How to Clean a Guitar

Let's Start at the Beginning

Cleaning can be considered a necessity, right? Whether in your own home, taking a shower (aka cleaning your body), or even elsewhere, cleaning anything can seem like a daunting task at first that then turns into a moment of jubilation and pride once complete!

The same applies to guitars! Guitars, in order to maintain their lush appearances, must be cleaned periodically. But don't worry - it's not as bad as you think!

 General Care for a Guitar

This can be broken down into two main categories - Appearance Maintenance and Preventative/Playability Maintenance. Appearance Maintenance will determine how "good" the guitar will look visually as time goes on, but doesn't play much of a role in the playability of the instrument. Preventative/Playability Maintenance, on the other hand, is the opposite - this is maintenance completed to keep your guitar in a state where it can properly play and allow you to rock out! So, how do I approach each of these categories?

Appearance Maintenance

Tools Needed:

• a micro fiber polishing cloth (click here)
• instrument polish (click here)

To complete appearance maintenance on a guitar, simply spray the guitar polish directly onto a micro fiber or instrument polishing cloth, then gently wipe down the body (aka the whole shiny wood part) of the guitar in a swirling, circular motion.