A well constructed high-quality piece of furniture can be passed down for generations as a family heirloom. Hifi record consoles like the ones we create at LUNO are built to last, our flagship console The EGB2 is made with American Walnut, and can provide years of enjoyment, but to keep it looking and sounding great you have to put in a little bit of work. We get a lot of questions about how to clean and care of these console units. These consoles just like many of their vintage mid-century modern predecessors have the potential of becoming collector’s items, so it’s a good idea to figure out how to start out on the right foot. Luckily for you, if you’re a LUNO console owner, the surface requires minimal care, but here’s our guide on how to clean and care for both new and vintage hifi record consoles.

First Tip: Use A Microfiber Cloth 

No matter how durable your finish, you want to use cleaning tools that won’t scratch or mark your surface. When you’re dry dusting, a good suggestion is to always use a microfiber cloth, or at the very least a lightly damp soft cloth. Resist the urge to use a lot of force, try to use a light touch.

Tip Two: Don’t Be Shy With Those Coasters Or You’ll Get Ring Stains

If your record console has a had waxed finish, make sure you don’t place any hot or wet cups directly on the surface, or you could damage your finish. If you have a shallow spot, try rubbing it out with your finger directly on the surface, or if it’s a more substantial mark, use a few drops of household ammonia on a soft rag or microfiber cloth and rub lightly until the mark is lifted.

Tip Three: Caring For Your Wood Finish

To protect a finish like our EGB2, which is hand waxed, you can use furniture wax or a silicone-based polish on the external surface, twice a year is recommended to keep it looking great. However it’s important to note that you shouldn’t wax furniture that are finished with polyurethane varnish, the only danger here is causing a proliferation of wax buildup. If your console has an oiled finish, apply a thin layer of linseed oil once annually, rub it into the wood briskly until the oily texture absorbs into the wood.

Tip Four: Keep Your Records Clean

Luckily we make this job easy with our Groovewasher record cleaning kit, the G2 Fluid included in the kit is designed for maximum cleaning effectiveness of the delicate vinyl surface and microgroove. Anti-static action on contact, which really helps to get the record to release all of the dirt and dust on the surface to release. Also, it’s a good idea to wipe the surfaces of the record player with the included microfiber cloth after each use.

Tip Five: A Clean Record Stylus Is Important

Typically, it’s suggested to clean your record stylus or record needle as they’re more commonly called after each use. There are stylus cleaning brushes that you can use for this, or you could use a very soft paint brush. It’s important to always make sure you wipe it from back to front, if you brush it from side to side you could risk bending or breaking it.

Tip Six: Dust Is Not Your Friend 

Overtime dust, rust and other buildup in your audio equipment can lead to noise and popping sounds. Keeping the surface of your amp, turntable and speakers, especially near the connections, dust free is a great practice to limit the build up that can happen in and around your audio equipment. It’s always a good idea to use an anti-static cloth, and for getting into tight areas near the tone arm, and around cables, a can of compressed air can be used to blow away debris.