This small hole manifests itself during each and every successive play as a tick or pop, and nothing short of buying a new record will eliminate it. The only way to prevent this catastrophic damage is to make certain that the grooves are scrupulously clean, before stylus ever touches vinyl. Now that we understand the importance of a pristine record, let's look at how to effectively clean our own collection. To begin, it will be useful to classify the methods available into categories - dry and wet cleaning. Dry methods employ some type of brush that is designed to sweep the record surface, thus removing dust.
Wet methods use a fluid of some sort to enhance the process.
Dry brushes are best used as part of a maintenance program to keep records clean, wet methods are used on an occasional basis to deep-clean the grooves. As I see it, both methods are useful. Let us first look at dry brush technology. Those of you who go back a ways will recall the Disc Preener and Dust-Bug offerings from this Company. Both units used a plush pad to remove dust from the surface of the record.