Most vinyls are made from PVC. That's actually where the name comes from: the V in polyvinyl chloride. So they are actually pretty resistant and can deal with a significant portion of the stuff found in your cleaning cabinet.
First, they are called "records", not "vinyls." Do you call your compact discs "polycarbonates?" Second, the records was working with were not vinyl. He said 45's, and most 45's were pressed in Styrene, not PVC. It is a lot more susceptible to both warping and scratching than vinyl.
