Dirty guitars may look unattractive, but they also pose serious damage. Sweat contains acids and salts which corrode metal hardware like bridges and tuners (Fig 2).

Clean your guitar regularly and before restringing it. For optimal results, use nonabrasive cleaners instead of harsh ones; just take extra precaution around electronics such as pickups. Never apply liquids directly onto an electric guitar.

Fretboard

The fretboard of any guitar suffers most of its wear and tear over time, so regular care must be taken in keeping it looking its best. An inexpensive jewelry-polishing cloth (available at most supermarkets) can help remove grime while giving its surface a shiny surface finish. Simply rub this over each fret to give its fingerboard a new lease on life!

The neck requires regular cleaning. If it is completely lacquered, naptha (Ronsonol or Zippo lighter fluid) on a cloth can help. Naptha evaporates quickly without harming wood or nitrocellulose finishes — however be cautious not to get it near an open flame!

When dealing with extremely dirty necks, Endust wood polish spray may be better suited than naptha for use on instruments. Although its speed of evaporation may not match that of naptha’s, its safety for nitro or poly finishes ensures minimal damage is caused to them by household products containing silicone which could damage their finishes further. Using lemon oil or fretboard conditioner as part of regular maintenance is also effective; just don’t be too generous with how often or hard you apply the solution: just dab it on once or twice is sufficient!

Body

Guitars are exposed to sweat and dirt that accumulate over time and contribute to its finish degrading over time. Sweat contains water, acids, salt and minerals which are all harmful for finishes and hardware alike; in addition, sweat residue can leave sticky spots that create sticky feel in knobs and switches of old models.

Most guitars will require cleaning at some point, with the process depending largely on what kind of finish they feature. Guitars with nitrocellulose finishes should only be cleaned using products designed specifically to remove them, while many cleaning and polishing compounds contain petroleum products or solvents which could potentially harm them.

For most guitars, using a damp cloth should suffice. Abrasives should be avoided on finished surfaces to prevent scratches to the finish from happening. When polishing, apply it carefully only in small sections at a time so as to not scratch up its finish.

Bridge

Sweat, dust and other contaminants can clog up hardware on a guitar, so regular cleaning of its hardware will keep it looking its best and functioning optimally. (Fig 11).

Cleanliness can be challenging with an acoustic guitar bridge, yet maintaining its functionality is important in avoiding string breakage and other problems.

Dan Erlewine uses a jig and naphtha to clean this old Gibson guitar that had accumulated dried-on gunk after decades in storage.

WD-40 or 3-in-One oil is an ideal initial cleaner. Naptha works well on stubborn dirt but must be used carefully with ventilation systems in mind as it’s highly flammable. As for polishing products, my preference lies with Endust, available at many department stores or Wal-Mart; its purpose-made product wipes away completely without leaving behind wax or silicones behind when removed completely from surfaces without leaving behind residue or silicones of its own. Finally, for final finishing I often turn to steel wool graded at 0000 grade grade steel wool while covering them with blue painter’s tape so fibers don’t enter soundhole pickups!

Tuning Keys

Vintage guitars – and instruments inspired by them – often feature exposed gear tuners that allow users to view and access their workings. Unfortunately, these worm-and-pinion gears can become susceptible to collecting case dust, lint, and fluff that interferes with proper operation of their smooth operation.

If your tuners are stiff, the first thing to do is loosen off the strings and see how easily they turn. If there’s still difficulty turning them, chances are there is some point of friction somewhere that needs cleaning; to fix this, take apart each tuner for a thorough deep-clean.

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Begin by using a soft cloth and mild solvents such as mineral spirits, kerosene or naphtha to scrub your metal hardware with care. Take extra precaution around pickups as these parts can be sensitive to these liquids. After scrubbing, wipe down parts with clean cotton rag or microfiber cloths to remove any remaining solvent before polishing using cotton rag or microfiber cloths for further polishing – avoid touching electronics as cleaning solutions could potentially damage them.