I have an older turntable, Philips GE 212 form the 70’s, that I got from a relative. I’ve had to do some modest repairs so far, and I’m still getting more surface noise than I think I should be hearing. Just an occasional pop every once in a while. My most recent project was replacing the needle I came with (AT DR300e) with a newer cartridge (AT VMN95e). I thought that was going to be then end of it. It does sound very good, a lot of depth, but I still get the pops.
I have a little record brush, and I don’t see any apparent dust. The air is pretty dry because it’s cold here and my heat is running.
I’m worried that there might be something wrong with how the cartridge is connected to the head shell, because it has these flimsy connectors that don’t hold tight anymore after 40+ years. The Philips 212 has a distinctive head shell, and I can’t find replacement wires. I wouldn’t be opposed to replacing the head shell next, if it’s necessary.
Have you cleaned the records? That's where you will see the biggest improvement. Beyond that I can recommend a rubber record mat. You can pick one up on Amazon for $10-$20.