Cleaning records. How often really?

FWIW, I have cleaned all my LPs with an ultrasonic system, applied LAST mold release (only to new, sealed & unplayed records), treated them with LAST preservative and used a ZeroStat before putting them in anti-static sleeves. I still use an old-school Discwasher brush with LAST standard cleaning fluid before every play, and have for 30+ years. All of my records still sound like new and are virtually dead silent. Almost everyone else here will disagree in one or more particulars, but what I do works for me.

You pays your money and takes your chances. Good luck & happy listening!

After a good initial cleaning on an RCM, all you should have to do is use a good carbon brush before - - - and after - - - each play (as Mofimadness said). And, as others have said, after the initial cleaning make sure you store the record in a clean inner sleeve.

Or course, accidents sometimes happen, and if the cat happens to barf on the record, you'll need to start anew.

The worst idea is to professionally clean record before each play.
Think about the stress to the record first. The less the longer the better.

Mold release? Really? What state within the process is mold released used? I've watched videos of record stamping and there's zero mold release applied. So when is it used, what is it and is "mold release" just a fabricated excuse to sell another product?

BTW, I clean records once. Use a carbon fibre brush, maybe a chenille brush before and after each play. What conditions would require a second cleaning other than a flood?

While I agree that "cleaning" (with detergent or cleaning agents) should be done sparingly, I find that static removal may need to be done prior to every play.

I don't find most carbon brushes to be effective at removing all static charges from an LP. They need to have a grounding strap to be most effective (most products do not have straps).

The best method for static charge removal is complete wetting in a fluid. I use pure deionized water in one of the those Spin Clean machines. You can even remove the brushes if you just need to remove static charges. Deionized water will not leave a residue if pure enough (ie better than 10 ppm dissolved solids). I also find those clamp type label protectors to be extremely helpful when using the Spin Clean, both to keep the label dry and as a handle to rotate the record in solution and dry the record afterward.