How to Take Care of Your Strings and Your Guitar

Strings are the most important part of your guitar. Besides choosing good quality strings, the maintenance of these strings is surely one of the most important tasks. Fragile, they need special care and if you don't give them all the attention they need, you may be disappointed in your playing. There are several important steps to follow when caring for your guitar strings. Here are a few things, among many, to consider for successful string maintenance.

The Strings

Use a hand sanitizer.

It may seem surprising at first, but you can take care of your guitar strings with hand sanitizer and here's how! Before playing your guitar, put a drop of hand sanitizer on your hands, especially on the fingers that come in contact with your guitar strings. Knowing that the purpose of hand sanitizer is to kill bacteria on your hands, its advantage is that it evaporates quickly and removes the natural oils from your hands, leaving them relatively dry. Because it is the natural oils on your hands that damage and wear out the guitar strings over time. The use of a hand sanitizer will reduce this phenomenon.

When you are finished playing your guitar, wipe your strings with a lint-free cloth. It is important to always clean them before storing your guitar. This will remove oil, dirt and dust. Oil and dust will damage your guitar over time if you don't clean it properly after each use. It is also important to use a soft, lint-free cloth and nothing else, because if the lint gets into the strings, which is not desirable, it will damage the strings of your guitar but more importantly it will alter the vibration of the string and therefore the sound of the guitar.

The Guitar Body

Make sure that your guitar does not get hot, or get rained on,  etc. Also be careful with the UV rays of the sun. For successful maintenance, a soft and soapy water will be perfect for the varnished section (not directly on the wood, to be able to absorb moisture).

The Neck of the Guitar

As for the neck of your guitar, you can use 70% alcohol on a soft cloth but only if your neck is not varnished, otherwise simply use water with a little soap. Note that there are specific products that guarantee that your neck will not be damaged. For some woods that are very sensitive, it is better to consult the website of your guitar manufacturer, or a luthier.

The Mechanics

To maintain the mechanics, a few drops of sewing machine oil will do the trick. Don't forget to tighten the screws and keys from time to time.  You can also find more suitable products online or in specialized stores. If you have an acoustic guitar, you can occasionally apply a thin layer of linseed oil to the wood of your guitar. Of course, always use a soft cloth.