How To Clean A Fretboard Without Removing Strings

How practice y'all clean a guitar fretboard with household items?

I've been there, your guitar is looking dirty as it can be and you lot have none of those fancy products that they ever desire you lot to buy at every guitar store.

Do y'all just clean it with water? Perfume? How can you do so without damaging your instrument?

That is exactly what I will exist talking well-nigh in this post.

Tabular array of Contents

• How to make clean a guitar fretboard with household items?
  • 1- Manifestly water
  • 2- Guitar picks, or some old plastic cards
  • iii- Using vegetable oil soap
  • 4- Lemon oil
  • v- Mineral spirits
  • half dozen- Naphtha
• Products that you shouldn't use
  • 1- Furniture polish
  • two- Bleach
  • 3- Vinegar
  • 4- Toothpaste
  • v- Acetone
  • 6- Sandpaper
• Cleaning your guitar fretboard – Step by step
  • Step ane: Placing your guitar in a safety identify
  • Step 2: Removing all the strings
  • Step 3: Cleaning your fretboard
    • Making a fret guard
    • Polishing the frets
    • Cleaning the fretboard
• How to prevent your fretboard from getting dingy
  • Clean your hand before playing
  • Don't hang your guitar on a wall
  • Clean your guitar after using information technology
• Before you lot go

How to clean a guitar fretboard with household items?

The quick answer is that the best way to clean a guitar fretboard with household items is to just utilize things like Q-tips or cotton swabs to remove the dirt that is specifically located to the side of the fret and use cotton balls (or even face up-cleaning pads) for the centre office in between frets. You lot should do this patiently with each fret and conveniently without any strings on your guitar. Using a piddling bit of h2o is normally preferred before using perfumes or any other liquid with chemicals that could potentially impairment your guitar.

I take been playing guitar for many years and I have to say, a clean guitar really feels different and volition even help your musical instrument final longer.

There are many ways in which you can clean your guitar without having to buy any production.

The next items that I'one thousand going to list are some of those that won't replace real guitar cleaning products but will proceed your instrument in good shape.

Later on beneath, I will show you a step-past-footstep of how to utilize them to clean your fretboard.

ane- Obviously h2o

Yep, you read that right!

That same water that we drink every day and shower with.

H2o could exist a cracking alternative to most products that yous could effort to make clean your guitar with, which could potentially damage it.

If in dubiousness, only use water!

Apparently water is free, readily available, with no harsh chemicals, no burn down run a risk, no wellness hazards, and yous won't be needing any protective equipment.

But I'm not talking about spraying your entire guitar soaking wet, or anything drastic.

Simply grab a cotton brawl or microfiber textile, and with a bit of water, slowly and patiently clean each individual fret in your guitar.

At present…

Many people will debate that using water will requite you lot trouble when removing heavy dirt that could potentially be on your guitar if you haven't cleaned it in a while.

This is very true!

And if that'southward the case and your guitar is in actually bad shape, and then yous should use something else.

Merely, if your fretboard is not that dirty and just needs a quick make clean up, then you tin can never get wrong this style.

two- Guitar picks, or some old plastic cards

This depends on how bad your fretboard is looking, if the dirt is so noticeable that you can encounter information technology, and so it might exist a good idea to scrape information technology a petty bit earlier you utilize any products.

Things like old plastic cards (ex: former credit cards) or your guitar picks (if they haven't disappeared nonetheless) could be very useful when doing this.

In my case, I will use a small piece of cardboard from a Listerine Pocketpaks bundle.

This one even came with the corners cut, which turned out to be a very good approach.

This Ibanez GIO that I'm using as an case, hasn't been played in over a year. And to my surprise, it wasn't that dirty since I've always kept it within its pocketbook.

Yous will want to horizontally push the dirt away, and if it is to close to the bodily fret then just utilize one of the corners of the carte or the elevation of your guitar picks to remove those.

At present…

This might sound a bit obvious but make certain that y'all don't apply a knife or anything that can scratch and get out marks on your fretboard.

You might exist surprised at how many people take had this trouble.

3- Using vegetable oil soap

Another thing that yous can do is to see if you take vegetable oil soap around your house.

Find I'g not talking about the vegetable oil that you employ for cooking food in your house.

This is a special oil lather that is manufactured with water, kokosnoot, plant-derived cleaning ingredients, natural fragrance, and two% constructed ingredients. It contains 98% naturally derived ingredients, pure vegetable oil and information technology's very safe to use it on generally any wood blazon.

Here is an example:

Murphy oil soap

People usually have these around the house, and so it makes them a perfect alternative to professional person guitar cleaning products.

