There’s a special joy that comes with building a record collection. It’s the thrill of the hunt in a dusty record store, the beauty of the large-format album art, and the warm, rich sound of a needle dropping into a groove. As your collection grows, so does the responsibility to protect it. Your records are a precious and often irreplaceable investment of your time and money, and where you store them matters immensely.
A dedicated, high-quality record storage system in a stable environment like a living room or an office is the best way to ensure your vinyl stays in pristine condition for decades to come. But as your collection expands and you start looking for new places to put your prized LPs, there is one room in the house where your records should absolutely never, ever live: the kitchen.
It might seem like a convenient spot for a few overflow records, but the kitchen is a hostile environment that is actively trying to destroy your collection. Here’s a look at the four enemies of vinyl that are always present in a kitchen.
Enemy #1: Heat and Wild Temperature Swings
This is the most direct and dangerous threat. Vinyl records are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a type of plastic that is highly susceptible to heat. The ambient heat from your oven, the steam from your stove, or the direct afternoon sun coming through a kitchen window can easily be enough to cause your records to warp. A warped record is a permanently damaged record, often leading to unplayable skips.
Beyond the direct heat, the constant temperature fluctuations of a kitchen are also a problem. The room gets hot when you’re cooking and then cools down again. This causes the vinyl to constantly expand and contract, which can degrade the integrity of the grooves over time.
Enemy #2: Humidity, Steam, and Mold
Your record’s cardboard sleeve and paper inner sleeve are like a sponge, and a kitchen is the most humid room in the house. Every time you boil a pot of water, run the dishwasher, or cook on the stovetop, you are releasing a huge amount of steam and moisture into the air.
This moisture can get trapped inside the album sleeves, creating the perfect damp, dark environment for mildew and mold to grow. This not only leads to that tell-tale musty, basement smell, but it can permanently damage the precious album art and even the record label itself. A cool, dry environment is critical for the long-term health of sound recordings.
Enemy #3: Grease and Grime
Think about the surfaces in your kitchen. Over time, they develop a fine, slightly sticky film of aerosolized grease from cooking. Now, imagine that same greasy film settling on your record collection.
This film makes the album covers feel tacky and acts like a magnet for dust and dirt. Even worse, these microscopic grease particles can find their way into the record grooves. This creates a sticky residue that is incredibly difficult to clean and will attract dust that gets ground into the groove by the turntable’s stylus. This is a primary cause of the pops, clicks, and surface noise that can ruin the listening experience.
Enemy #4: The Ever-Present Risk of Spills and Splatters
The kitchen is a place of constant activity, and spills are inevitable. A pot of sauce boiling over on the stove, a glass of water getting knocked off the counter, or a splash from the sink can all be devastating if your records are in the line of fire.
A single splash can permanently stain and warp an album cover, turning a beautiful piece of art into a wrinkled mess. If the liquid gets on the vinyl itself, sugary or acidic liquids can damage the grooves. As any seasoned collector will tell you, keeping your collection safe from liquids is a top priority.
Your record collection is an investment that brings you joy. Protect it. The kitchen is the heart of the home, but it’s a danger zone for your vinyl. By choosing a dedicated, stable, and dry location in another part of your house, you can ensure that your collection will be safe and sound for a lifetime of listening.