Clearaudio Carbon Fiber Record Brush

Two Rows of Self-Cleaning Carbon Fiber, Over a Million Bristles

The Clearaudio Carbon Fiber Record Brush is a dry brush, sold each. Clearaudio quotes over a million self-cleaning, anti-static carbon fiber bristles in it, arranged in two rows rather than the single row a budget brush carries.

Playing a dirty record is worse than not playing it. The stylus does not lift the dirt out — it drives it deeper into the groove wall, and carries what it collects onto the diamond, where it sits between the stylus and everything you were trying to hear.

What It Does, What It's Safe On, and How It Works

Bristles and Materials

Clearaudio specifies over a million carbon fiber bristles in two rows. Carbon conducts, so the charge that builds on a spinning record drains through the bristles instead of holding dust against the vinyl — which is what anti-static means in practice.

Clearaudio describes the bristles as self-cleaning. Fine carbon does not cling to what it lifts the way a nap or a cloth does, so drawing the brush outward to the edge carries the dust off the record rather than spreading it around.

A dry brush lifts loose dust and lowers static before a side. It will not shift fingerprint grease or the mold-release compound a record leaves the press with — both are bonded to the vinyl, and a fluid has to release them before any brush can carry them off.

Who Is This Brush Best For?

• You sweep before every side — the habit that keeps dirt off the stylus in the first place
• Your room builds static — conductive carbon gives the charge somewhere to go
• You want two rows — a second set of bristles over ground the first has already covered
• You dislike cleaning the cleaner — Clearaudio describes the bristles as self-cleaning
• Your records are grubby rather than dusty — bonded grime needs a fluid first; the range is in record cleaning solutions

How Do You Use It?

Start the platter turning. Hold the bristles lightly against the spinning record for two or three revolutions, letting the record do the work rather than pressing down. Draw the brush slowly outward to the edge and lift the collected dust away. Wipe the bristles clean before you put it down.

Pairs Well With

What most owners of a record brush shop next.

• Record cleaning solutions — fluid loosens what a dry brush cannot lift
• Record cleaning machines — for the deep clean a brush precedes rather than replaces
• Stylus cleaning — the brush that matters as much as this one
• Record cleaning accessories — sleeves and the rest of the kit

On Its Own, or as Part of a Program

A dry brush works perfectly well on its own, and sweeping before every side is the single cheapest habit in vinyl. For even better results it belongs in a full treatment program: a fluid to release what is bonded into the groove, a brush to carry it away, and a stylus cleaner at the other end. The fluids are in record cleaning solutions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will it clean a dirty record?

It lifts loose dust and reduces static. Grease and pressing residue are bonded to the vinyl and need a cleaning fluid before a brush can remove them.

What does self-cleaning mean?

Fine carbon fiber does not hold onto what it lifts the way a nap does. Drawing the brush outward to the edge takes the dust off with it.

Can I use it with a cleaning fluid?

Yes. Used wet it becomes the tool that carries loosened debris out of the groove, which is what a fluid is for.

How many do I need?

One. The brush is sold each, and a second is worth having only if you keep a brush beside a second turntable.

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