We remind you that extreme humidity and dryness are dangerous, as well as the rapid passage from one to the other. They should never be hung on the walls, since they usually capture and transmit moisture and should not be placed in the car’s luggage compartments, since exposed to the sun can reach very high temperatures and the guitar could suffer irreparable damage.

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When the guitar must travel by plane, the strings must be completely loosened. It is recommended to keep the instrument between 40 and 60% relative humidity. When the humidity is less than 40%, the wood could be split and the height of the ropes would fall, which could cause corks. When the humidity is greater than 70%, it may cause peeling, loss of sound and the height of the ropes would rise.

Next, we detail the maintenance by parts of the guitar:

Wood

When cleaning it, it is sufficient to rub with a small cotton cloth, very lightly moistened. There are also other specific products on the market for instruments, you just have to be careful not to contain solvents.

On the other hand, when rubbing, do it lightly because otherwise the matte finish will gradually become bright, although this is something inevitable with time.

We must be careful if we apply wood maintenance products, because not all guitars use the same varnish and this can be damaged. In all acoustic guitars, polyurethane or matt gloss varnish is used. Regarding its correct use and maintenance, the most important thing is to avoid extreme temperature and humidity.

Diapason

After cleaning the powder, apply a little Vaseline with a clean cloth. A rag moistened with alcohol can be used to remove accumulated dirt from high usage.

Frets

The dirt that accumulates between them and the fingerboard can be removed with the tip of a toothpick. Do not use other things that may be harder than rosewood or ebony since it would damage the wood.

Tuning Machines

Grease them with a little sewing machine oil.

Ropes

We recommend that they be cleaned after playing with a clean cloth moistened with alcohol, underneath and along the length of the strings. Its cleaning extends its useful life and also returns the original shine. It is frequent that, for reasons of high sweating, the wear of the strings is greater. It is convenient to keep guitars always tuned in the same tone and, if you want to change the strings, do not remove them at once, but change one, tune it with the others and so on with the rest of the strings. In this way the bridge and the cover do not lose the tension to which they are accustomed. When the guitar must travel by plane, the strings must be completely loosened.

How to clean guitar strings

The strings of your guitar are an integral part of your instrument: without them, you cannot play anything. However, the strings can easily get soiled that it can be noticed by the naked eye, which can negatively impact their longevity and the quality of the music you play. To keep the strings of your guitar in optimum condition, learn to recognise when you should clean them, remove dirt and lubricate them.

Remove dirt from the strings

Place your guitar in the necessary position. Release your hands to start working and place the guitar face up. You can put it on a table, in a box, in its case and even on your legs. As an alternative, if your guitar has a strap that is attached to the neck, hang it and put it face up. Make sure that the guitar headstock does not touch anything so that no string is deflected. The ideal is to put the guitar on a stable surface.

Choose a cloth and a cleaning solution

Some people prefer to use absorbent paper, a microfibre cloth or a cloth to dry frets folded in eight parts. Others prefer to use a clean cotton diaper. Any type of rag or paper product will do, just make sure it is clean, dry and relatively soft. Apply the cleaning solution to a cloth first, not directly to the strings, as this could also cause the product to fall on the guitar. Likewise, you will avoid the accumulation of waste from the solution, which could be difficult to clean.

If you have a nylon string guitar, you can use a dry or slightly damp cloth.

On the other hand, there are products designed specifically for the cleaning of metal ropes, such as the brands Fast-Fret String Cleaner, Dunlop Ultraglide, Dr. Stringfellow and many more. However, you do not have to use these products if you cannot buy them. Alcohol disinfectant from 70 to 90% can also be very effective for cleaning, like shaving gel.

Place a rag in the correct location

Once your rag is wet and ready to start, slide half under the guitar strings to the bridge or as low as you can. Then, fold the other half over the cords so that the cloth covers both sides of the cords.

Slide the folded cloth along the strings

Make sure you cover the entire area, from the bridge to the bone of the guitar headstock. Pay attention especially to the area of ​​the strings that are on the frets, since that is where they always have contact with your skin and, if you usually play arpeggios, it also cleans the area well over the mouth of the guitar. Apply upward pressure as you clean the top of the ropes and do not forget to lift them to make sure you also clean the bottom.

It is important to clean both sides of the ropes, as it is important to clean both sides of your teeth.

Do not worry if the strings are lifted from their grip on the pegboard or if the pegs move a little, as you can always refine your guitar. You may notice that your strings change their colour a little or that the cloth is stained with grey lines. This is a sign that your effort is working.

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