How to Maintain Your Guitar
Blow away dust with a compressed air spray., Wipe your guitar with a warm, damp cloth., Use an old toothbrush to clean your frets and bridge., Condition your fretboard., Use glass cleaner for metal parts., Use guitar polish if necessary., Scrape off...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Blow away dust with a compressed air spray.
You can buy a can of compressed air at any office supply store.
These typically are sold to clean computer keyboards, but also work well for cleaning between your strings and the body of the guitar or the fretboard.Use compressed air before you clean your guitar with anything else to get rid of loose particles on the surface.
This should minimize the work you have to do with other cleaning supplies. -
Step 2: Wipe your guitar with a warm
A damp cloth will remove most of the dirt and chemicals that have collected on your guitar.
Never spray liquid on your guitar, as it can damage the wood.
The chemicals in cleaner also can damage your guitar's finish.Wring the cloth out well before you touch your instrument with it.
You don't want to see any liquid on the surface of your guitar as you wipe it.
It's best to wipe your guitar down every time you finish playing it.
Keep a soft cloth, such as a microfiber shammy, in your guitar case.
A clean T-shirt or a cloth diaper also work. , When a toothbrush is no longer suitable to clean your teeth, give it a second life brushing the grooves in your fretboard to clean out the grime that accumulates on either side of the frets.
Much of the buildup is dead skin cells, so look for it around the frets of the chords you play the most often.This method is typically easiest when you have the strings off your guitar, so you can get to the frets easier.
You don't want to brush your strings with the toothbrush.
Don't get the toothbrush too wet, or spray any water or other liquid on the surface of your fretboard before cleaning it with an old toothbrush. , Over time, grime can build up on your fretboard, making it more difficult to play.
After you've cleaned your fretboard, wipe it with lemon oil to bring it back to new condition and protect it from future damage.Don't use general furniture polishes or the same polish you use for the body of the guitar.
The wood on the neck of your guitar is different and needs to be treated differently. , You probably have a number of metal parts on your guitar, especially if you have an electric rather than an acoustic.
You can get rid of any gunk or residue on those with plain commercial glass cleaner.Spray your cleaner on a cloth first, then clean the parts.
Don't spray cleaner directly on your guitar. , If you feel the need to polish the body of your guitar after cleaning it, use a polish specifically designed for guitars.
It may be a little pricier than other polishes, but ordinary furniture polish can destroy your guitar's finish.Squirt the polish on a rag first and then wipe down your guitar – do not spray polish or any other wet substance directly on your guitar.
Use a different cloth to clean your guitar body than you used for your fretboard.
You want to avoid cross contamination, both of cleaners and of dirt and grime.
Make sure you choose a polish that matches the finish of your guitar.
Guitars with a flat or satin finish require a different type of polish than those with glossy finishes. , Build-up of dead skin cells and dust on your guitar's nut definitely affects your guitar's sound and playability.
Whenever you change your strings, take the opportunity to also clean your nut before you set the new string.Take care, and don't use any solvents or chemical cleaners.
Dental floss works to get the gunk out of the groove where the string sits in the nut. -
Step 3: damp cloth.
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Step 4: Use an old toothbrush to clean your frets and bridge.
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Step 5: Condition your fretboard.
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Step 6: Use glass cleaner for metal parts.
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Step 7: Use guitar polish if necessary.
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Step 8: Scrape off the guitar's nut.
Detailed Guide
You can buy a can of compressed air at any office supply store.
These typically are sold to clean computer keyboards, but also work well for cleaning between your strings and the body of the guitar or the fretboard.Use compressed air before you clean your guitar with anything else to get rid of loose particles on the surface.
This should minimize the work you have to do with other cleaning supplies.
A damp cloth will remove most of the dirt and chemicals that have collected on your guitar.
Never spray liquid on your guitar, as it can damage the wood.
The chemicals in cleaner also can damage your guitar's finish.Wring the cloth out well before you touch your instrument with it.
You don't want to see any liquid on the surface of your guitar as you wipe it.
It's best to wipe your guitar down every time you finish playing it.
Keep a soft cloth, such as a microfiber shammy, in your guitar case.
A clean T-shirt or a cloth diaper also work. , When a toothbrush is no longer suitable to clean your teeth, give it a second life brushing the grooves in your fretboard to clean out the grime that accumulates on either side of the frets.
Much of the buildup is dead skin cells, so look for it around the frets of the chords you play the most often.This method is typically easiest when you have the strings off your guitar, so you can get to the frets easier.
You don't want to brush your strings with the toothbrush.
Don't get the toothbrush too wet, or spray any water or other liquid on the surface of your fretboard before cleaning it with an old toothbrush. , Over time, grime can build up on your fretboard, making it more difficult to play.
After you've cleaned your fretboard, wipe it with lemon oil to bring it back to new condition and protect it from future damage.Don't use general furniture polishes or the same polish you use for the body of the guitar.
The wood on the neck of your guitar is different and needs to be treated differently. , You probably have a number of metal parts on your guitar, especially if you have an electric rather than an acoustic.
You can get rid of any gunk or residue on those with plain commercial glass cleaner.Spray your cleaner on a cloth first, then clean the parts.
Don't spray cleaner directly on your guitar. , If you feel the need to polish the body of your guitar after cleaning it, use a polish specifically designed for guitars.
It may be a little pricier than other polishes, but ordinary furniture polish can destroy your guitar's finish.Squirt the polish on a rag first and then wipe down your guitar – do not spray polish or any other wet substance directly on your guitar.
Use a different cloth to clean your guitar body than you used for your fretboard.
You want to avoid cross contamination, both of cleaners and of dirt and grime.
Make sure you choose a polish that matches the finish of your guitar.
Guitars with a flat or satin finish require a different type of polish than those with glossy finishes. , Build-up of dead skin cells and dust on your guitar's nut definitely affects your guitar's sound and playability.
Whenever you change your strings, take the opportunity to also clean your nut before you set the new string.Take care, and don't use any solvents or chemical cleaners.
Dental floss works to get the gunk out of the groove where the string sits in the nut.
About the Author
Donald Jackson
Experienced content creator specializing in creative arts guides and tutorials.
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