Step 3 -- Replace the sleeves Once your record is nice and squeaky clean, you don't want to put it back in that yellowed, tattered sleeve, do you? For every record you clean, you should replace the old sleeve with a new, clean antistatic sleeve. Antistatic sleeves help reduce pops when the record plays, and keeps dust out of the grooves when the record is being stored.

But don't get rid of the old sleeve just yet. Original inner sleeves can sometimes add value to a record, especially if they're printed with images or lyrics. If so, you can store the record in its new sleeve behind the original printed sleeve.

There's not much you can do to restore an album cover, but you can protect it from further damage by putting it into a clear plastic outer sleeve. The standard is 3mm, which is think enough to protect the cardboard. Heights Vinyl sells both types of sleeves -- $5 for 20 antistatic inner sleeves, and $5 for 25 polypropylene outer sleeves.

Here's one more tip: load the sleeved record into the cover so that the openings on the sleeves do not line up. This will keep the LP from accidentally sliding out of the cover.

Step 4 -- Store them correctly You know that awesome Rolling Stones cover designed by Andy Warhol for the album Sticky Fingers? The one with the real zipper (like anyone's looking at the zipper)? You know why, in part, original copies of that album are so hard to find? Because the damn zipper made storing the album difficult, and many copies are warped from the raised area in the middle.

Your records should always be stored vertically, with the spines facing out and with plenty of room between each record. Cramming them into a shelf can warp the vinyl. Keep them in a dehumidified, cool place, out of direct sunlight. Do not keep them in your car. Seriously. We know people who have done this.

You also shouldn't stack them on top of each other -- this can also cause warping, and can cause any grit inside the album cover to push into the grooves of the record. If you're ever shopping for record and see that the cover has round imprints of the records inside them, they were likely stored stacked on top of each other.

Plastic crates are the cheap and easy solution for storage. You can also often find cool vintage record stands at antique stores.

Step 5 -- Listen to your collection Buy yourself a needle brush and an anti-static velvet brush to keep by your record player. Use the velvet brush to dust off each record before playing, and use the needle brush both before and after you listen to an album to keep gunk from dirtier records from damaging clean records. Try not to play any records before they've been cleaned. A dirty record can damage a needle and a damaged needle can damage another record.

But most of all, enjoy your record collection, and appreciate the warmth that comes along with listening to music actually made from sound vibrations instead of 1s and 0s. And if your records can't be saved, we have some ideas for how to repurpose them.