Most luthiers (the people who build and repair guitars) will tell you that the best cleaner is simply a soft, damp—wrung out, not dripping wet—cotton cloth, such as an old tee shirt. Use it to wipe skin oil, grime, and smudges from your guitar and then use a soft, dry cloth to absorb excess moisture and buff.
Dab vinegar onto a cotton ball.
I use rice vinegar, but any neutral vinegar will do (don't use balsamic) because it is a wonderful cleaning agent. Rub the vinegar over the fret board carefully as you replace each string.
Vinegar and olive oil mixture: Last but not least, you need a DIY solution that will clean and shine your guitar naturally. Mix equal parts vinegar and oil, apply with a cloth, then wipe it off. This mixture will help remove dirt and grime and restore your guitar's natural shine.
To properly sanitize, you can use 70% isopropyl alcohol/rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizer, or disinfecting wipes to wipe down the guitar. Apply the solution to a rag and wipe down the guitar. Then immediately wipe dry with another cloth. Don't saturate or scrub an area or you will damage the finish. If wiping down the fr.
Nothing more extreme than guitar polish or lukewarm soapy water should ever really be necessary to clean a fretboard, and even those should be used sparingly. In general, unless you are a professional, avoid using any kind of solvent on your guitar.
Play it safe by sticking to cleaners and polishes made specifically for guitars. Do not expose lacquer finishes for very long to plastics, synthetics and surgical rubber tubing (stop snickering; it's used on many guitar stands and straps), all of which react adversely with lacquer.
I don't think I'd use olive oil, linseed oil, waxy furniture polish, and WD-40 contains some solvents that could interact with some glues and finishes. Before going any further, why put anything on a fretboard? Several reasons; bring out the beauty of the wood, darken the wood, and to preserve the wood.
In general, you want to stay away from household cleaners, things like PineSol or Windex or furniture polish, these things generally don't do well on a guitar finish.
Cotton T-Shirts or cotton cloths (as pictured to the left) are usually the best for these jobs. If you really wanted to go a step further you can use a dedicated string cleaner. Something like Planet Waves XLR8 String Lubricant Cleaner or GHS Fast Fret would be a good choice.
Is it OK to clean a guitar with wet wipes? It is not safe to use wet wipes to clean your guitar. Depending on the type of wet wipe, it might have harsh chemicals that can cause damage to the guitar.
This and many other guitar-cleaning and polishing products will be available at your local music store and online. Avoid waxes with petroleum-based chemicals and other harsh materials. If there are some heavily soiled spots on your guitar, keep a little white distilled vinegar close at hand too.
about a drop or two of dish soap to one quart of water has always been a pretty good mix for me. This seems to be gentle enough to not dry out the board. You can wrap some tissue or paper towel around a toothpick to get right up against the frets.
Lemon Oil. Planet Waves Lemon Oil is a natural cleaner and conditioner formulated to remove dirt, grease, and build-up from unfinished woods on all string instruments. It's particularly recommended for use on fretboards and unfinished woods.
Any light, non abrasive guitar polish or any good glass cleaner (Windex (Foaming spray can is best), Perfect Glass etc.) is all you need. It will clean the frets at the same time. Scrubbing with a soft old toothbrush is all you need.
Clean the fretboard: Use fine steel wool to remove stubborn gunk from Rosewood/Ebony/Pau Ferro fretboards, and apply lemon oil to re-hydrate. Use a damp cloth to clean Maple fretboards. Polish the guitar's body: For poly-finished (gloss) guitars, spray guitar polish onto a soft cloth and wipe down.
Most players should plan on changing strings about once every 3 months or 100 hours of practice—whichever comes first. If you're late by awhile, it doesn't matter. Your strings may last twice this long, or more. They will continue to wear and you can continue to use them, as long as they don't break.
Dunlop 6500 Cleaning System
This is a full and comprehensive collection of polishes and solutions to help keep your guitar looking and feeling fresh. From the body to the fingerboard, to the strings, the Dunlop 6500 System really is one of the best guitar cleaning products out there.
Delicate finishes will damage with the caustic chemicals found in some alcohol-based cleaners, but water-based solutions are safe to use. Just be sure not to use too much on any open-grain guitar, which will absorb moisture.
Yes , you can use water to clean your fretboard. I use a DAMP cloth , dampened with warm water. Don't wet the fretboard , and dry thoroughly with a dry soft cloth. I have been doing it for years to get rid of the dead skin that gets into where the fret meets the fretboard.
While lemon oil is a popular choice for cleaning a guitar fretboard with household items, you can also use other types of oils, such as linseed oil or mineral oil. Be sure to do your research and test a small area first to ensure it doesn't negatively impact your guitar.
Apply cleaning solution: There are many commercial cleaning solutions available for guitar strings, or you can make your own using a mixture of water and isopropyl alcohol. Apply the solution to a clean cloth, and then rub it onto the strings. Be sure to get every part of each string.
I wouldn't recommend either as they're quite heavy oils and won't absorb or clean the wood thoroughly.
A veteran tech dishes on how sliced salami, chapstick, or 3-in-1 oil can fix your sticky fretboard. Just don't use WD-40!