This specific product cleans to a natural smoothen and does not contain any unnecessary chemicals.

Use a little scrap of this oil soap with any cotton wool ball or microfiber material, and later on cleaning all the hard dirt on your fretboard, this will give it a great polish and feel.

If there is a lot of dust, remove it beforehand, and and then hands utilize it until you are satisfied with the results.

The good affair about these types of wood cleaning products is that not only can yous use information technology on your fretboard, but too on your guitar body and neck.

Now…

I've also read, amongst many positive comments, ane person saying that your guitar might get glutinous.

For me, this hasn't been the example, but if you lot want to be certain this doesn't happen to you, so you can either mix the oil soap with a bit of water, use really small amounts at a time, or slightly remove it with a dry out microfiber cloth afterwards you're done.

Either mode, most of the time, your guitar shouldn't need an excessive amount of whatsoever production if y'all clean it regularly.

4- Lemon oil

Lemon oil is a great mode to make clean your fretboard every bit all the dirt volition be removed very easily and it will allow the wood to smooth again if information technology's dried out.

You have to be conscientious, though, with what type of lemon oil you utilise.

I'm not talking about lemon juice or encouraging you to merely slice a lemon and apply that to clean your fretboard.

This is a dissimilar type of product and the lemon concentration has to be close to nothing.

If you take lemon oil around the house, then it is rubber to use it on more often than not rosewood or ebony fretboards (generally anything but maple fretboards).

Merely once more, very of import, make sure that you don't use actual lemon juice, and that if you have lemon oil, it'southward lemon concentration is not high.

Have a await at an actual product fabricated specifically for guitar fretboards:

They sell these Dunlop Fretboard Lemon Oil on Amazon and are very useful in keeping the clay away with an invisible sealant that prevents stains and moisture.

If you want to check information technology out, I really encourage you to do so, this is one of the products I've used before, and it really does a great task.

You won't exist needing too much, this is not meant to be taken every bit the main production to clean the heavy dirt.

Rather, apply it to requite it its final bear on of shine and moisture.

Without any exaggeration, one of these pocket-sized bottles should last y'all, easily, more than one yr.

five- Mineral spirits

Mineral spirits are very mild and won't harm the stop. Information technology'south worth a endeavour every bit information technology's awesome for getting mucilaginous things off your fretboard.

Yous might be able to find it around your house!

A word of caution though…

If you practise a quick search online, you will find, just similar with any other product, a lot of dubiety among guitar players on forums.

Cleaning your fretboard sporadically with mineral spirits is safe, only long exposure or even aggressive rubbing with the wrong type of mineral spirits can have unwanted effects on your fretboard.

So make certain to use these products equally a quick alternative and not a lifetime solution until yous notice the right ane made exactly for guitar fretboards.

Also, make sure to read what each of the products you apply is made of. Usually, on the back of the bottle, it should list all the chemicals used.

Some of them will be marked as paint thinner or other specific titles containing chemicals that won't really benefit your instrument in whatsoever style.

Different companies might also use unlike formulas or chemicals, and so exist enlightened of this before doing anything dangerous to your guitar.

The same thing applies to:

6- Naphtha

This product will be a lilliputian tricky to apply in modest amounts because information technology will quickly evaporate, but that's the style y'all want it to exist.

Only utilize a little flake at a time as it will act as a way to remove oils from your fretboard. This volition be very useful to clean up all the clay that you get out with your own hands when playing.

But think this…

Merely apply this product if you already accept the appropriate oil to use right afterwards, considering if y'all don't, then you will end upward drying out your fretboard.

Like a few other items on this post, there are a lot of dissimilar opinions on using these liquids on guitars.

The grand majority of guitarists out at that place, though, don't have annihilation negative to say about using this product, I've fifty-fifty seen brands recommend it, for example, Blueberry Guitars.

Merely I would still do some research based on the woods type that you are trying to clean, and how dingy your guitar is.

Products that you shouldn't employ

The listing of products to not use is definitely longer than the list of products to utilise.

Many of the post-obit products might pass as a very adept alternative to cleaning your fretboard if, for case, y'all mix them with water or simply utilise just a footling bit.

But due to many of them bringing a lot of uncertainty amongst guitar players, different opinions, and having different effects depending on the wood blazon, I volition but listing them as products that you should not use.

This will forestall you from using something that could potentially damage your instrument and will allow you to play it safe.

Withal, I do encourage you to practise further research if one of them might seem like a expert choice for you lot.

ane- Furniture polish

I've read in more than one forum that using furniture polish is non the all-time thing to do.

People have shared that it tends to "dry out out any exposed wood and information technology tin permanently stain some kinds of terminate."

