Keep Your Guitar Clean

When you have a clean guitar, you don't just look good, you have a better sound as well. The fingerboard plays more smoothly and the wood vibrates freely. Here are a few tips on how to clean your guitar without ruining it.

You can keep most of the dirt off by dusting off your guitar once a week with a clean cloth. Make sure to use a different rag on the fingerboards to avoid steel particles scratching your guitar. Although it's very mild, why risk it?

About twice a year your guitar can use some polish on it. Depending on the type of your guitar, you should use different kind of polish. Use oil based polish on unfinished surfaces, like bridges and fingerboards, it also works good on vintage instruments. Major guitar manufacturers make polishes for contemporary nitrocellulose or acrylic lacquers. First apply a little polish on a clean cotton clots, then wipe it on your guitar, clean it off with another clean cloth and your done. Oil the bridge too. Because cracking can occur in dry climates, keeping fingerboard and bridge well oils helps to prevent it. Read instructions before using it to make sure no special care required. Some people like to use olive oil on unfinished areas. It's not a good idea. Over a period of time it can clog up the pores in the wood.

In case your guitar is super dirty you might need to use a special heavy-duty grease that you can get in almost any music store. They usually contain a little grit to get the excess dirt off, supposedly without ruining the finish of your guitar. Unfortunately it usually always takes some of the finish off. To avoid hurting your guitar it's better to use the heavy stuff only in extreme cases. Also never use any over the counter cleaners as Pledge, Windex, etc... I know I'm being obvious on this one, but you would be surprised how many people I caught using heavy chemicals on their instruments. It still makes me cringe, just thinking about it.

Once in a while it's a good idea to clean out the dust from the inside of your guitar. You see, dust can absorb moisture, which can potentially harm the wood. To clean out the dust use the vacuum hose and carefully vacuum it out. Make sure not to damage your guitar.

Another little tip to remember is to use clean hands as often as possible. Hands contain oil, which in turn rubs of on the guitar attracting dirt and causing those sticky stains no one really likes.

If you follow these simple few tips on cleaning your guitar you should have no problem in keeping a nice clean guitar without ruining it.