While many great singers and bands are no longer able to be heard live, vinyl albums offer the next best thing. However, music lovers need to know how to properly store, maintain, and repair their records if they want to keep enjoying that sick guitar solo or that melancholy wail for many years to come. Here are some tips for keeping your vinyl collection in great shape.

How to Store Them

Vinyl records need to be prevented from warping. Keep them out of humid or damp places. If possible, store them in an airtight cabinet where dirt, dust, and spills won’t reach them and which won't buckle under the records' surprising weight. Avoid stacking them on top of each other horizontally. Instead, position them upright, with the inner sleeves inside of their covers.

How to Maintain Them

Vinyl albums should only be handled with a light touch along the edges or on the center label to avoid causing scratches or transferring debris and oil from your skin to their surface. If your record gets dirty, use a dry carbon fiber brush to swipe across the grooves gently. For a deeper clean, take a microfiber cloth dipped in a mixture of distilled water and vinyl record cleaning fluid. Dry it afterward with a separate, dry cloth. It’s recommended you do this periodically to prevent stubborn buildups of dirt, grime, oils, and dust.

What to Do if They Become Damaged

Since vinyl is a softer material, it can be easily damaged. Small scratches might not diminish your enjoyment of the music, but unfortunately, broken records or ones with long, deep scratches are usually irreparable. There is more hope for albums that have warped. Depending on the severity of the issue, a professional may be capable of restoring them. And if your album has lost sound due to worn or reduced grooves, those can be reconstructed to return the music to its former awesomeness.

If you’re in need of a music store that sells a little bit of everything, check out 5J Music in Elko, NV. Since 1995, they’ve offered customers access to the latest music, a high-quality guitar selection, an array of CDs and vinyl albums, body jewelry, sports memorabilia, gaming supplies, and tobacco pipes. They also have an experienced guitar technician on staff that provides lessons. Serving customers in a 120-mile radius around Elko, they carry everything you need to enjoy some of the best parts of life. Call (775) 778-0484 to see if they have the album you’re looking for in stock.