Carbon Fibre Cleaning Brush

The only thing you should use to dry clean your records is a Carbon Fibre Record Brush.

Why is this? Well any cloths can catch grit then scratch records with the grit. Velvet pads clean the surface of the record so it looks clean, but they just shove the muck deeper into the grooves. A carbon fibre brush is strong and fine enough to get right into the grooves and lift dust out, most cleaning products superficially clean a record so it looks clean but in the process shove the dust down into the grooves where it causes annoying clicks and pops.

The best way to treat your records is clean them once with the full Disc Doctor treatment.

Then subsequently use a Carbon Fibre Brush before and after playing, followed by a zap from a Zerostat to remove static.

The Disc Doctor recommends keeping a separate brush for brushing dirty records prior to treatment and a clean brush to maintain treated records.

How To Use A Carbon Fibre Brush

Make sure the record is totally dry.

You do have to be careful not to press too hard or the bristles will collapse and you risk scratching the record. I find the best way to get a record clean is to put it on the table on a clean cloth, I use a freshly washed old, hence lint free, linen tea towel or the cloths I supply with my cleaning kit.

If you are right handed hold the record still by pressing your left hand fingers and thumb down on the label. Use a light brushing motion with your right hand following the grooves round clockwise from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock and then again anti clockwise from 12 o'clock to six o'clock.

You will gradually collect a pile of dust around the six o'clock position. Then brush the dust across the grooves towards the edge of the record flicking the cleaner up to pull the muck off the record.