Serato Record Cleaner Backspin 101

Homemade Record Cleaner?

Over the course of the past few weeks, we have had several people ask us how to clean their records with a homemade record cleaning solutions of soap and water. This is not a good idea, and here’s why.

First, your going to damage the labels in the center of the records with all of that water.

Second, soap builds up on pretty much any surface you put it on. Much like soap scum accumulates on your shower walls and tub. This is the reason you don’t use dish soap on your vehicle, but instead a product that washes away clean.

This dried soap film will build up on your needle, and cause your music to sound crummy. It also causes the “B Side” or the side of the record that sits on the slip mat to lose friction so it becomes harder to Skratch. This also causes problems when trying to put some backspin on a record.

Lastly, if your touring or forget to clean your records prior to a gig, it’s pretty hard to find a sink, soap, and water while your backstage.

B Side Record Cleaner, makes the records slide quicker on the slip mat, and eliminates all dust, fingerprints, static and pretty much everything that makes your record snap, crackle, and pop.

Why do you need to remove static from your records?

If your record looks relatively clean but is still producing “pops” and “crackles” it’s probably due to static electricity.

Static will build up on the surface of a record relatively quickly and if not removed will make your music sound terrible. Static Electricity builds up then discharges through the needle of your turntable causing loud pops in the music.

If you don’t spray B-Side Record Cleaner on your records, then your vinyl has no protection from this natural, yet annoying phenomenon. There are plenty of products that will take away the static from your records, but most of them contain solvents and silicones which will ruin your records over time.

Don’t take a chance using that stuff, give B Side Record Cleaner a try and leave static build up behind forever!

How do I clean my Serato Scratch Control Records?

Most all DJ’s are now on the Serato Scratch bandwagon, which raises the question, How do you keep your Serato Control Records looking and playing like new?

Serato records get dirty much faster than traditional vinyl records, due to the fact that the same record is played over and over. Scratch DJ’s records get dirtier even faster due to oil and dust from repeatedly touching the same area. Buying new records every time they get dirty can get expensive, and some of the colored or special edition Serato control records cannot be purchased any more.

If you are currently using a professional record cleaner, check the label. If it is an aerosol, contains alcohol or solvents – throw it away. Alcohol will destroy a record over time. This has never been a big issue in the past, because even the most popular record in a DJ’s collection used to get played once a gig and therefore was cleaned maybe 3-4 times per year. With Serato records, since they are played non stop, they get cleaned 3-4 times per week and the alcohol WILL destroy them much quicker than an old traditional piece of wax.

With B Side Record Cleaner, the product contains no harmful chemicals, no solvents, and no alcohol. B Side is by far the cheapest and easiest way to clean your Serato Scratch records. Just spray the product onto the control record and use your current pads or towels to wipe the product into the grooves of the record. The best thing you can possibly use on your Serato records is a piece of microfiber cloth. Not the kind you use for eyeglasses, but an actual “hand towel” looking piece of microfiber. You can buy one at most any auto parts store or home store for under $2.00 each. This material will not scratch or harm the record, and because it’s a little bit thicker, it gets deeper into the grooves. Do not use a brush to apply B Side or any other product. A brush will just move dust and dirt around and it will not lift it off the surface.

Once you have the proper towel, spray B Side directly onto the record, wipe it until the record is dry, and go make some money spinning your Serato Records now that they are clean again.

7 Tips To Improve The Life Of Your Records

1. Store your records upright (book style), and not flat.
2. Store your records in a cool, dark place away from sun light and open air.
3. Vinyl records will warp in a matter of days if exposed to heat.
4. UV rays are extremely damaging to vinyl records. Minimize your records exposure to sunlight.
5. Always return your records to their protective sleeves to avoid UV rays and dust.
   (We are talking to you DJ C...)
6. Never use alcohol based products or solvents to clean your wax!  Especially with your digitally encoded vinyl, these products will eat through a tiny layer of the surface causing extreme damage to the records over time.
7. Finger prints are acidic enough to damage records.  Since you must touch a record to spin it, cleaning the records with B Side Record Cleaner will eliminate the oil and acid caused by fingers and will prevent future damage when used regularly.

If you have any questions about record protection or cleaning, please email us or leave it in a comment here.