The bridge on an electric guitar can quickly get grubby and dirty, especially because it is one of the areas of a guitar that gets touched most frequently. Keeping the bridge clean helps your guitar look nicer, ensures that everything keeps working as it should and prevents rust. However, cleaning an electric guitar bridge can be intimidating if you’ve never done it before.
Here’s how you can clean an electric guitar bridge in 7 steps:
- For a quick clean, rub a lint-free cloth over the bridge.
- Remove the strings or cut them off.
- Use a toothbrush, warm water, and dish soap.
- Use a lint-free cloth and drinking straw to dry water.
- Use a cotton swab to dust hard-to-reach areas.
- If necessary, remove the bridge and use WD-40.
- Polish the bridge.
Some of these steps include advanced techniques which can damage your guitar if not done properly so be careful! Keep reading if you’d like a thorough guide to getting your electric guitar bridge nice and clean hopefully without causing any damage.
Related: how to clean dust off an electric guitar, how to prevent a warped guitar neck, and how to put an electric guitar back together.
1. Rub a Lint-Free Cloth Over the Bridge For a Quick Clean
If you don’t have a lot of time or if your bridge isn’t that dirty, you can clean it quickly with just a lint-free cloth. Simply slide the cloth under the strings and rub it over the bridge to pick up dust and moisture.
If you don’t already have a cloth to use, I recommend the Niveaya Multi-Functional Reusable Lint Free Cloths from Amazon.com. These microfiber cloths quickly absorb water and won’t leave any streaks on your bridge. Additionally, they are reusable and durable, so you can keep using them for years, and they won’t wear out.
2. Remove the Guitar Strings
If a quick solution won’t make a difference then it’s time for a deeper clean. Removing the strings from an electric guitar is a relatively straightforward process, and if you haven’t already learned how to do this, now is a perfect time.
Most serious electric guitar players who play their guitar regularly change their strings at least every three to four months, so it’s a process you’ll have to get used to.
You should replace your strings when they get rusty or when they frequently fall out of tune. If you don’t play often, you won’t have to replace your strings as much. On the other hand, some players replace their strings once a week.
If you’re unfamiliar with changing strings, take a picture of the strings so you can replicate the path after you’ve cleaned the bridge and you’re ready to restring your guitar.
Loosen the strings by down-tuning the guitar until you can unwind the strings and pull them off the guitar’s body. To down-tune, pull the tuning peg counterclockwise. Alternatively, if you’re going to replace the strings, you can cut the old ones off since you won’t need them anymore.
Be sure to take your time; you could damage your guitar if you try to yank the strings out too quickly.
3. Use a Toothbrush, Warm Water, and Dish Soap
Bridges are prone to rust and damage because guitar players touch the bridge often, so the oils and dirt on their hands rub off on the hardware. Because of this, they often require more than just a quick clean with a cloth.
For a more thorough cleanse, you’ll need to use a soft-bristled toothbrush so you don’t scratch the bridge. I recommend the Colgate 360 Extra Soft Toothbrush for Sensitive Teeth, which you can get on Amazon.com. The bristles on this toothbrush are 48% softer than ordinary manual toothbrushes, and the raised cleaning tip makes it easier to get to every part of the bridge.
You’ll also need some dish soap. You can use whatever dish soap you use to wash your dishes. I use Dawn Original Dishwashing Soap (available on Amazon.com). This soap is the best selling soap in the United States, so it is a well-known and trusted brand, and it is known for its versatility for various cleaning tasks around the home.
Here’s how to clean your bridge:
- To make the cleaning solution, add a few drops of dish soap to some warm water.
- Dip a clean and lint-free cloth into the water and squeeze out any excess.
- Wipe the bridge with the cloth. You can use a soft-bristled toothbrush to scrub any particularly dirty areas.
4. Dry The Guitar
Drying your guitar after you clean it is extremely important, as any water left on wood can cause significant damage as the water seeps deeper into the wood and ruins it’s structural integrity. You can use a dry cloth to dry the areas you’ve cleaned. If you can’t reach some damp areas, you can blow air through a drinking straw to dry up the spot.
If you don’t dry your guitar completely, the wood can swell and alter the guitar’s tone. The sound will be more dull, which is undesirable.
When you’re done cleaning, no moisture or residue should be left behind.
5. Use a Cotton Swab to Dust Hard-To-Reach Areas
Fixed bridges don’t have any hard-to-reach places or cavities that you need to worry about, but some other types of bridges do. Floating bridges and tremolo systems have cavities that can be difficult to clean. Furthermore, saddles can occasionally pose a cleaning challenge.
The best way to get to these places and wipe them down is to use a cotton swab. My favorite swabs to use for cleaning are the PINGMIC Long Cotton Swabs from Amazon.com. These swabs are tightly wound and have strong bamboo stems, so they won’t break while you’re cleaning. They are also six inches long, so they can reach the cavities.
6. If Necessary, Remove the Bridge and Use WD-40
If your bridge is extremely dirty and has already begun to rust, you may need to clean it even more thoroughly. To do this, you’ll need to remove the bridge completely and apply WD-40. WD-40 acts as a rust preventative and a lubricant. However, you should be careful with this product because it could damage a guitar’s finish. You can apply the WD-40 using