A guitarist’s instrument is always among their most prized possessions. Thus, every guitarist should know how to properly take care of their electric guitar. One of the most important things you can do to keep your guitar in working condition is keeping the dust off of it.
To clean dust off an electric guitar, use a feather duster to clear as much dust as possible. Next, use a soft, dry cloth to carefully clean off any remaining dust. For areas between the strings and other hardware, use a soft brush to remove any dust that may have collected in these areas.
This is the most basic form of guitar cleaning. In this article, I will elaborate on this cleaning method and show you the most thorough way to clean dust off your electric guitar. I will look at different ways to clean your guitar depending on its body type, so read on to find out what the best cleaning method is for your guitar!
Related: how to prevent a warped guitar neck.
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1. Wash Your Hands Before Cleaning
It should go without saying, but it can be very easy to get ahead of ourselves and start cleaning our electric guitar before properly washing our hands. This is necessary because it will help eliminate any dirt and oils on your hands. If you do not wash these off your hands, you will transfer them to the guitar you are supposed to clean.
The last thing you want is to finish cleaning your guitar only to smudge it with any oils or residue still on your hands!
2. Use a Feather Duster for the First Cleaning
You should use a feather duster or a microfiber as the first tool for cleaning off dust from your guitar. Starting off by removing excess dust is a great idea for several reasons:
- It will easily loosen and clear dust.
- The soft fiber poses no risk to the finish of the guitar.
- It makes the final cleaning easier.
Carefully dust down the entire guitar with the feather or microfiber duster. Note that you’re not likely to get the guitar completely dust-free with this step alone. It will, however, make the following steps easier.
3. Remove the Strings
You cannot possibly perform a thorough cleaning of your guitar with the strings still attached. Aside from the fact that you may not want some of the cleaning agents to come in contact with the strings, you also need unhindered access to the fretboard.
By taking out the strings, you can get to every part of the guitar more easily. You will also have the opportunity to look closely at the tuning heads and apply some lubrication to them so they continue working without friction.
You can watch the video below if you need help removing your guitar strings. Note that you should not cut the strings before removing them, as suggested in the video, unless you plan to change them. If you simply want to remove them to clean the guitar and then replace them, just loosen them and take them out.
Here’s the video guide:
4. Clean the Guitar Body
Your guitar body will likely have one of the four main body types. How you will go about cleaning it will depend on the specific type of finish you are dealing with.
The different types of guitar finishes are:
- Matte
- Satin
- Poly or Glossy (Polyurethane and polyester)
- Nitrocellulose
Matte Finish
You should not clean matte finish guitars with any cleaning agent. The best way to maintain this type of finish is to clean it frequently with a soft dry cloth. Be sure to wipe it down softly because adding a lot of pressure can change the look of the finish.
If there are areas with tough to remove dirt, you can slightly dampen the cloth with warm water to clean those spots. Wipe down with a dry cloth to remove any remaining moisture.
Satin Finish
This type of finish is a mix between a matte and glossy finish. It should also be cleaned with a soft dry polishing cloth. If, however, the dirt proves difficult to clean with only the dry cloth, you can use a slightly damp cloth and rub gently. Be sure to clean the body with a soft dry cloth to mop up any excess moisture from the damp cloth.
As with the matte finish, apply very minimal pressure as you clean to avoid polishing it into a gloss-like finish.
Poly or Gloss Finish
This is the most popular finish you will find today. It can withstand a lot more than the other types of finish. The first thing you need to do is clean the body of the guitar with a soft, damp cloth. Run some water over one of the soft cotton or microfiber cloths. Wring out as much water as you can so that it’s just damp and not dripping with water.
Carefully wipe the guitar’s body (apart from the fretboard) as much as possible. When you are done, get a second soft cloth and wipe the guitar to remove any excess wetness left by the damp cloth.
If your guitar body has some stubborn dirt and grime that proves too difficult for your damp cloth, then you may require a stronger solution. The best cleaning agents for this stubborn dirt and grime include lemon oil, distilled white vinegar, or any other guitar-specific product.
The lemon oil I’m referring to here isn’t your regular natural lemon oil found in grocery stores. This type is designed for use with guitars. It’s also important to use distilled white vinegar and not any other kind. This is very important to ensure you do not deface your guitar.
Ensure you do not apply the cleaning agent directly on the guitar when cleaning these tough areas. It is best to apply them on a damp cloth and then clean the area with it. Remember that you want the finish of your guitar to shine through and not for it to get dull.
Nitrocellulose
If your guitar has this type of