How to Clean a Record Player

Lauren asked, “How does one clean a record player?”

You Will Need:

• Stylus cleaning brush
• Soft paintbrush
• Rubbing alcohol
• Antistatic dusting cloth
• Lint-free cloth

Steps to Clean the Record Player:

1. Clean the stylus after each use of the record player. Use a stylus-cleaning brush, often sold at a record store, to clean the needle.² If you do not have a stylus cleaning brush, use a soft paintbrush instead. Wipe the needle from the back to the front; do not wipe side to side or you risk bending it.¹
2. For a more thorough cleaning of the stylus, dampen the stylus brush or paintbrush with rubbing alcohol.¹
3. Wipe the surfaces of the record player with an antistatic dusting cloth after each use.³
4. If the surfaces need a more thorough cleaning, such as to remove fingerprints, use rubbing alcohol.³ Moisten a lint-free cloth with the alcohol and wipe the surfaces of the turntable, starting in the center and wiping outwards in a circle.²
5. Use a dry lint-free cloth to wipe off any remaining moisture.²

• Do not wipe the stylus with your fingers; you could bend the stylus accidentally or deposit your finger oils onto the stylus surface.¹
• Do not blow on the stylus to remove dust; you probably won’t remove all of the dust and will risk accidentally spitting on it.¹
• Keep the dust cover on the record player between each use. If possible, also keep the cover on while the records are playing.¹
• If your turntable does not have a cover, use a cloth to keep it covered between each use so as to prevent dust from gathering on the surface.
• Vinyl records should also be cleaned with each use. Follow the information in our guide, How to Clean Vinyl Records.

1. The Cleaning Encyclopedia by Don Aslett
2. Girls Just Wanna Have Clean by Vicki Christian
3. How to Clean Practically Anything by Consumer Reports