Do you want your guitar to sound nice and clean each time you play it? Do you want your guitar to look good for years? We’re pretty sure that you said yes to the above questions. Then there is only, one answer to all of it.

Cleaning Your Guitar

Clean your guitar regularly. Cleaning the guitar is one of the most overlooked aspects of learning guitar. Some experienced guitar players feel that it should be a part of guitar lessons given to beginners. I made it a point to learn it from my instructor and there is no reason why you cannot do the same. Now, don’t fret and fume if your instructor didn’t teach you the cleaning routine. You are not alone. A lot of people have no clue on how to clean a guitar routinely and regularly. Here’s a brief glance into cleaning and maintaining your guitar the easy way.

Use a cotton cloth – yes a plain old cotton cloth is the first and the most important piece of apparatus in cleaning the guitar. If you don’t have one in handy, then go and get old cotton t-shirt out of the closet and rip a piece out of it. That should suffice for now. The next thing is a guitar cleaning solution that you can find at most music stores.  Never take an abrasive to your guitar to clean it (such as Windex or other bleach-based cleaner or detergent).  The third thing is a swipe that is used to clean under the strings and around it.

Start off by cleaning your guitar routinely irrespective of whether you play it or not (which you should be). Why is this necessary? Because there are dust particles, moisture and many other external elements in the air that can rob your guitar off its shine and the strings off its clean sound. You should also make it a point to wipe down your guitar each time you play it. There is a lot of dirt and oil that the skin sheds and this forms a thin invisible coat of grime on the strings. Start off by cleaning the body of the guitar with a cotton/flannel cloth. Wipe it slowly and ensure that you do not miss out any part. For the parts that are hard to reach with a cloth, use a paintbrush (a clean one, obviously). When you get to the strings, first wipe it down with the cotton cloth and then use the swipe under it. Pluck a string to see how it sounds and you will definitely see an improvement. Make sure that you do not use any solutions on the string.

If you have made a habit of the cleaning routine and have been cleaning your guitar regularly, then the first observation will be that the look of the guitar has improved. It will be shining and looking as good as new. Secondly, it will sound much better than it did. Lastly, you will find that you are enjoying your cleaning routine.

Cleaning your instrument is probably the hardest thing to remember to do. Proper maintenance is important for any piece of equipment, and the guitar is no exception to that.

Keeping your guitar cleaned and maintained prevents any type of build-up or grime that can occur. Forgetting or just failing to clean it can result in a distorted sound or even damage if you go too long in between cleanings and maintenance.

Safeguarding your guitar can depend on the type of guitar you have, acoustic or electric, but there are basics that should be followed for both. For instance, you should give attention to the frets of your instrument. The body produces natural oils that can build up in the strings, not to mention dirt and other outside filth, and this can make a difference in the sound that comes from your guitar if you don't pay close attention. 

Replacing the Strings

If you are replacing on your own, then always note and remember that never remove all the strings at a time because, you may forget the arrangement and it will be difficult for you attach them in order of there functionality. You can also take the help of some outside repairing shop also. While replacing guitar strings is a normal, routine thing, care must be taken.  Perhaps for the first time you should bring your guitar to a local music store and have them show you how to change strings.  They’ll surely give you the advice you need.

While removing the guitar string, begin with the 6th string which is the thickest one among all the guitar strings by twisting the tuning peg. It is easy to remove and replace as you can handle it easily. Now remove the string from the packet and adjust it according to the hole in the guitar to attach the new string.

Before tightening the string always make a point that there it is loose and has a slack so that you can play the guitar string properly

To preserve the strings on your guitar, it is important to wipe them down periodically with a cloth. This not only keeps your instrument producing the sound that it should, it also makes it last longer. Cleaning the metal parts of your guitar is also important. 

Other Maintenance

You should make a point to tighten all of the screws, strap-pins, and tuning machines. Tightening all of the necessary parts can prevent unwanted background rattling while you play. Also, you should try your hardest not to scratch, bump, or ding your guitar. Simple things like wearing a belt buckle when you have a strap on your guitar can scratch up the back and take the value of your instrument down. 

You can pick up a cleaning solution specially made for this at your local music store. Failure to properly clean the mechanisms and the metal can cause expensive damage to your equipment. Amplifiers are also important to the sound of your guitar. You can keep your amplifier sounding good by storing it in a closet whenever you are not using it.

Acoustic guitars may need a little more attention. You should come up with a wiping, and polishing regime for these guitars. Set aside a certain time of the week, or a couple of times a month, to devote to cleaning your instrument so you can keep it as an investment and avoid frequent replacements.

Just like vehicles, guitars and other instruments need care and maintenance. Making sure that you handle your guitar properly is vital to its length of life the way it sounds. Again, your local music store will provide maintenance and cleaning services if you are unsure about how to do it yourself.

Storing Your Guitar

The story of guitar care starts with the storage. The musician can be a frequent player, or a performer, a teacher, or can be a rare user. But in every case, the common necessity is the good storage system of the instrument, which will protect the guitar from any kind of physical damage. For this the guitar needs a well fitted guitar case. Keeping it in a case will prevent it from various kinds of damages like scratching, mistreatment, accidental hitting, stepping etc. Other than this, a case will be a good safeguard while traveling with the guitar as it will prevent the instrument from heat and direct sunlight, which basically makes the wood dry, cracked and brittle.

Next with it comes the storing of the guitar. The perfect or the suitable temperature to keep the instrument is the room temperature (i.e. between 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit). This will save it from the effects of the climatic changes. Even using a humidifying system helps keeping the instrument safe.

You should shield your guitar by keeping it in its case. Humidity is a factor when it comes to guitars and it can have a lasting effect on your instrument. There are humidifiers that are man-made that you can find directions for online, there are also capsules that you can buy and keep in your case for unwanted humidity.

The best way to maintain your guitar is to keep it stored in its case when you are not using it. Leaving it out in the open or where the elements can affect it is the worst thing you can do for you instrument.

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