Vinyl Record Cleaning Service — Professional Restoration & Flattening

The Record Restore process removes contamination from inside the groove — where noise and distortion originate — not just from the surface. The result, independently assessed by audio professional Dave Askew: a +11 dB improvement in signal-to-noise ratio and a −8 dB reduction in noise floor, with no loss of musical detail.

Professional vinyl record cleaning service operating from the Blue Mountains, NSW. Postal service available Australia-wide.

Why this is different

Most cleaning methods — fluid systems, brushed vacuum machines, ultrasonic baths — loosen contamination inside the groove and attempt to remove it. The difficulty is that without a chemical mechanism to encapsulate what has been loosened, the cleaning pass redistributes as much as it removes.

Record Restore uses a proprietary antistatic surfactant formulation that encapsulates contamination within the groove and extracts it as a single, cohesive layer — without scrubbing, without cavitation, and without leaving residue or coating in the groove. Static is eliminated following each treatment.

Service tiers

Standard Clean — from $9.95 per record

Record Restore treatment applied to both sides. Contamination encapsulated and extracted from within the groove. Static eliminated following treatment. Records returned in existing sleeves.

Add an anti-static inner sleeve — 1mil, 2mil, or 3mil — for $1.00 per record. Split seam cover repairs included where feasible.

Premium Restoration — from $19.95 per record

Everything in the Standard Clean, plus full physical restoration of the record itself.

Record Relaxing. Each record is conditioned at a precisely controlled temperature inside the AFI FLAT.DUO — a professional instrument designed for this purpose, not a DIY method. The tempering process relieves stress in the PVC that has accumulated through improper storage or handling. A correctly relaxed record seats the stylus more consistently in the groove across the full playing surface, often revealing detail and bass solidity that no amount of cleaning alone can restore.

Record Flattening. Warps corrected under controlled pressure using precision-machined aluminium plates and torque-controlled contact rings. The great majority of storage-related warps — gentle dish warps, edge curl, single-axis bends — resolve in a single cycle. The result is a record that tracks evenly from first groove to last.

Relaxing and flattening work together. A cleaned groove is only as useful as the stylus contact it allows — a warped or stressed record limits both. This service treats the record as a physical object, not just a surface.

What customers are saying

“What a transformation! I can’t believe the difference in these records. The clarity and depth, even the ambience — sounds like a new record.”
— Trevor Day (100-album collection, 1960s–70s originals)

“The severely warped record I sent has come back near perfect. I am absolutely amazed at the result.”

“The detail and clarity I had never heard before — it was a revelation.”
— Brendan L.

“The transformation has been astounding, wondrous.”
— David Mac (90-LP collection)

How the service works

Order. Add one unit per record to your cart, selecting the appropriate service tier. If your collection spans multiple tiers, or you’re unsure which tier suits your records, contact us at record-cleaning-service@secretchordanalogue.au before ordering.

Ship. We send a lockable specialist record shipping case to your address (holds up to 50 LPs, returned with your records). Pack your records, notify us, and we arrange courier collection. Prefer your own packaging? That’s fine too.

Catalogue and clean. Every record in your order is logged in Vinyl Record Tracker (VRT) by album title, pressing, and service tier. You receive login credentials and complete your cleaning selections through VRT before treatment begins. Each record is then treated individually.

For a limited time, a one-year VRT Core licence is included at no charge — giving you a permanent home for your cleaning history and stylus wear tracking.

Return. Treated records are returned by courier. An invoice for return shipping is issued on dispatch.

Vinyl Record Tracker — the service, organised

Submitting a cleaning order doesn't mean filling out a spreadsheet or writing notes on an envelope. VRT handles the catalogue work.

When your order arrives, every record is logged in VRT by title, pressing, and condition. Before treatment begins, you receive login credentials and complete your cleaning selections directly in the app — choosing the appropriate service tier for each album individually, and flagging any problem records for additional attention.

When your records are returned, VRT records the treatment date against each album automatically. Your play count resets from that date, and VRT begins counting again — notifying you when any album approaches its next cleaning threshold. There is no manual tracking required at any stage.

The practical result: a collection with a complete, documented care record. Every disc tracked from its last treatment through every subsequent play, with a clear signal when the next clean is due. Combined with VRT's stylus wear tracking — which monitors cumulative groove contact across your cartridge — you have a system that protects both the record and the equipment playing it.

No other record cleaning service in Australia provides this level of integration. A complimentary VRT Core licence is included with every order.

Problem records

Records that have resisted previous cleaning attempts, or exhibit persistent noise at specific locations in the groove, can be noted on your cleaning selection form in VRT. These receive additional attention during the treatment process.

Serving collectors throughout Australia. All records handled individually. Postal service available nationwide.