How to Correctly Store Vinyl Records When You're Not Using Them

No matter what kind of music you collect, there’s a good chance that you want your vinyl records to last as long as possible. Since long-playing records tend to be more sensitive than most other types of media, you need to pick out a safe place to store them. Vinyl records are extremely sensitive to moisture, so you don’t want to put your albums anywhere that they could get damp.

On the other hand, they’ll dry out and crack if you stash them somewhere that doesn’t have any humidity at all. Pick a location that has somewhere between 35-40% relative humidity for best results. A simple hygrometer is a great tool for record collectors, since it lets them know whether or not their records are at risk. Thermometers are just as important, since LPs shouldn’t be exposed to temperatures below 59° or above 77°. As soon as you’ve found the right place to put your albums, the next step is to invest in the right kind of rack to hold them.

Building a Record Storage System

Though it can be tempting to stack your records on top of each other, this will cause them to warp over time. You should figure out some way to store them so they’re standing upright, which will help limit the amount of stress put on the discs themselves. The single best way to do this is to invest in a set of customizable vinyl record storage crates. These will ensure that your records never lean over to one side, so you won’t have to worry about them becoming bowed.

A solid storage system can grow with your collection as well. When you outgrow your original space, you can simply add more crates onto the side to hold more albums. Don’t put them in too tightly in your quest to use each crate to its fullest potential. A good rule of thumb is that you should be able to pull any given album out without too much resistance.

Your Choice of Jacket

Place your records back in their sleeves as soon as you’re done listening to them. You may want to run a soft anti-static brush across the grooves to clean them before storing your records. If you do, then make sure that the tool you’re using is approved for use on vinyl and never use too much pressure. Some collectors will actually invest in special plastic jackets to better protect their most expensive albums from dust. Others use a plastic cylinder to hold 45s in a way that doesn’t let them come into contact with one another.

Even if you don’t decide to go this far, you’ll certainly want to at least put your records into traditional paper sleeves. Never put records into their exterior cardboard jackets without some sort of covering, since you could easily scratch them by doing so. Taking just a little time to put them away properly after listening to them can help your records stay in good playable shape for years to come.

When storing your vinyl record collection, it’s important to choose storage products that will hold up and protect your collection at the highest level.