Learning how to clean guitar strings is essential for any guitar player. One may use household items like lemon oil and a damp washcloth to clean the strings.
What household items can you use to clean guitar strings? Many household items can be used to clean the strings. If the guitar is super old, one may want to rub the strings with steel wool gently. The player must use excellent steel wool so that they don’t scratch the wood.
Superfine fabric cloth is also a great option when cleaning the strings with a bit of solution. For small areas, a Q-tip is also advisable. It’ll just hold the dust without any issues. A flat duster is also an excellent option to rub the strings clean.
Cleaning Your Guitar Strings and Fretboard is Essential:
It’s essential to clean the guitar so that it stays playable for years to come. It’s not always necessary to clean the strings since most guitar players switch them out at least once per month.
Please get in the practice of doing this simple maintenance task, and not only will one have to change the strings less often, but the player will also extend the life of the guitar and avoid more significant repair/maintenance bills down the road.
A lot of musicians highly recommend that one cleans their guitar strings while playing. If the player happens to perform in an environment that’s dusty, hot, humid, sweating under the lights, or one is nervous and or prone to sweating, it’s a great idea to wipe down the strings during a playing session.
By not cleaning the strings after every time players play them, they’re going to cause extra stress to the strings, which will shorten the lifespan of the strings. Cleaning strings regularly will help to slow down the oxidation process that breaks the strings down faster.
What Ruins Strings and Fretboard?
The short life span of the gorgeous tones the strings produce is mostly caused by a lack of a proper cleaning procedure. Still, excessive humidity and naturally acidic sweat can also play a part in the altering of your tone.
Naturally acidic sweat and excessive sweating cause the alloys used in the manufacturing process of the strings to oxidize, which results in the sound of blunt and dull music, not the bright, ringing tone that one gets when you install a new set of strings on the instrument.
Strings will lose a bit of their tonal quality after a being played for a month or so, but if one wants to keep the feel of the strings fresh for a more extended period, it’s not wrong to clean the strings.
Steps to Clean the Guitar Strings with Household Items:
Get gloves on and be prepared for scrubbing down. A good clean will help the guitar always look its best, sound authentic, and last longer. I’ll tell how it should be done with some general household items.
Get Ready!
Give yourself an excellent hour to correctly clean the guitar. If one has an acoustic-electric guitar, they’ll want to cover up the soundhole with masking tape or something similar to make sure no particles from the steel wool or other cleaning compounds get into the soundhole.
Some general household items to gather:
- Low tack tape
- Soft bristle paintbrush
- Steel wool
- Q-tips
- Old toothbrush
- Duster/paper towels
01. Steel Wool:
Grasp the steel wool between the thumb and forefinger and, again, starting at the base of each string, draw the steel wool up the length of each string. Be alert not to apply too much pressure with the wound strings as we are just trying to remove any extraneous material on the string and not trying to alter the surface of the string itself. Using the same pressure as one would use to grasp a sheet of paper will be plenty.
02. Q-Tips:
Use a q-tip immersed in warm water to eliminate dirt in hard to reach places such as along the frets or the saddle. If it fails to do the job, dip it in some fretboard conditioners or use a couple of drops of vinegar or liquid hand dishwashing detergent diluted in a cup of warm water. Wipe the strings with a damp fabric to eradicate the excess soap and then a dry cloth to remove excess moisture. Always make sure to use a soft cloth. A simple paintbrush can also be used to remove the dust.
03. Microfiber Cloth
A clean cloth will work too. Use a dry lint-free microfiber cloth and hold the guitar string and run it the cloth up and down from the bridge to the nut. Be sure not to keep the string out of its position at the nut. Then place the cloth underneath all the strings and rest of the fabric above the strings and run it up and down on top of the fretboard for an extra wipe down.
One can also use distilled vinegar as a solution to use it on the guitar. Wipe down the guitar with the cloth using this solution, and it will leave no residue behind. It’ll leave a pickle smell for some time.
Related Questions:
How often should I clean the body of my guitar?
It’s recommended that one clean down the guitar’s body daily if one uses their guitar regularly. Unless the manufacturer suggests otherwise, car polished work fine on the guitar body’s lacquered parts, the back of the neck, and headstock of the guitar (while the strings are not on the guitar).
However, if the player happens to be cleaning an electric guitar, safeguard that they’re not touching the pickups or any of the instruments with any guitar polish or liquid, as it will ruin the instruments’ electronics.
Can I use coconut oil or lemon oil on my strings?
I would highly recommend that one not use coconut oil at any cost on the strings or the fretboard, as coconut oil can turn rancid. If the player happens to have a fretboard comprised of darker wood, use mineral oil or lemon oil.
However, if they have a maple guitar fretboard, don’t use lemon oil. It’ll leave rough patches behind. Lemon oil can also ruin the guitar’s fretboard. It is advisable to only use distilled vinegar or get a cleaning solution from the shop. Rubbing alcohol on the strings can also cause damage to the fretboard as it will ruin the shine of the guitar and will create several rough patches on the fretboard.
Do I have to clean the strings on my acoustic guitar?
No matter what type of guitar one is playing, they should perform some cleaning on the strings. It is especially true for the acoustic guitars as if one doesn’t take care of the strings on their acoustic guitar, the amount of stress that dirty strings place on the guitar can cause cracking in the finish between the bridge at the end of the body of the guitar.
The best way to ensure the acoustic guitar’s longevity is to clean the guitar strings regularly or after each playing session.
How much pressure should I apply to my guitar strings, and what to do if there’s too much oil on the strings?
The gentler the player is, the better. If one happens to apply too much pressure to the strings while cleaning, the strings may go out of tune. Moreover, if it happens, they’re going to need to re-tune the guitar before going ahead and play it again.
If one happens to decide that the feeling of the oil is greasy and uncomfortable for them to play on, they can take a dry paper towel or cloth, fold it in half, and remove the excess oil from the strings in the same manner that one cleaned them in. Many musicians find that playing on oily strings is a lot easier because it’s easier for the hands and fingers to slide across the strings.
Conclusion:
The guitar strings are one of the essential parts of playing the guitar- one can’t play their instrument without any guitar strings. Strings can become extremely dirty very quickly, which can negatively impact the lifespan and the quality of sound that the strings produce.
Household items are of great convenience when it comes to cleaning the strings. From an unused toothbrush to a very small Q-tip, everything is essential in keeping the guitar healthy.
Also clean the strings before the sessions, if one feels the need to. If the player happens to let their instrument to sit exposed to the open air or it’s been a long time since they’ve played the instrument, they may want to consider wiping down the strings before using it again.
It will help ensure that no dust or dirt has settled onto your strings before they start playing, which will help prevent the natural oils from the hands to combine with the dust and dirt on the strings. Keeping the guitar strings clean and in optimum condition can help to elongate the life of the strings!