No worries, glad to help.
You'd asked about preamps:
Yes, you'll likely need one if your current gear does not have one, unless you have an older preamp/integrated amp with a phono input. You'll need the preamp for needed gain, and the RIAA EQ correction, as a minimum set of features.
There is a starter preamp at needledoctor, on clearance for $43, an Audiotechnica pre. I recently bought one, and I'm using it on my 78 arm, and its sounding fine; not as nice as my Plinius-integrated, but, nice for the money. It gets me into a line-level signal for an aux input feed.
Cleaning supplies,....
For vinyl (not shellac), combine: 1gal distilled water -> 1qt 90% isopropyl alc. -> a drop or two of dish detergent as a wetting agent, all applied with a 3" foam paint brush.
You can use a velvet painting pad to scrub with. They are the type with a covering of fine hairs - just avoid the hard edges. Nylon bristle brushes will work as well.
You can clean them on a towel, or get fancy and build a cleaner. There are plenty of DIY cleaners out there that people have posted; search the VE and AK links from above.