A 4-Step Guide to Cleaning Your Guitar

In an earlier article, we spoke in detail on ways in which you can take proper care of your guitar. One of the things discussed in that write-up was how to clean your guitar and keep it dust and grime-free.

While most guitarists or wannabe rock stars out there might dig the dirty ‘grunge’ look of guitars, cleaning your guitar is essential. First off, it is important from a hygiene perspective, secondly, it protects the guitar and the wood used from damage, preserving its look and more importantly its tone, and thirdly, it protects the guitar from any long-lasting damage or the need of repairs. 

Cleaning your guitar keeps it free from dust, dirt, grime, body oils, grease buildup, and other pollutants. It also protects various parts of the guitar, in particular the finish.

It is generally recommended to clean your guitar once a week or at the very least, once a month, but it all comes down to how often you play it. 

Here is a step-by-step guide on properly leaning your guitar:

1. The body – First off, remove all of the guitar strings order to clean and polish the fretboard and the body of the guitar. Start by using a cloth or a duster to thoroughly clean off any dust from the surface of the guitar first.

Most guitar bodies have a lacquer finish or similar synthetic coating which protects the wood and preserves the shine and the finish of the wood. Once you guitar is clean and free of grime and/or dirt, use polish to preserve and protect the wood. You can pick up one of the many aftermarket guitar cleaners/polishes/kit, such as the ones by Gibson or Fender (or this cleaning kit by Dunlop). Alternatively, you could even order online. However make sure it’s a non-abrasive cleaning/polish solution. Take a soft cloth (such as a microfiber cloth) and proceed to clean the guitar by dabbing the cloth in the cleaning solution, but making sure that you don’t use the solution excessively.

Polish your guitar’s body as often as possible – preferably once every week. Hit your local guitar store and pick up any one of the easily available non-abrasive guitar-polishes (or order online). They can be had for pretty cheap, and usually do the trick as they preserve your guitar’s finish. Avoid using household cleaners as they’re abrasive and will certainly ruin the finish.

2. The fretboard – Make sure that the strings have been removed before you proceed with cleaning the fretboard. Use a dry cloth first to wipe off any dust and easily-removable dirt and grime, before using the cleaning liquid.

Spray some of the liquid on the fretboard and rub using the cloth. When you get to the frets, ensure that you clean them thoroughly, as dirt and grime has the tendency to stick in the corners on either side of the frets.

For dirt that’s unreachable or cannot be cleaned using a cloth, I recommend using something that is slightly sharp such as a strong toothpick, a toothbrush, a credit card or maybe even a blunt knife. Don’t apply any excessive force when doing this, as you do not want to damage the instrument’s finish.

Sidenote: you can also use lemon polish to clean the fretboard of the guitar.

3. Every time you play, natural/body oils and grease from your hands and fingers are transferred onto the strings upon contact. These oils combine with dust to form grime, which corrodes and wears out the strings faster than usual. This buildup also adversely affects the sound of the guitar. Clean your guitar strings by wiping them down, using a soft cloth (microfiber cloth), or cotton. Doing so will clean them from body oils and dirt which might have accumulated during playing.

4. Restring the guitar after you’re done (preferably with a new set of strings). Make sure that you keep it away from dust, away from direct sunlight, and away from a place where it might be vulnerable to drastic changes in temperature or humidity. If you don’t plan on playing the guitar for a couple of days or more, put it away in its case.

In addition to my post on taking care of your guitar, LearnGuitar.org here has a pretty impressive guide on how to take care of your guitar.

If you don’t have a case, I suggest investing in a hardshell case immediately. Prices range for $20 to $300, but not only do these do a tremendous job of protecting your guitar when it’s not being used, it’ll come in handy when you travel with your axe.

Change your guitar strings every 1-3 months – depending on how often you play – and clean the guitar using the steps mentioned above every time that you do so.