6 Best Practices For How to Store Your Vinyl Records
The way you store your vinyl collection can have a significant impact on the longevity of your records. Depending on how you store vinyl records, you can potentially enjoy them for decades – even generations. If you’re a hardcore vinyl collector, you recognize the importance of protecting your investment. The good news is, by following these fairly simple LP and vinyl storage ideas, you can enjoy your music for a long time to come.
Take a look at these six best practices for storing, preserving, and protecting your vinyl record collection.
1. Keep ‘em in vertical
First and foremost, keep your vinyl records stored in a vertical position. Do not stack vinyl records on top of one another; this can result in bending, warping, and fracturing of the records. Even a single record left lying horizontally can warp over time.
2. Keep ‘em clean
From time to time, you should clean your vinyl records to remove any collected dust, dirt, fingerprints, or other smudges. To do this, start by wiping down the records with a soft cloth to remove dust and static. Then, use a gentle cleaning solution on any visible blemishes and gently rub the cloth in a circular motion to remove the spots. If there’s residual moisture on the disc, stand it upright on a rack to let it air dry before replacing in its sleeve.
3. Keep ‘em in their sleeves
Speaking of which… it’s important to the life of your records to keep them in their inner sleeves. This protects your records from accumulating dust and static that can impair play and even lead to permanent damage. If your vinyl record’s inner sleeve is old, torn, or otherwise damaged, be sure to replace it.
You'll want to keep your album art in a protective plastic outer sleeve as well.
4. Keep ‘em cool and keep ‘em dry
If you have a serious record collection, including older records, you’ll want to be mindful of the temperature and humidity in the storage space. The ideal temperature for LP storage is between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, while the humidity should stay between 40 percent and 50 percent. While fluctuations are expected, these are the optimal ranges for long-term storage.
5. Keep your hands off… as much as possible
One final vinyl storage idea: avoid putting your sticky paws all over the face of your records! As much as possible, hold your records on their edges or by the center label. This will protect the integrity of the grooves even longer.
Make your vinyl storage simple
At Big Fudge Vinyl, we want to help you make storing your vinyl simpler. We offer an ideal LP storage solution in our Record Cube vinyl record storage boxes. Each box comes with a blank label so you can write what’s inside and holds up to 70 records. Plus, if you’re not using one of your boxes, it will easily fold to put away until you’re ready.
For any questions about how to properly store your vinyl, don’t hesitate to shoot us a message on our contact page.