Researching around won't bring any positive feedback either, and so I would merely stay abroad from it.

2- Bleach

Unless you're intentionally trying to alter the colour of your fretboard, and then exercise non use bleach nether any circumstances.

Y'all know is bad for a simple cleaning method, when yous search it on Google and the only results you go are people asking how to make their fretboards a lighter colour.

I would stay abroad from it.

three- Vinegar

Using vinegar is one of those products that also bring a lot of mixed feelings to the discussion.

You surely already know that white distilled vinegar is known to be an awesome household cleaner, and many people even use it on their fretboards.

Simply think almost the smell…

Even if y'all use just a niggling bit, it tends to exist a really potent smell, but many would argue that it goes away naturally within a few minutes.

I've never used information technology, and I volition keep information technology that way for now.

four- Toothpaste

I've institute toothpaste to besides bring mixed emotions to this blazon of question.

Many guitar players accept posted online how toothpaste has done incorrect for them and they don't know how to properly reverse the effects without further damage.

One thing you lot demand to brand articulate with toothpaste is what exactly you want to achieve:

• Are you cleaning just the frets, meaning the metal strings within the fretboard?
• Are you trying to make clean the wood?
• Or are you attempting to do both?

That right at that place volition give yous a perfect mode to redefine your search; the products won't be the aforementioned when you're trying to clean wood, versus trying to clean metal.

Humans have been using toothpaste to make clean CD's surface for as long as I remember, and so for some folks, the same logic applies.

Toothpaste is helpful for the frets, (pregnant, the metal parts that you encounter across your fretboard), but do non apply it on the wood.

And if y'all're trying to polish the frets…

Brand sure that you cover the wood with tape or merely use a professional fretboard guard.

5- Acetone

In many years of playing guitar, I've never seen, read, or heard anybody having a positive feel with pure acetone and their fretboards.

Acetone tin can be used as a powerful cleaner in many other cases, but it is extremely harsh to utilise information technology for this case in detail.

Some people fence that it can completely damage the fretboard finish.

Now, if you lot detect yourself having acetone as your only option…

And so you might be able to just utilize one driblet and mix it with water, but if I were you, I wouldn't practice this more once.

vi- Sandpaper

If in some situations, yous cannot remove the dirt from the guitar with the help of anything, do not attempt to utilise sandpaper.

Fifty-fifty less if you are trying to clean the actual forest on the fretboard and non the frets.

Y'all will literally scratch it and then the corporeality of work and time that you volition need to spend to go it to wait similar it was, will be unreal.

Sandpaper tends to be useful in polishing the actual frets, simply not the fretboard itself.

If you are planning on polishing the actual frets, brand sure to use a fret baby-sit or something similar to protect your equipment.

More on that right below.

Cleaning your guitar fretboard – Step by step

Now that yous know almost some of the products or items that you lot can and tin can't employ, let'south put it all together…

Footstep ane: Placing your guitar in a safe identify

Earlier you even start to clean your guitar is very important that you place information technology in a fashion that you won't harm it.

For example, do not attempt to clean your guitar on the flooring.

This will, most of the fourth dimension, scratch your guitar'due south torso, and it will be very uncomfortable for you to even make clean it properly.

What you tin can do, though, is to use a table and place your instrument over some bedsheets or something with a like texture.

Every bit you can meet in these pictures, the guitar won't be damaged or scratched in any way past the table'south surface and it's just ameliorate for you lot to nicely work on it.

But why am I even saying all this?

Well, I used to clean my guitars anywhere I establish convenient. From using the floor, to my own bed; I simply wouldn't recommend doing it similar that.

Remember, you will be removing all the strings, which oftentimes, will exit small pieces all over the place.

Step 2: Removing all the strings

If you're planning on doing a deep cleaning to your fretboard, then I would just encourage you to remove all the strings at once.

Even if you lot're not planning on getting rid of them, it will be much better for you lot to take them all removed, rather than working your style upwardly, 1 past one.

If you have never washed this before, then the first thing you would need to do is loosen up each string every bit much as y'all tin. And then depending on whether yous want to reuse them or not, you would just cutting them, or remove them carefully.

And simply in case yous've heard about the erstwhile contend on whether you lot should have all the strings off your guitar at once or not, I encourage y'all to watch this YouTube video.

Is It Safe To Take All The Strings Off Your Guitar At Once?

He talks about how information technology'due south not that big of a deal to remove them all at once and how your guitar won't go severely damaged at any point.

Step three: Cleaning your fretboard

First of all, I want to talk most the terminology that I will use, but so that we are on the same page.

