Let’s examine a few widely held misconceptions about record cleaning. The first is that vacuum cleaning is sufficient and complete. In fact, it may be, but only in those few special cases where the contaminants are primarily dust and nothing more. When a disc has been subjected to an environment of tobacco smoke, fingerprint oils (which over time tend to harden and solidify on a vinyl surface), silicone record cleaning cloths (true groove polluting monsters), God knows-what cleaning fluids and brushes, and a variety of other sticky, gummy substances, a simply vacuum cleaning cycle is unlikely to do the trick.
Dust and debris that have accumulated over time are the cause of irreparable damage to the vinyl when contacted by the stylus during play. It has been shown that this contact produces a mini-explosion of sorts, known as a conchoidal shock-wave. This incident literally “blasts” a hole into the groove wall, creating permanent, irreparable damage. This small hole reveals 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.