To clean or not to clean?

When I started buying used records, I thought all the pops and clicks were just scratches. Then I got a VPI cleaning machine. Turns out, about 90% of that noise is JUST DIRT. If you are careful not to buy badly scratched old records, you can buy all kind of stuff with dirt, fingerprints, mold, etc and the VPI makes them sound great by cleaning all of that stuff out of the grooves. I started cleaning all of my own old records, purchased new in the 70s and 80s and which I kept in very good condition, and they sounded better too — clearer detail, more depth, better separation of instruments. As for new records, they have mold release compound on them which acts like a dust magnet. Clean them once, and they won’t get as dirty as fast.

Take it out of the box and use it.  I've been surprised on more than one occasion when I thought I was playing a record that was already clean and it didn't sound right until I gave it a spin on the VPI.  It's not a bad idea to clean all records, including brand new ones.  It's surprising how much dust and crud can be on a brand new record.  Seems to help with humidity/static issues also.

If you think your records look clean, try looking at them with a LED headlamp. You might want to be sitting down.

Send it my way!  How much do you need for the postage?

New LPs may look clean to the naked eye, but aren’t necessarily. Plus, don’t you intend to get into buying used records? They REALLY need a deep cleaning. You may eventually want to get an ultrasonic cleaner to augment the VPI.

Hi,
wet cleaning keeps records clean for longer periods of use even new ones. All you have to use in between is a carbon fibre brush. If you buy second hand is a must.
Manage few at a time if you are after a thorough clean. Important is the cleaning formula and the rinsing with distilled pure water afterwards so any residue of cleansing fluid does not stay in the grooves.

If you can swing it I suggest you set up your VPI in a designated spot near your records. When you choose a record to play, if you haven't done so before, just clean it the very first thing. Use a new inner sleeve or some other method to distinguish you have cleaned it. Then its just one simple ritual before playing first time and not as onerous as cleaning stacks and stacks at once.

ALL LPs need cleaning

Every record will be better with a good cleaning.

I wet clean every record (including the brand new ones) before it is first played, and inserted into a new inner sleeve (if it's a second hand purchase).