Guitar Cleaners

A guitar cleaner removes sweat, grease and dust from the finish, strings and fretboard to help your instrument look and play like new for longer. On this page you'll find string cleaners, sprays and creams for the finish, products for unfinished fretboards, and an amp and case cleaner from brands such as Dunlop, MusicNomad, GHS, Fender and D'Addario. You apply most of these products to a soft cloth, while string cleaners come with their own applicator or as a spray. Your choice depends on what you're cleaning and the type of finish on your guitar.

What can you use to clean guitar strings?

A guitar string cleaner removes sweat and dirt from the metal that dull the strings' tone and speed up corrosion. GHS Fast Fret is a silicone-free liquid with an applicator that you use on the strings, fretboard and back of the neck. D'Addario XLR8 and MusicNomad String Fuel clean the strings and lightly lubricate them at the same time, helping your fingers glide more easily and reducing squeaks as you move along the strings. The String Fuel applicator is 6.3 cm wide and covers all the strings in one pass.

Fender Speed Slick is a compact block with a pre-soaked pad that you run along the strings before wiping off the residue with a cloth. Dunlop 6582 is a spray-on string cleaner and conditioner. RockCare StringJet surrounds the strings on all sides with microfibre pads. The pads are washable, and you can also use the tool with a liquid cleaner.

Which guitar cleaner should you use on a gloss or matte finish?

Dunlop Formula 65 cleans a gloss finish and leaves a thin protective layer, while MusicNomad Guitar ONE cleans and polishes it with carnauba wax. Polish would leave shiny patches on a satin or matte finish, so choose a cleaner without oil, silicone or wax, such as Taylor Satin Guitar Cleaner. The manufacturer lists MusicNomad Guitar Detailer as suitable for gloss, matte and nitrocellulose finishes. Fender Custom Shop Quick Clean is silicone-free and, according to the manufacturer, safe for all finishes, including nitrocellulose.

How do you clean and condition a fretboard?

An unfinished rosewood or ebony fretboard dries out over time, and dirt builds up around the frets. Dunlop offers a two-step treatment: Fretboard 65 Cleaner & Prep first cleans the crevices around the frets, then Deep Conditioner replenishes the oil in the wood and protects it from drying out and cracking. Dunlop does not recommend its cleaner for maple fretboards.

MusicNomad F-ONE Oil cleans and nourishes in one step with a blend of plant oils without lemon oil, which the manufacturer lists as suitable for rosewood, maple and ebony. Other options are D'Addario Hydrate or Dunlop Pure Formula 65 with coconut oil for unfinished wood. MusicNomad Amp & Case Cleaner is designed for amps and cases covered in tolex, leather or vinyl.

You'll find cloths, kits and polishes in the guitar cleaning and maintenance category. When even cleaning can no longer save your strings, choose replacements in the guitar strings section.