How To Clean Plastic Turntable Covers

As we all know, taking care of your turntable can be a bit of a chore. There are many little grooves where dust can build up.

That’s why most of us use turntable covers to protect our devices. However, after a while, you’ll notice the lid loses its shine and gets a few scrapes and scratches.

The first step of the process is removing the lid from the turntable. Then, depending on the damage, you can dust, wipe, or polish the cover. This method can be a little time-consuming and requires a lot of elbow grease.

Let’s take a look at the steps you can follow to bring back the shine to your turntable cover. In this article, we’ll walk you through how to clean plastic turntable covers.

Table of Contents

Cleaning Plastic Turntable Covers

A plastic lid is one of the main forms of protection for a turntable. That’s why many manufacturers include one in the box when they ship the device.

Over time, as you use the turntable, the cover will get a few scratches and deteriorate. While this won’t affect your device’s performance, it can change the overall look.

The lid will turn a little cloudy and make it less appealing for you to display your turntable.

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For that reason, after a few months of use, it’s a good idea to clean out the lid. This can bring the cover back to its original shine and help it last longer.

So, let’s dive straight into the steps for cleaning the structure.

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

Cleaning as a chore is almost never fun, but there are a few things you can do to make the process a little easier.

One of those things is collecting all your materials before you start. This will allow you to sit back and relax while you scrub.

It’ll also make the process go by much faster.

For a deep cleaning, you’ll need:

Microfiber towel
Dusting brush
Soap
Water
Sponge
Rubbing alcohol
Paper towels
Polishing compound (scratch remover)
Polishing buff (optional)
Gloves

There are many polishing compound options available for purchase. Ideally, it’s best to use one that’s specifically for plastic, but that’s not necessary.

Find any type of material with incredibly fine grit. You can even make a DIY polishing compound if you prefer.

Step 2: Detach the Lid

To kick-start the project, you need to remove the lid from the turntable. Since we’re going to be using water, it can be a little dangerous to leave the component attached to the device.

This process will be a little different depending on your turntable model. For example, some devices have a friction-fit cover.

That means the lid doesn’t need a support structure to stay in place. If that’s the case, all you have to do is lift the cover off the device and move on to the next step.

However, other models use latches on the back of the turntable. In this scenario, you’ll need to unhook the lid before you remove it.

If you’re not sure how to detach the cover without damaging it, refer back to the device user manual. It should walk you through how to safely remove the component.

Step 3: Clean the Lid Surface

Once the lid is off the turntable, we can start scrubbing. Begin by grabbing your handy dust brush and going over the surface of the lid.

In this step, you should focus on removing any visible debris from all sides of the component.

Then, fill a medium bowl to the brim with water and add a few drops of soap. Dip your sponge in the solution and wring it out thoroughly.

Working with a damp sponge as opposed to a wet one will make the cleaning a little easier. That way, the soapy water doesn’t drip all over the place and make a mess.

Next, wipe the surface of the lid with the sponge. Don’t be afraid to use a little elbow grease here. After that, grab a paper towel and dry the cover.

Step 4: Prep the Lid Surface

Now that the lid is clean, you can prep it for the shining process. To do that, pick up your alcohol and spray the cover generously.

Then, using the microfiber towel, scrub the liquid all over the surface. This will get rid of any fine particles and disinfect the lid. The alcohol will evaporate pretty quickly, so you’ll have to work fast during this step.

Repeat this process as many times as you need to make sure the surface is spotless.

Step 5: Polish the Lid Surface

With a clean surface, we can move on to the polishing step. This is where we address any scratches or scrapes on the lid.

Begin by inspecting the plastic cover and looking for any deep marks. Once you add your polishing compound, it’ll be difficult to see the surface.

So, marking large scratches will make it easier for you to find them later on.

After you do that, grab the polishing solution and add a small amount to the lid. You can always add more compound if you need it, but using too much will create a mess.

Now it’s time to put on your gloves and choose your polishing tool. For this part, you can use a microfiber towel or a polishing buff. The latter is much more efficient and doesn’t absorb a lot of the polishing product, but it can be pricey.

With your tool in hand, spread out the polishing compound over the lid. Using circular motions, work the solution into any nooks and crannies.

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It’ll take a good while to remove any trace of scratches. So, sit in a comfortable position and take your time.

Step 6: Rinse and Reassemble

Before you return the lid to the turntable, you have to clean off the polishing compound. You can easily do that with soapy water and a sponge. After rinsing off the cover, dry it with a microfiber towel.

Finally, you can reattach the lid to the turntable.