When I say "frets", I will exist referring to the strips of metallic embedded on your guitar's fretboard. And when I say "fretboard", I mean to refer to simply the wood.

Now…

The first thing that we will exercise is make clean the frets.

Before we do so, we demand to protect the woods. Some people like to employ record or a fret guard, similar this 1:

Today, I'm non using any of those, but rather I'grand making my ain fret baby-sit.

Making a fret baby-sit

If you are interested in doing it equally well, then the merely matter you need is some sort of strong cardboard that bends, some scissors, and a pen.

Only get to the last fret of your guitar, and draw some measurements, just like in the picture higher up.

The reason we practice this is that we volition somewhen exist cleaning each ane of the frets, and if you notice, they become bigger as you go farther into the last frets.

Now…

Later on that, cutting a hole in the middle, wide enough that it could entirely fit a fret.

Polishing the frets

Sometimes, fifty-fifty afterward cleaning the entire fretboard, you will find out that the frets are withal dirty.

Just like in this epitome:

These stains are non very noticeable from far away (and most of the time you are not going to be doing all this work), but they are definitely there.

In this instance, you could apply a boom file together with some toothpaste (separately, and in this verbal lodge) to clean the frets.

Of import: Practice not do this on the wood, you lot will scratch it. And if you're using toothpaste, make certain to use actress protection on the wood such every bit low tack protective tape.

In my example, I'm only using a nail file to slowly and patiently get rid of the yellow stains.

Then with that same fret baby-sit we just made, or a different piece of cardboard, I volition start scraping all the heavy dirt on the guitar.

This guitar wasn't also muddied, to begin with, only if yours is, then merely do it like is existence shown in the pictures to a higher place.

After that, you can merely grab a small cotton ball, and start cleaning the fretboard.

Cleaning the fretboard

Since the principal topic of this postal service is to just use household items, I volition just be using h2o as of right now.

Observe I'one thousand not going to be spraying it directly to the fretboard.

I'm putting a scrap of water on the cotton ball, then I volition use that to clean the dirt.

To be completely transparent with you lot, water doesn't remove as much clay as yous might think it would, and in my opinion, it just seems to dry out the woods a flake too much.

Just then you can have an idea:

After I thought I had cleaned information technology with water perfectly, I decided to apply real products, and the dirt that kept coming out was unbelievable.

I used these ii products from Dunlop's 6500 Organization 65 Guitar Maintenance Kit:

If you desire to check out the entire kit, I would highly recommend it. The best thing about it is that I bought this kit almost 2 years agone, and I nonetheless have it.

As to how to utilize them, the characterization itself helps you figure it out with the big-sized 01 and 02 and its directions on the dorsum of the canteen.

Start I but applied the Fingerboard Cleaner & Prep using a cotton ball.

Retrieve, you lot should generally never spray products directly on your guitar.

You will use way more than you lot demand and is really non a safe thing to do to the fretboard wood.

After that, I applied the Fingerboard Deep Conditioner.

You should apply this product within each fret, one at a time, and then let it rest for a good 5 to ten minutes.

I e'er like to then get an unused cotton wool ball and remove whatsoever excess conditioner that I may have put by accident.

This is where most people go wrong; they put in way also much product and so say that it makes the fretboard sticky.

It doesn't make the fretboard viscous, you're just putting more than y'all should.

The reason I'm sharing this last part is simple.

You could get abroad with cleaning your guitar with household items a few times, simply just like I said before, I don't recollect you should rely on these methods all the time.

How to prevent your fretboard from getting dirty

Clean your hand before playing

This is something I don't even exercise most of the time!

Just…

It will go a long way if before you play your instrument, you just make clean your easily and get rid of any sweat or oil on them.

Your guitar will exist much cleaner and yous won't have to exist doing all this procedure all the time.

Don't hang your guitar on a wall

I'grand telling you this while I have a few of my guitars on the wall.

It looks expert and to be honest, I will go on them in that location : )

But merely know that a lot of dust will accumulate on your instrument over time, and this, combined with your sweat, is the perfect formula for a dingy guitar.

Clean your guitar after using it

Have a few seconds to make clean it upward later playing your guitar.

Merely utilise a microfiber cloth or something similar and clean up the places that yous would unremarkably touch the most.

Doing these things is a great manner of keeping your instrument in good shape.

Before you go

Brand sure to cheque out our blog!

We take many other awesome posts like this ane, and it doesn't affair whether you lot are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player, we surely have something that you will find interesting and useful.

You might learn a couple of guitar secrets as well!

Every bit e'er, cheers and then much for reading.

Source: https://www.guitarbased.com/how-to-clean-a-guitar-fretboard-with-household-items/

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