How to Clean Your Vinyl Albums

• Prepare a 50/50 solution of distilled water and isopropyl alcohol.
• Remove the album from its jacket and inner sleeve.
• Always handle the record by its edges, with no contact to the playing surface itself.
• Blow softly on both sides of the album to remove surface dust and lint.
• Dip a soft, clean towel in solution until moderately damp, not dripping.
• Use a circular motion to clean the record, following the grooves.
• Repeat on other side of the LP.
• Dry album with a soft, dry towel or cloth.
• Keep solution off the labels, as they could bubble, bleed or come off altogether.

How to Care For & Store Your Albums

• After thoroughly cleaning the album, spend some time on the album cover, or jacket.
• Always handle the record by its edges, with no contact to the playing surface.
• Use a cloth slightly dampened with water or furniture polish to wipe off the cover.
• Use an eraser to remove pencil marks; lighter fluid (naphtha) or hair spray works best on pen marks.
• Permanent marker can be removed by tracing over it with an erasable marker, then wiping with a dry cloth.
• Stickers, labels and tape can be removed by heating the area with a hair dryer, then carefully peeling.
• Use citrus-based cleaners or lighter fluid (naphtha) on the remaining sticky residue.
• To prevent wear and tear on the original cover, place album in a plain white cover, then store it along with the original in a poly outer sleeve.
• Store albums in a cool, dry place. Heat and humidity can cause the growth of mould and mildew on the cover, label and in the record grooves.
• Always store records vertically with as little leaning as possible.
• Always replace the album in its sleeve and cover immediately after playing.
• Do not attempt to clean non-glossy (matte) album covers. You could possibly remove part of the print or colours.
• Do not attempt to clean any album labels (the circular area in the centre of the vinyl itself) for the same reason.

Japanese Pressings

•    Japanese vinyl releases are premium quality pressings, much sought after by audiophiles and collectors alike. In the 1960s Toshiba pioneered top quality red vinyl pressings using their trademark ‘Ever-Clean’ process this utilised a special ingredient intended to prevent the build-up of static electricity on the vinyl.
  
•    Japanese pressings are synonymous with quality - the vinyl shines like no other vinyl - everything about their releases feels special. When US audiophile label Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab first released their series of high quality pressings the records were manufactured in Japan.
  
•    The sonic quality of Japanese pressings is considered to be among the best in the world and, in addition, they are beautifully presented, their covers usually printed on better quality heavy stock paper and often including a bonus lyric insert with dual language Japanese & English text.
  
•    Nearly all Japanese LPs were issued with an ‘obi’ - literally translated this means ‘sash’ and is derived from the obi (sash) worn around the traditional kimono dress. This delicate paper strip, usually wrapped around the left side of the album cover, often contains marketing information and album content details, all printed in Japanese kanji and ~kana script. Obi designs can be as varied as the LPs they adorn, and some series of obi designs can be as collectable as the artists’ albums they decorate. Obis make a unique, attractive addition to the overall package and are becoming increasingly rare, especially on LPs from the 1960s and 70s. Their delicate and disposable nature meant that very early obis were routinely discarded, so that now they can often be worth several times more than the record they accompany.
  
•    In addition to Japanese pressings of regular albums there are numerous Japanese-only releases. Labels and artists often issued exclusive records timed to coincide with their Far East tour, or they re-released back catalogue albums with a re-designed obi, displaying revised graphics and other consumer information. Regardless of your musical taste, Japanese records make a stunning addition to any collection. Audibly and visually they present the collector with a feast of delights.