All things vinyl — alcohol

Why It’s Confusing — and What Actually Works

If you spend any time looking into vinyl record cleaning, it doesn’t take long before things become confusing. There are countless products. Each one claims to be:

• deeper cleaning
• safer
• more advanced
• more “audiophile”

Some recommend alcohol. Others warn against it. Some rely on brushes. Some suggest cloths. Others insist on machines.

Most of the claims are made confidently. Very few are explained clearly. So the question...

What Vinyl Collectors Should Know

If you spend enough time around vinyl collectors, one topic will eventually surface.

Not cartridges.

Not turntables.

Cleaning fluids.

More specifically, whether alcohol should be used to clean vinyl records.

Some collectors swear by it. Others treat it like acid rain.

As with many things in audio, the truth sits somewhere in the middle.

Why Alcohol Appears in Record Cleaning Fluids

Alcohol is a very effective solvent.

It dissolves...