player's tone arm will not play the record effectively with the accumulation. When not in use, always remember to put it back in its protective covering.

3. Keep the LP in its sleeve in a vertical position and not flat. Do not stack your record collection as well. This could cause the increased degradation of your records as well as the increased chances of causing records to break or collect dust. Always keep it in a vertical position.

4. Clean the LP as needed with a soft cloth that attracts the dust off the LP. Never use chemicals or other spraying agents on the LP as you may damage the record in the process. Never attempt to pick anything off the LP (like dust or a particle) with a sharp object, as you can scratch the LP and ruin the record!

[survivoryea]

on 8/31/2009 Thanks for the tips on storing old LP's! 5*