How to Clean Your Guitar

Guitars need routine cleaning and maintenance.

Guitars need routine cleaning and in-depth cleaning to keep them looking good and functioning well. Sweat, dirt and grime build up on a guitar each time it is played. Dirt not only detracts from the appearance of the guitar, but affects the tone, quality, and lifespan of the instrument. It is a good idea always to wash your hands before playing the guitar and to wipe the guitar down each time it is played. Guitars also require an in-depth cleaning two to three times a year to keep them in good working condition.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Soft cotton cloths
• Glass cleaner
• Blue painter's tape
• #0000 steel wool
• Micro-mesh cloth
• Guitar cleaner/polish
• Guitar chrome polish
• Contact cleaner spray

Routine Cleaning and Maintenance

1. Wipe the strings with a soft cotton cloth after playing the guitar to get rid of sweat, dirt and grime build-up. Keep a small cotton cloth in the guitar case. Make it a habit to wipe down the strings each time the guitar is played.

2. Get into the habit of wiping the guitar finish with a soft cloth after playing. Sweat and dirt also build up on the painted finish of the guitar.

3. Wipe the hardware on the guitar with a soft cloth. The tuners, bridge and volume and tone knobs also get dirty and grimy. Wipe the hardware down each time you play the guitar to remove sweat and fingerprints. Glass cleaner works well to remove stubborn streaks and smudges.

In-depth Cleaning and Maintenance

1. Remove the strings from the guitar. Loosen the tuning pegs on the headstock until the strings are easily removed from the tuning posts. Pull the strings out of the tuning posts and then remove them from the guitar. The strings on a Gibson-style instrument are attached to the tailpiece and bridge of the guitar. The strings on Fender-style guitars are threaded through the body of the guitar underneath the bridge. Protect the pickups with blue painter's tape. It is easy to damage the pickups during the cleaning process if they are left unprotected.

2. Clean the guitar finish with a guitar cleaner-polish product guitar cleaner, which can be purchased at a guitar shop. Follow the instructions on the container and use a soft cotton cloth on the finish. Apply the cleaner/polish and work on one section of the finish at a time.

3. Clean the fretboard and frets with a soft damp cloth. Start at the nut and first fret and work all the way up the fretboard until the fretboard and all the frets are cleaned. Use #0000 steel wool to clean the fretboard if it is excessively dirty. A micro-mesh cloth works well on frets. It cleans dirt and grime from frets without causing damage.

4. Clean the hardware with glass cleaner and a soft cloth. A small toothbrush works well for cleaning nooks and crannies that are difficult to reach with the cloth. Various guitar chrome polishes are available as well at guitar stores or online. Polishing the hardware helps to restore the natural sheen and shine.

5. Remove the volume and tone knobs on the guitar. Slip a credit card under the edge of the knob. Push the knob up with the card and pull the knob off the pot-stem. Spray the pot with contact cleaner. Move the pot-stem all the way to the left and right to work the contact cleaner all the way into the pot. Replace the knob. Repeat the procedure for all the knobs on the guitar.

Tips & Warnings

• I know this sounds brutal to your guitar, but trust me, it works. I have done it for years and my guitar is still as glossy as it was the day I got it.

• Like I said, dont get much windex on your pickups, use a very small amount. I have had alot on there before and it hasnt hurt it, but it still cant be too good for it. Cheers! Myspace.com/fallenshortrocks

References

• Guitarists: Guitar Maintenance
• "Gibson"; Rag Time: How To Clean Your Guitar for Better Tone; Ellen Barnes; 2011
• Fret Not Guitar Repair: Cleaning Guitar Finishes, Fretboard, and Frets